Sapphire remained lying on her back in bed, eyes open and fixed on the dark ceiling of the room. The castle was silent at that hour, and no outside noise was strong enough to interrupt her thoughts. Even so, she could not rest. Her body had already been healed, her energy was stable, and the wounds left by the Abyss had almost completely disappeared. The problem was no longer in the flesh.
It was in her pride.
She had been defeated with ease.
Not by a primordial divinity, an enemy beyond all comprehension, or some creature whose existence stood above known laws. She had been brought down by a Deadly Sin she considered inferior, predictable, and irritating. Lust had entered her mind, used her own desires against her, and reduced her to a prisoner before Sapphire could offer any truly meaningful resistance. The memory of that moment returned every time she closed her eyes, accompanied by the unpleasant sensation of helplessness that refused to disappear.
