Klaus lay on the battered couch of his flat, breath shallow, blood blackened from poison. His white hair clung to his pale face, his crimson eyes flickering with stubborn fire even as his body trembled.
Selene knelt beside him, tails spread around him like a cocoon of silver flame. She pressed herbs into his wounds, weaving foxfire illusions to draw the toxins out—but the venom only hissed deeper into his veins.
"You reckless fool," she muttered, voice tight. "Even a Crown-Bearer can bleed."
Klaus chuckled faintly, though it hurt. "And even a Nine-Tail can worry."
Her silver eyes snapped to his. "I don't worry. I calculate profit. You are… my investment."
But her trembling hands betrayed her.
The Fox's Confession
Hours passed. She stayed with him, tending the wound, her tails warming his body. Outside, Belmora's streets echoed with guild noise and distant thunder. Inside, only his ragged breathing and her whispers filled the silence.
"Klaus…" she said softly, almost against her will. "Do you know what it means when a Nine-Tail chooses to walk beside someone?"
His lips curled faintly. "An expensive contract?"
She smirked, but her eyes burned. "It means we bind ourselves to their fate. Kings have begged for it. Empires have burned for it. And yet…" She touched his face, briefly, like testing a dangerous fire. "I find myself choosing you."
[SIMP SYSTEM: Resonance +1%.]Trust Bond Strengthened.Passive Effect Enhanced: Foxfire Restoration → Moderate Regeneration (when Selene is near).
Warmth spread through his body, easing the venom's burn.
Lucifer's Whisper
[Lucifer]: "Ah, delicious. The fox bares her heart, however she cloaks it in profit. Do you hear it, Crown-Bearer? Loyalty forged not by gold, but by blood. Dangerous. Powerful. Intoxicating."
Klaus exhaled, eyes closing for a moment. "Then… stay. When I rise higher, you'll rise with me."
Selene smiled faintly, but her expression hardened again. "Rise faster, then. Because this poison will kill you before dawn."
No Escape
The warmth faltered. His body shook, poison biting deeper. His wings twitched, feathers blackening at the edges. The room grew heavy, shadow pressing in.
Then—the corner of the flat rippled. A mirror of black glass formed, dripping with venomous light.
[DREAM-WEAVE] Gate Detected: "Sanctum of Venoms."Entry Cost: 1 Year Lifespan.Reward: Poison Cleanse (Unique).Warning: Entering in current condition carries 79% chance of death.
Klaus's crimson eyes locked onto the Gate. He pushed himself upright, every muscle screaming.
Selene grabbed his arm, her voice sharp, desperate. "Don't you dare. You'll die in there."
He bared his fangs in a grim smile. "I'll die here if I don't."
[Lucifer]: "And so the gambler returns to the table. Chips on the line: one year of your pitiful mortality. Prize: survival. Shall we spin the wheel?"
The Decision
Klaus staggered forward, Selene's tails still clinging to him. He pressed a bloody hand against the Gate, its surface rippling like venomous water.
"Stay," he told her, voice low. "If I fail, burn the world for me."
Her silver eyes burned, tails trembling. "Klaus—"
But the Gate swallowed him whole.