We traveled through the Blackmarch—an endless forest where shadows moved when you weren't looking.
Kael's mount, a spectral wolf with ember eyes, glided silently through mist.
I busied myself scanning the environment, keeping an eye on the Corruption Index (42% and holding steady, for now).
[Host, you mentioned an 'old friend.' Should I prepare condolences or cake?]
"You will see."
The trees parted to reveal a towering fortress half-consumed by roots and flame. Demonic energy pulsed through the cracks of its walls like veins.
A woman sat upon the steps—a demoness with obsidian horns, long purple hair, and a smile sharp enough to cut glass.
"Kael," she purred, "you still owe me a kingdom."
[New Character Detected: Lilith, Duchess of Ruin.]
Great. She sounded like trouble, looked like trouble, and from the way Kael smiled, she was trouble.
"Lilith," Kael greeted, stepping closer. "I find myself short on armies."
"And I find myself bored," she replied, standing, tail flicking lazily. "What's in it for me this time? Power? Souls? You?"
[Host, reminder: she betrayed you last timeline.]
"Yes," he said aloud, "but perhaps this time, I betray her first."
Lilith grinned, clearly intrigued. "Oh, I like this new version of you."
They talked terms—Kael's plan to reclaim lost territories, my whispered tactical projections, her seductive tone dripping with danger.
The chemistry was… alarming.
[Host, she's lying.]
"Of course she is. That's what makes her interesting."
[You've got issues.]
"You're part of those issues."
I sighed internally. Fair.
Then Lilith's eyes shifted—her smile fading slightly.
"Something's… different about you, Kael. You feel less… empty."
Kael's expression darkened. "Perhaps I found something worth filling the void."
Her gaze flicked upward, as if sensing me. "Hmm. A whisper in your mind… I can feel it."
[Oh no, she can sense me. Abort mission!]
"A System," she murmured, smirking. "How quaint."
Kael raised a brow. "You know of such things?"
"Only rumors. A consciousness that guides souls, born from forgotten gods. Dangerous toys."
She stepped closer, eyes gleaming. "Tell me, little voice… do you dream?"
I froze. How could she—?
Kael interjected, voice steel. "You will not speak to it."
Lilith chuckled, backing away slowly. "Protective, are we? Fine. I'll play along."
Her grin returned, sharper than ever. "Let's conquer the world, my dear villain."
[New Alliance Formed: The Covenant of Ruin.]
As the night swallowed them both, I caught Kael's reflection in the dark—half man, half monster, and now surrounded by devils, mages, and impossible bonds.
And me? I was starting to wonder who the real villain was becoming—Kael Draven… or his System.