Minato slowly stood upright, rubbing his cheek twice; the slap from Amelia still stung. "Tch… you didn't have to hit that hard," he muttered under his breath.
Amelia didn't answer; she didn't need to, because her focus was already shifting towards the hallways. With a sudden wave of her hand, blood burst out from each finger, bright red. It quickly spread through the air, solidifying and also lighting up the dark hallway ahead of them.
The shadows retreated slightly, revealing old walls marked with symbols and scratches that looked too deliberate to be age.
"Minato, stay close to me," she murmured while narrowing her eyelids.
"Okay."
"I mean it, really stay close!" she shot back at him instantly.
Then they both walked side by side, their footsteps echoing roughly against the temple gravel.
The atmosphere felt heavier... almost as if someone was watching them. Every few seconds, Minato could swear he heard subtle and audible whispers, like a woman were speaking to him.
Then, after a long stretch of walking in silence, they both stopped.
Before them stood another set of massive doors... towering, black, and cracked with a straight blue light seeping through the door edges.
The carvings were different here... two winged figures tangled together, and a face in the center with closed eyes and a bright smile.
Minato took a slow breath. "Amelia, do you think the succubus is behind that door?"
Amelia's voice was low and less certain. "Maybe, maybe not," she replied, with a small smile on her face. "But there's only one way to find out..."
She briefly turned around without a word, her expression becoming colder and focused. Blood energy surged through her body; each of her veins started glowing brightly beneath her skin. She drew in a deep breath... and then channeled everything into her legs.
With a quick movement, she kicked straight forward.
The massive black doors blasted open, slamming against the temple's stone walls with a deafening echo that shook dust from the ceiling above.
Minato's jaw dropped. "You… seriously just..." He stopped mid-sentence, quickly collecting himself and stepping in behind her.
The chamber inside was wide... larger than anything they'd seen so far. Blue fire and yellow paint filled the chamber, the same yellow color that had glowed in the eyes of the statues outside.
For some strange reason, the symbols moved slowly across the walls, alive with a strange energy.
And at the far end of the chamber... sitting atop a massive throne, her legs crossed seductively and her wings lazily draped behind her back... was the succubus.
She was so beautiful in a way that didn't seem normal... or even human. Too perfect, too deliberate. Her long black hair flowed down her back like liquid silk, dark and rich as freshly boiled coffee in a cup; each strand of her hair was so thick and flawless it looked unreal... as if crafted by hand and not born by nature.
Both her eyes glowed warmly with the same yellow paint inside the chamber, but with a touch of black. Every breath she took seemed to pull the air toward her.
Minato froze, unable to look away. "So that's… a succubus."
He had seen and read about them in manhwa and novels, but up close… it was different. Unreal. Her presence alone felt like it was draining all his energy... like something that shouldn't exist outside the webtoon page was now standing right in front of him, breathing the same air.
Amelia's expression darkened the moment her eyes met the succubus. She stepped back, slightly in front of Minato, one arm instinctively raised as if to shield him.
The succubus smiled... a slow, knowing smirk of her lips that dripped with sexual charm. "Visitors?" Her voice was smooth, melodic… and intoxicating. "And a human male at that."
Minato swallowed hard, his heartbeat quickening for reasons he couldn't explain. Her voice alone sent shivers down his spine.
The succubus's lips curved into a slow, prideful smile, her voice flowing melodically.
"...You know, it's been centuries since a human has walked into my gaze."
Her eyes kept glowing, locking onto Minato as if she could see straight through his soul. She tilted her head slightly; her gesture was predatory, yet strangely regal.
"I'm actually surprised," she continued, taking a step forward. "To think a mortal human would dare to come this far. How curious."
Amelia tensed up, her fingers twitching slightly. "Watch your tone, you demonic Titan..."
The succubus chuckled softly, lifting a hand as if she were silencing a child. "Relax, little vampire. I won't harm your human pet. Not yet."
Her eyes drifted back to Minato, studying him with unsettling fascination. "The Elves told me to expect someone... because of the disturbance in the realms. But I didn't think it would be a human that would be the cause of it..."
Amelia turned slightly toward Minato, her red eyes narrowing with mild confusion.
"What does human mean?" she asked quietly, her tone genuine, not with pride or mocking this time.
Minato blinked twice, thrown off by the question. "Huh? You don't know what a human is?"
She shook her head slowly, her yellow hair brushing over her shoulder. "I've heard the word from you before... but never truly understood it. You speak of it like it's something separate... different from you."
Minato scratched his cheek, suddenly unsure how to explain something so simple to her in this situation. "It's me... just what I am. A normal person. Flesh and blood. Not a vampire, not a demon, not... a Titan."
Amelia tilted her head again, studying him as if seeing him for the first time. "Normal..." she murmured softly. "Then why did you say you are an Asian?"
"Uh... because I am Asian!" he said, his tone uncertain, like he wasn't sure how to explain something so basic... because he already thought she knew.
Then suddenly, the succubus's lips curved into a small smile... then a laugh came out of her mouth, echoing through the chamber. "Ha… haha… the more I look at you, human, the more you intrigue me," she declared, her yellow eyes locking onto Minato. Then, with a teasing gesture, she tilted her head, glancing toward Amelia.
"It seems the Vampires have failed to educate their offspring properly." She paused, her tone softening, almost playful. "But since I'm such a kind-hearted woman, I'll enlighten you."
Her voice dropped lower than before, rich and velvety. "The humans… that boy's kind… once lived among us. Every race together, side by side."
Her eyes dimmed a bit, her expression shifting as her next words were filled with resentment. "Until the Great Race War… the day the Soul Tree was born. The day that separated them from us."
Minato froze...
The Soul Tree...
He'd heard that name before... Not sure, if it's from the old book he got from the weird bookstore.
"So what happened after?" he asked carefully, trying to get more information from her as his curiosity was edging his tone.
Amelia's brows furrowed instantly. She shot him a bitter glare, her voice low and angry. "Why are you talking to her like that, Minato?!"
But the succubus only smiled wider. Her eyes went back to him. "Human... I've taken a liking to you. Become mine, and I'll tell you everything you wish to know. I'll even grant you my powers."
Minato took a slow breath; his face became unreadable. "I appreciate the offer," he responded, "but I'm good."
That made her smile stretch even further... too wide, too creepy. "It's not like you have a choice," she whispered. "Soon, you'll be mine anyway."
Something in those words snapped something inside Amelia. Her pupils sharpened briefly. "You would do no such thing!"
In a blink, she jumped forward... faster than the eye could see, a blood-red aura trailing behind her. The floor cracked beneath her speed. But before she could reach the succubus...
...smoke. The succubus's body dissolved into mist; her laughter started echoing throughout the chamber walls.
"GOT YOU!"
Amelia's eyes widened; she now realized that she had fallen into the succubus's trap without knowing... And that her goal was Minato.
The ground beneath Minato's feet split open instantly.
A gigantic, shadowy hand burst out of the ground, its claws dripping black smoke, and before he could react... it grabbed him.
"Minato!" Amelia screamed, diving forward... But he was already gone, dragged down into the ground.