Chapter 11: Nyxira's Lament – The Queen Who Let Me Die
Volume 2: The Origin Lustcore – Harem of the End
Arc 2: Lust vs Love Trials Begins
> [Status: Ariel Recruited – Layer One Cleared]
[Next Gate: Trial of Regret]
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1. The Queen in Chains
Ariel's tears still shimmered on my glove.
The gate behind her pulsed, revealing a long corridor of thorns and velvet.
System Ping:
> [Warning: Trial of Regret Initiating] [Challenger Identified: Nyxira, Demon Queen of Ruined Hearts]
Lilix's eyes narrowed. "Nyxira... You once said her name in your sleep, Kairo."
I froze.
I had.
Not because I remembered her. But because I'd tried to forget.
The corridor sucked us in.
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2. Blood-Stained Moonlight
The Lustcore changed again.
Now it was a frozen ballroom bathed in moonlight. Statues of crying brides surrounded us.
At the center, seated upon a throne of chains and broken wedding rings...
Nyxira.
Her black dress shimmered like midnight venom.
"Hello, Kairo," she said, voice cracking. "Did you miss me?"
My heart nearly stopped.
She wasn't just a former lover. She was my first death.
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3. Flashback: The Day I Died
I remembered a castle in fire.
A promise.
A kiss in the rain.
Nyxira was the demoness I tried to save from a world that hated her.
And she betrayed me.
Or so I thought.
Now, the truth unfolded:
"I killed you," she said softly. "Because if I didn't... they would've killed me and you both."
"I chose to lose you. Not because I hated you... but because I loved you too much."
The ballroom cracked.
System Alert:
> [Emotional Nexus Unlocked – Trial Now Mutating]
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4. Love Trial: Dance of Regret
Nyxira snapped her fingers.
Chains wrapped my legs, binding me to the dance floor.
"Dance with me," she said, "until you remember the man you were."
One by one, harem members were pulled into their own regret visions:
Elyria saw a version of herself who never defied her pantheon.
Lilix met her twin—still alive, still pure.
Rhyssara relived her childhood, locked in a cage.
Ariel watched herself not fall—still holy, but hollow.
Only Seraphina resisted.
She sang.
Her melody pierced through our illusions, grounding us.
Nyxira danced harder.
"I never stopped loving you, Kairo! But I hated that I had to choose!"
Our final spin ended in a kiss.
Not out of passion. But grief.
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5. Redemption, Not Reunion
I touched her cheek.
"You didn't kill me, Nyxira. You saved me in the only way you could."
She collapsed into my arms.
"You should hate me."
"I can't. Because I still love the part of me you once believed in."
The chains broke.
System Update:
> [Nyxira has joined your Harem] [Title Gained: Lover of the Broken]
The ballroom melted into white flame.
The next Lustcore Gate opened.
Valtheria's voice echoed.
"You're gathering all my pieces, Kairo. But what will you do... when I'm whole again?"
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6. Aftermath – Midnight Garden
Later that night, beneath a moon that didn't exist, the harem gathered.
Nyxira sat apart, unsure if she belonged.
Rhyssara offered her a drink.
Lilix challenged her to a flirt-off.
Ariel just nodded. "We've all been on the edge."
And I?
I took her hand.
No words. Just presence.
Because some regrets can only be soothed by silence.
> [End of Chapter 11] [Next: Chapter 12 – Kalysta's Curse: The Succubus Who Refuses to Love]