Isla stood poised, every muscle tensed in a battle stance, but her mind? Completely elsewhere.
Before her lay a gorgeous sleeping beauty of a man—or rather, a statue, though that distinction barely mattered. Chiseled face, sculpted muscles, and that mess of perfectly tousled white hair. The sheer presence of it sent a heatwave through her body, but the grotesque remains littered outside the 'safe zone' yanked her thoughts back into place.
The statue was only half-buried, its massive upper body exposed for all to admire. Its obsidian skin gleamed with an eerie life-like sheen, and its regal, enchanting face carried an air of unshakable authority. If this were a real man… even Goddess Ran wouldn't be able to stop me.
"Isla! What the hell are you thinking about?"
A sharp voice cut through her dangerous train of thought, forcing her back to reality.
Isla gulped—not from fear, but from the sight before her.
Her superior had always been one of the best objects of a fantasy, Blue hair, green eyes,delicate features and slender build. And the best part? He was completely oblivious. Perfection.
"Sir Azure, I was just thinking about how to bypass the ancient statue and reach the tunnel behind it," she said, her face a picture of unwavering seriousness.
Azure frowned, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "Then why are you flushed and—are you drooling? Is the ruin affecting you?"
The genuine concern in his voice was not helping her situation.
"I think it is," Isla murmured, her voice faint as her eyes rolled back. She collapsed like a wilting flower.
Azure caught her with practiced ease, his brows furrowing in concern. "One soldier down. Team, be cautious. This place is more sinister than it seems." His grip on Isla tightened slightly as he felt a sharp sting on his neck—then something warm and wet trailing over the spot.
His stomach twisted.
"What in Ran's name—?"
Suppressing a shudder, he quickened his pace, ignoring the uncomfortable heat creeping over him. Whatever enchantment was at work here, it was potent. He dumped Isla among the resting mermaids without ceremony, rubbing at the tingling sensation on his skin.
"I hope no one else falls prey to something like this," he muttered, running a hand over his flushed face.
Lying among the wounded, Isla kept her breathing even, fighting the smirk tugging at her lips." Oh, my dear, sweet, oblivious superior…"
"Isla, can't you be serious for once?" Melusina snapped, her red hair lighting like flames and her emerald eyes narrowing as she watched Azure disappear into the ruins.
Isla sprawled lazily on the ground, stretching like a contented cat. "Calm down, Melusina. I was just feeling a little dizzy."
Melusina crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Don't think no one sees what you're up to. The queen nearly had you executed for this."
"Can you blame me?" Isla sighed dreamily. "Consort Zenon is just so... divine. And obviously capable of handling more than one lady."
Melusina groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I don't know if I should be worried for you or the men you set your sights on."
"Melusina, you're acting like I actually did the deed with him!" Isla huffed, sprawled out dramatically on the cavern floor.
"You almost did!" Melusina snapped, her emerald eyes blazing. "If you weren't the daughter of an important noble, I doubt Queen Nerissa would have let you live after you drugged her consort and snuck into his chambers wearing almost nothing! I suspect she sent you here hoping you'd conveniently perish!"
Isla lazily twirled a lock of her hair, completely unfazed. "Please. If she wanted me dead, she'd have done it herself. Besides, can you blame me? Consort Zenon is a dream. And we both know he deserves more than one woman."
Melusina groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You're unhinged."
Isla suddenly sat up, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Speaking of divine men… remember that blue-haired god we left at the entrance?"
Melusina stiffened. "Isla. No."
"Yessss! I know I could turn that cold, emotionless voice into soulful begging." Isla practically purred, mischief glinting in her eyes.
Melusina's face lost all color. Without thinking, she clamped a hand over Isla's mouth. "Fantasize in your head, okay?!" she hissed, her cheeks burning.
"Hey, is the air kind of sweet?" Melusina panted, her face flushed, her eyes glazing slightly as she tried to stay upright.
Isla couldn't respond. A burning heat pulsed violently through her body, causing her to twitch uncontrollably. Around them, the groans of their comrades echoed off the stone walls, each one battling the same growing intensity.
Melusina staggered back, her breaths deep and erratic as she tried to shake off the sensation that was crawling beneath her skin. There was a heat in the air, thick and heavy, suffocating her rational thoughts, urging her to lose herself. It was as though the air itself was charged with something raw, something dangerous.
"Is this… right?" Melusina whispered, her eyes unfocused as her mind warred with itself. "I like my life. Don't I?"
The thought clung to her like a desperate plea, a whisper of rebellion that she couldn't shake off. She was the heir to her family's name, her duty was to be composed, poised, and untouchable. Yet, here she was, in the throes of something far more primal, far less controlled.
Beside her, Isla's gaze shifted to the sleeping statue that seemed to stir from its slumber. A mischievous grin tugged at her lips as she muttered under her breath, "Big boy, it's time to play."
With a sudden burst of energy, Isla dashed toward the statue, brushing past her comrades. Some were engaged in chaos—fighting, roaring, and cackling—while others, like Azure, were caught in moments of inexplicable joy, almost like children lost in their own world. A few others, too, were charging toward the statue, but for entirely different reasons—ones that Isla couldn't be bothered to consider at the moment.
Crossing the safe zone, their only thought was to reach the ancient statue.
The air thickened with heat as the statue stirred. Molten eyes flared to life, and cracks of fire raced through its obsidian skin. Flames erupted from its hair, spreading down its limbs, turning the cavern into a hellish inferno.
It rose, slow but inevitable, obsidian blades gripped in each massive hand. Heat warped the air around their smoldering edges. A scoff rumbled from its chest, low and contemptuous, shaking the cavern as if even the stone feared its awakening.
"I, Thrakos, will guard this place to the death. The unworthy will be burned away."
The earth trembled. What had once seemed a mere pedestal split apart, revealing a monstrous exoskeleton—blackened steel fused with magma. Jagged pincers flexed with a menacing snap, while a barbed scorpion tail unfurled behind him, dripping molten venom that sizzled on impact.
His six clawed legs crushed stone beneath them, sending cracks racing through the cavern. Heat pulsed from his form, thick and suffocating, distorting the air like a mirage of doom.
Then he moved.
With terrifying speed, Thrakos raised one monstrous pincer and brought it down.
The warriors rushing toward him didn't even have time to scream. The impact sent a shockwave through the cavern, reducing them to nothing more than a wet, crimson smear across the broken stone. The sickening crunch of crushed bones echoed through the chamber, the once-proud elite warriors of Queen Nerissa reduced to an unrecognizable mangled heap of flesh and shattered armor.
Thrakos turned his gaze to the noisier ones—those still roaring, laughing, and fighting among themselves, unaware of the massacre that had just unfolded. A low, guttural growl rumbled from his chest.
With a flick of his obsidian blades, heads flew.
Blood misted the air in a macabre dance, staining the molten ground in a fresh coat of red. The passion-driven chaos turned into panicked silence as bodies crumpled where they stood, the life in their eyes fading before they even realized what had happened.
***
Perched against the onyx stalactite, Alexia observed as the passion powder took hold.
The first man drove his own sword through his gut.
She tilted her head. "Suicidal thoughts. Check!"
A cacophony followed—crackling flames, wailing voices, drunken laughter, steel clashing against steel. The cavern pulsed with chaos, a symphony of delirium and destruction.
Alexia's gaze flicked to the flickering little flame beside her—the only thing in this cavern that wasn't losing its mind.
"I don't think they'll notice I'm gone." Amusement laced her voice as she stretched, rolling her shoulders. "Which means I get a head start. Perfect."
Ignoring the dull throb in her limbs, she pushed off, leaping to the next stalactite. Shadows swallowed her whole as she made her way toward the statue's hidden passage, her figure nothing more than a whisper in the dark.
Clinging to a stalactite high above the chaos, Alexia observed the warriors below, their faces alight with reckless fervor as they charged toward the slumbering statue.
She tilted her head, golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh? They think they're noble? 'I want to die for the queen!'" She mimicked in a dramatic, mocking tone before dissolving into laughter. "Well, congrats. Wish granted."
She shifted her weight, swinging gracefully to another stalactite. The movement sent a sharp jolt of pain through her body, and she sucked in a breath. Her muscles screamed, her limbs trembling under the strain.
"Is my stamina really this bad?" she muttered, almost offended.
The little flickering flame ahead of her didn't answer. It never did. It simply hovered, leading her onward as if it had somewhere far more important to be.
Alexia groaned. "Universe, why do you keep making me fall for you?"
The moment the words left her mouth, her grip faltered.
Sweat slicked her palms. The stalactite was no longer solid beneath her fingers, its surface treacherous and unyielding. Her claws extended instinctively, scraping at the rock, but gravity was an unforgiving mistress.
Her body lurched.
And then—
"Oh, for Lu—"
She plummeted. The cavern spun in a dizzying blur, the chaos below rushing up to meet her.