Pain. Cold. Hunger.
Shizuka—no, Lilith—awoke to a sensation far too real to be a dream. She gasped, her body arching as power surged through her veins, more intoxicating than anything she had ever felt.
Her hands clenched, and dark mist coiled around her fingers like living shadows. It felt… natural. As if this power had always belonged to her.
"Where the hell am I?" she muttered, sitting up.
The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and something metallic—blood, perhaps. Above her, jagged black spires loomed like the ribs of a dying god. A cavern stretched endlessly in all directions, illuminated only by eerie violet flames floating in the air.
Then, the memories hit her.
The truck. The voice. The transformation.
And then, knowledge flooded her mind, unbidden and overwhelming.
She was no longer Shizuka Hoshino. She was Lilith Nocturne, a being of pure darkness and chaos. A shadowborn vampire-demon hybrid with power beyond human comprehension.
A slow grin spread across her lips.
"So, I'm an overpowered monster now? Heh. Not bad."
Lilith flexed her fingers, testing her newfound strength. With a single thought, the shadows around her responded, swirling and shifting at her command. The air hummed with magic, the sheer energy of it making her shiver with delight.
Then, she felt it—movement.
She wasn't alone.
A low growl rumbled through the cavern. From the darkness emerged grotesque creatures, their forms twisted and monstrous. Bloodshot eyes glowed with hunger. Clawed limbs twitched. Their gaping maws dripped with saliva.
"A welcoming party? How thoughtful."
Lilith cracked her neck, her predatory grin widening.
"Alright, then. Let's see what this new body can do."
With a flick of her wrist, the shadows surged forward.
The beasts lunged.
Lilith smirked, her body moving before she even had to think. Instinct, power, and sheer confidence guided her.
A clawed monster, twice her size, swung at her—slow. She ducked effortlessly, the wind of its attack rustling her long, midnight-black hair.
"Too slow," she teased, and with a casual flick of her wrist, the shadows at her feet surged like a living beast, impaling the creature from beneath.
It let out a choked gurgle before its body crumbled into dark mist.
The other creatures hesitated.
Lilith licked her lips. "Oh, don't stop now. I was just getting warmed up."
Two more lunged at her from both sides. This time, she didn't even move. The moment they came close, her shadow twisted into a dozen tendrils, each sharp as a blade.
Schlick.
Blood sprayed as the tendrils shredded them apart mid-air.
Lilith let out a satisfied sigh as warm crimson splattered onto her flawless skin. "Mmm… That's more like it."
The remaining creatures trembled. One turned and tried to flee.
Lilith snapped her fingers.
A portal of black mist appeared before the retreating beast—another opened directly above it.
The moment it ran through, it fell straight back down onto itself, the impact crushing its own skull.
Lilith burst into laughter. "Oh, that was cruel even for me. I love this power."
The final monster, clearly realizing it had no chance, threw itself to the ground, whimpering.
Lilith sauntered over, crouching down to lift its chin with one delicate finger. Its entire body trembled.
"Hm… I could kill you," she mused, her eyes glowing a deep, mesmerizing crimson. "Or… you could be useful."
The creature didn't hesitate—it groveled at her feet, its twisted form shifting as it pledged loyalty to its new queen.
Lilith grinned. "Good choice."
The power of her very presence was enough to dominate lesser beings.
And she hadn't even tried yet.
"Now then…" she stretched, feeling nothing but exhilaration. "Where the hell am I supposed to go from here?"
As if answering her, a slow clap echoed through the cavern.
Lilith turned, her predatory gaze locking onto a figure stepping out from the shadows.
Tall. Elegant. Wearing dark robes embroidered with silver. A woman with piercing amethyst eyes and a knowing smirk.
"Well, well," the stranger purred. "You certainly are an interesting one."
Lilith raised an eyebrow. "And you are…?"
The woman tilted her head. "A simple observer. But call me Valeria. And you, my dear, are something far greater than you realize."
Lilith's grin returned.
"Oh? Do tell."
And just like that, her journey truly began.
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