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The cavern still hummed with lingering energy, the last remnants of Lilith's massacre fading into the darkness. The corpses of the beasts she had slain had long since turned to mist, leaving no trace of their existence except the faint scent of blood and death.
And yet, the presence of the woman before her made the air feel even heavier.
Lilith took a slow step forward, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So, Valeria, what exactly makes me 'greater than I realize'?"
The woman smiled—calm, amused, assessing. "Ah, straight to the point. I do enjoy a woman who wastes no time." She took a slow step forward, and the darkness around her stirred unnaturally. Unlike the beasts Lilith had just slaughtered, Valeria's movements were not monstrous but deliberate. Every motion carried an unspoken confidence, as if she had danced this waltz of power many times before.
"You," Valeria said smoothly, "are something this world has not seen in millennia."
Lilith raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. "You're going to have to be a lot less cryptic than that."
Valeria chuckled softly, lifting her hand. With a flick of her fingers, shimmering symbols formed in the air—arcane runes woven together in an intricate spell.
But the moment they drifted too close to Lilith—they shattered.
Lilith watched as the glowing fragments of magic crumbled to dust before they could even touch her skin. A small, satisfied smirk curled her lips. "Neat trick."
Valeria's amethyst eyes gleamed. "Magic in this world is rooted in order. Contracts, divine laws, the wills of ancient gods… But you? You are not of this world. You were thrown here, untethered. You exist outside of the system itself."
Lilith tilted her head. "So, what you're saying is… I'm a walking glitch?"
Valeria's smirk widened. "A glitch would be a failure in the design. No, you are something far worse. A force that was never meant to exist here… and yet, here you are."
Lilith hummed in thought. "So magic just… breaks around me?"
"Only magic tied to this world's fundamental laws." Valeria stepped closer, her gaze sharpening. "But that is not your true power, Lilith Nocturne."
Lilith arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is?"
Valeria leaned in slightly, just enough that her voice was a whisper against Lilith's ear. "The fact that you are not bound by this world's rules means that you can set your own."
For a moment, Lilith let those words sink in.
Then, she grinned. "Now that sounds fun."
Valeria chuckled, stepping back with an elegant grace. "I thought you'd like that."
Lilith's gaze flickered toward the cavern entrance. The darkness beyond it pulsed with an eerie, unnatural energy, but she was done lurking in the depths. "So… what happens now? What do you want from me?"
Valeria's smirk didn't waver. "Oh, I have no grand demands. I simply find you fascinating." She reached out, brushing a stray lock of Lilith's midnight-black hair behind her ear. Her fingers were cool to the touch, yet Lilith could feel the hum of power beneath them. "And I do so love collecting fascinating things."
Lilith chuckled, tilting her head slightly. "Oh? Planning to collect me, are you?"
Valeria's lips curled into a teasing smile. "Would you mind terribly?"
Lilith let out a soft laugh. "Depends. What's in it for me?"
Valeria turned, walking past her with slow, deliberate steps. "Knowledge. Power. Pleasures you have yet to consider." She glanced back over her shoulder, her amethyst eyes glinting with amusement. "I could teach you how this world works, how to bend it to your will. And in return…" She paused, then smirked. "I get to enjoy the sight of something truly extraordinary unfolding."
Lilith arched an eyebrow. "That's all? No grand prophecy? No 'save the world' nonsense?"
Valeria let out a soft laugh. "My dear, if anything, this world will need saving from you."
Lilith liked the sound of that.
She cracked her neck, rolling her shoulders. "Alright. Let's say I take you up on this offer. Where do we go from here?"
Valeria gestured toward the cavern's exit, where a swirling mist of violet and black pulsed like a living thing. "To the surface. You may be powerful, but raw strength alone will not be enough. You will need allies. Influence. A place to claim as your own."
Lilith smirked. "Sounds like a plan."
Valeria extended her hand. "Then come, my little shadow. Let's see what fate has in store for you."
Lilith grasped her hand without hesitation.
As they stepped into the swirling mist, the cavern behind them faded into nothingness.
And so, the next phase of Lilith's reign began.
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