In the underground tomb...
With a whisper of void, reality bent to Lycius's will. In an instant, he and Kiara materialized in the dining chamber.
Lana, Elizabeth, and Vynessa remained composed, unfazed by his sudden arrival. They had long since grown accustomed to his ability to appear without warning.
However, their gazes immediately shifted to the stunning woman standing beside him.
Violet hair that shimmered like liquid amethyst. Black, abyssal eyes that seemed to devour the light around them. A presence so potent, so unnatural, that the very air in the chamber grew heavy with unseen pressure.
Lana and Elizabeth reacted in unison, their bodies instinctively shifting into battle stances. Their power surged, raw and untamed, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
The aura emanating from the woman was dangerous. Malevolent. Unfathomable.
"Lycius, what have you brought into our home?" Lana's voice was sharp, filled with both authority and concern.
Lycius remained composed. His posture was regal, his expression unreadable, his voice smooth yet commanding.
"Calm down, Mother," he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This woman is my servant—Kiara."
Despite the sincerity in his words, his declaration was difficult to believe. Someone that powerful—already under Lycius's control? The idea was absurd. Impossible.
Kiara, sensing their lingering doubt, took a step forward.
When she spoke, her voice was divine—smooth as velvet, rich as honey, yet laced with unwavering reverence.
"It is as Master says. I am nothing but a servant to him. It is also a great honor to meet the two women who raised him."
With effortless grace, she inclined her head in a gesture of respect toward Lana and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's sharp gaze flickered. Of the two sisters, she was the one who had mastered magic to its highest form, making her Draconic Eyes far more evolved than Lana's. And now, those very eyes revealed to her a truth so startling that her hostility melted away in an instant.
Fascination took its place.
Excitement.
"You…" Elizabeth's voice was a hushed whisper, yet it carried undeniable weight. "You're Lycius's system."
Silence.
Lana and Vynessa both froze.
Vynessa, while not actively aggressive, had remained tense the entire time, an instinctive reaction to Kiara's overwhelming presence. Yet now, shock painted her features. A system? Living, as physical being?
This… was unheard of.
Lana, ever the pragmatist, frowned and turned toward Elizabeth.
Her mental voice echoed in Elizabeth's mind, sharp and questioning.
"Elizabeth, what are you saying? She's clearly a person. Since when was a system a person?"
Elizabeth said nothing, her gaze unwavering.
But Lycius heard.
He heard everything.
His senses had already evolved beyond mortal comprehension, but now—with 'Abyssal Thrall Dominion' awakening his true mental prowess—his ability to intrude upon the minds of others had reached terrifying new heights.
He smirked.
"Yes, Mother," he said aloud, his voice steady. "Elizabeth is right. Kiara is my system. Well… not exactly a system, but the being who has been with me since my birth."
His golden eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.
"She's the one who has been giving me missions all these years."
The revelation sent a ripple of unease through the room.
Elizabeth's head snapped toward him, eyes widening slightly. He had invaded her mind without permission.
He had done it effortlessly.
A slow, knowing smile curved her lips.
"Lycius… you've grown."
Pride swelled in her chest.
Lycius caught the thought in its entirety.
He tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening—arrogant, self-assured, utterly Lycius.
With the tension in the room dissipating, Lycius moved toward the grand dining table. His steps were slow, deliberate—each one exuding a quiet dominance.
Then, without hesitation, he took his seat.
The king's seat.
The seat meant for the family head.
Lana and Elizabeth watched in silence, neither commenting on the bold action. He was still weaker than them—for now. But power was transient. His growth was inevitable, limitless. There was no need to wait for the future when he could claim his place now.
Kiara positioned herself at his right side, standing with poised elegance. Lycius took note of her chosen placement.
A servant had many roles. A warrior, an advisor, a shadow. But Kiara…
His golden eyes gleamed as his voice echoed into her mind, the words carrying the weight of absolute authority.
"Kiara, from this moment onward, you shall take the position of my personal maid.
Everything that concerns me—my affairs, decisions, any irritating ants—must pass through you first before it reaches me."
The emphasis on everything was unmistakable.
This was no ordinary title.
Kiara would not simply serve—she would be his right hand, his left hand, his unseen shadow.
His first line of defense and his last.
For a fleeting moment, silence stretched between them.
Then, her response came, her voice a soft whisper within his mind.
"Yes, Master."
—Supper Passed—
As the evening meal came to an end, Lycius leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting to Kiara.
Without a word, she understood his unspoken command.
Xylara's meal.
With a graceful bow, she retrieved the prepared food and vanished into the dimly lit corridors, her footsteps silent as she approached the chamber where the Succubus Queen was kept.
The room was quiet, the air thick with the lingering scent of incense and faint traces of Lycius's aetherius. A silver chain bound Xylara's wrist, the enchanted restraints ensuring her obedience.
She lay upon the luxurious bed, idly gazing at the ceiling, boredom etched into every delicate feature.
Then, a presence.
Xylara's violent eyes flickered to the door just as it swung open.
A woman stepped inside—tall, elegant, otherworldly.
Violet hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, and her eyes, pitch-black like the void itself, reflected no light.
A being of unfathomable darkness.
"You must be Xylara."
The succubus narrowed her eyes, her lips curving into a lazy smirk.
"And you must be one of his toys."
Kiara's expression did not shift, but an unseen pressure filled the room—a quiet, suffocating presence.
She stepped forward, placing the tray on a nearby table.
"Eat. Master has permitted you to sustain yourself."
Xylara chuckled, the sound sultry yet laced with amusement.
"Master? How obedient. What are you to him?"
Kiara met her gaze without hesitation.
"His shadow. His will. His abyss."
Something in her voice sent a chill down Xylara's spine.
For the first time this week, the Succubus Queen felt something other than boredom.
Curiosity.
As the final echoes of supper faded from the halls, Kiara had returned to his side.
She stood before him, her presence as silent as the abyss she represented.
"I wish to return to your shadows, Master," she stated, her voice calm. "That is where I have resided since your birth. It is where I belong."
Lycius studied her for a moment before nodding.
"Do as you wish."
Without another word, her form dissolved into darkness, melting into the shadows beneath him.
His excitement, which he had carefully restrained throughout the evening, surged to the surface.
Finally.
"It's just me and you now… Xylara."
A slow, predatory smirk spread across his lips as he made his way toward his sleeping chamber.
The moment he stepped inside, he closed the door behind him with a soft click.
There, upon the bed, lay Xylara.
She had fallen asleep out of boredom, unaware that her world was about to change forever.
She would never feel boredom again.
Lycius would make sure of it.
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