Recap:
Lynx Brian, once an author, wakes to find himself in the body of his novel's final villain. With a mysterious "Redemption System" counting down his remaining hours, he's already altered the plot by sparing an assassin and earning a sliver of trust from the aloof swordswoman Serenya Vaelith. But far away, Princess Calista Wynvere watches his every move — and sends her own assassin, Vara Nyx, to pay him a visit.
The storm had settled into a low, restless rumble, the kind that made the castle walls groan under the weight of the wind.
Lynx sat in his study, a darkened room lined with shelves sagging under the weight of grim tomes. The fire in the hearth was little more than embers now, throwing long, flickering shadows across the polished black desk before him.
He wasn't writing — the irony wasn't lost on him — but rather staring at the shimmering blue screen that hovered in the air like an unwelcome ghost.
[System Shop Unlocked]
Choose wisely. Every choice will shape your survival.
The interface expanded into three neat columns: Skills, Items, Contracts.
Skills:
Blood Oath (Cost: 50 Influence) — Bind someone to your will at the cost of your own life force.
Moonlight Favor (Cost: 40 Trust) — Once per day, call upon Serenya to protect you without question.
Shadow Kiss (Cost: 60 Reputation) — Gain the ability to pass unseen in dim light for ten seconds.
Items:
Soul Sigil Dagger (Cost: 1 Life Hour) — Every kill with this weapon extends your timer.
Crimson Veil (Cost: 2 Life Hours) — Cloaks you from scrying magic for one day.
Glass of Binding Wine (Cost: 30 Influence) — Whoever drinks it with you cannot lie for one hour.
Contracts:
Assassin's Pact (Cost: 3 Life Hours) — Hire a master assassin instantly. Payment in coin or blood.
Royal Favor (Cost: 50 Influence) — Temporarily erase one royal decree against you.
Lynx leaned back in his chair. Each option was tempting — and dangerous. But the one that caught his eye most was Assassin's Pact. He knew exactly which "master assassin" would answer that call.
Vara Nyx.
He had written her to be trouble wrapped in beauty — a woman whose smile could make men forget their own names… and whose blade made sure they didn't live long enough to remember them again.
But in the book, Vara only appeared after Lynx's third major defeat. She was never supposed to arrive this early. If he called her now… the plot would unravel even faster.
Then again, unravelling the plot was his best chance at living past the seventy-one hours ticking down in the corner of his vision.
[Warning: Every Contract comes with a hidden cost.]
Lynx smiled faintly. "Hidden costs," he murmured. "Now you sound like my editor."
He reached out, his finger hovering over the Assassin's Pact option—
The candles on his desk flickered.
The room grew colder.
And from the corner, where the shadows pooled thickest, came a voice dripping with amusement.
"You called, Lynx?"
She stepped forward, hips swaying with calculated precision.
Vara Nyx was every line of her character description come to life — long raven hair that tumbled down her back, eyes like shards of garnet glinting in the firelight, and a smile that promised pleasure or pain with equal likelihood.
Her black leather bodice hugged every curve, but the high collar and long sleeves left more to the imagination than most would dare — which somehow made her even more dangerous to look at. A dagger hung at her hip, but Lynx knew she didn't need it to kill.
"You're early," Lynx said, keeping his tone cool.
She tilted her head, the motion feline, predatory. "You think you summon me, pretty Duke? No… I go where the blood smells sweetest."
Her gaze flicked to the half-finished glass of red wine on his desk, then back to him.
"Tell me whose blood we're sharing tonight."
Vara didn't wait for an invitation. She circled his desk like a predator assessing its prey, her gloved fingertips brushing along the polished wood.
Her every movement was deliberate — the slow sway of her hips, the measured click of her boots on the stone floor. Even the way she glanced over her shoulder at him was calculated to unsettle.
"I heard whispers in the alleys of the capital," she said, her voice smooth as honey laced with venom. "That the Duke of the Blackspire is no longer the cruel tyrant he once was. That he's… changed."
Lynx leaned back in his chair, studying her. "And does that disappoint you?"
Her lips curled into a lazy smile. "Disappointment isn't the word I'd use. But change makes people unpredictable."
She stopped beside his chair, leaning in until her breath ghosted over his ear.
"And unpredictability, my dear Duke… is foreplay for someone like me."
The system chimed softly, invisible to her eyes but glaring in his.
[Hidden Influence Check Initiated]
Current Vara Nyx Trust: 0
Current Vara Nyx Interest: +15
"You want something," Lynx said, watching the way she straightened and stepped just close enough that her shadow fell across his lap. "Tell me what it is before I decide whether to give it to you."
Her smile widened, slow and predatory. "Oh, I'll tell you what I want." She leaned down, placing one hand on the arm of his chair, caging him in. "I want a name. A single name. Someone you want gone."
The way she said gone didn't leave room for ambiguity.
In the book, Vara had been fiercely loyal to her contracts… until they stopped being interesting. Lynx remembered writing her best line: The moment I'm bored, I'm gone.
Which meant if he gave her an unworthy target, she'd leave — and probably sell his name to the highest bidder on her way out.
He tapped a finger against the desk, thinking. He could name someone from the original plot — an enemy who would become a problem later — and derail events early. Or… he could test her loyalty with something smaller.
But before he could decide, Vara bent closer, until her lips were an inch from his ear.
"Or," she murmured, "you could say my name instead. And I'll make you forget you ever had enemies."
The air between them thickened, the scent of leather and faint jasmine from her hair filling his senses.
[Warning: Entering Temptation Subroutine]
Choice will affect Vara Nyx Affection permanently.
Lynx smiled faintly. "Careful, Vara. I've written women like you before."
Her eyes glinted with something between amusement and challenge. "Then you should know — the story never ends the way the writer expects."
From the corridor outside, a sudden knock shattered the charged silence.
"Your Grace," Serenya's voice called, clipped and precise, "the Princess has sent a messenger. Urgent."
Vara straightened slowly, smirk still in place. "Your other women are calling, Duke. Shall I answer for you?"
The knock came again, sharper this time. Serenya didn't repeat herself — she never did.
Lynx's gaze flicked from the door back to Vara. She was already easing into the shadowed corner of the room, her body melting into darkness with a grace that was equal parts art and threat.
"Don't mind me," she said, lips curving. "I like to watch."
"Enter," Lynx called.
The heavy oak door swung open to reveal Serenya Vaelith, standing tall in her moonsteel armor, silver hair catching the glow from the fireplace. Her eyes — cool and assessing — swept the room before she stepped inside.
She didn't see Vara. Or maybe she did and simply didn't acknowledge it.
"The Princess has sent for you," Serenya said, her voice as flat as a drawn blade. "Her messenger waits in the courtyard."
Lynx steepled his fingers. "And does the Princess say why?"
Serenya's jaw tightened. "She rarely explains herself to anyone. But she made it clear this invitation is… not optional."
[System Alert]
Branching Event Unlocked: "The Crimson Court Banquet."
Attending may yield: +20 Influence, -10 Life Hours.
Declining may yield: +15 Suspicion, +5 Life Hours.
The original story had this banquet set two weeks from now. He'd written it as the turning point where Princess Calista publicly shamed the Duke before the court, destroying his standing and setting the final arc in motion.
If it was happening now, then the timeline was unraveling faster than he thought.
"Tell her I'll attend," Lynx said.
Serenya gave a curt nod, but her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she sensed a trap. "Then you'd best be ready. The Princess plays her games with blood on the board."
When she left, Vara emerged from the shadows with a laugh that slid like silk across his skin.
"Oh, I like her," she purred. "Too bad she wears that armor like a shield over everything worth seeing."
She came to stand beside him, her hand trailing lightly along the back of his chair. "The Princess, though… now she's a different kind of dangerous. The kind that will smile while she cuts you open."
Lynx glanced at her. "You've worked for her before."
Vara's smile was slow and knowing. "Worked with her, darling. And if you're going to her banquet, you'll want me on your arm."
The thought of walking into Calista's domain with Vara as an escort was almost laughably risky. Then again… it might be the only way to leave the palace alive.
[Hidden Quest: Choose Your Escort]
Option 1: Attend with Serenya (+5 Trust with Serenya, +10 Suspicion with Calista).
Option 2: Attend with Vara (+10 Affection with Vara, +15 Suspicion with Calista).
And somewhere in the palace, Princess Calista Wynvere received the message of his acceptance.
She stood by her tall arched window, the evening sun haloing her in gold. The red silk of her gown clung to her every curve, the jeweled crown resting like an afterthought atop her loose waves of chestnut hair.
Her lips curved into a smile that was all invitation — and all threat.
"Prepare the court," she said to the attendant kneeling before her. "And tell them… our Duke is coming home."
To be continued…
Next Chapter Preview:
Lynx must choose his escort to the Crimson Court Banquet, but whichever he picks will have consequences in the web of seduction, politics, and death awaiting him.
CTA:
If you're hooked, don't forget to rate the story, drop a comment, and let me know — who should Lynx take to face the Princess: Serenya or Vara?