Faced with Jennifer's tempting call, Lief, however, remained surprisingly calm.
His gaze sharpened. Just as she called him, a mental notification from the system flickered in his consciousness, superimposed over the image of the woman on the sofa.
It wasn't a complete menu, but a concise confirmation that only he could see:
[Bond Established: Jennifer (Initial Succubus)]
An almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 'Initial Succubus... just hearing it sounds promising.'
While he processed this new information in that split second, Jennifer noticed his brief stillness and misinterpreted it as doubt.
A shadow of grievance, a feline impatience, crossed her now demonic eyes.
She had decided the wait was over.
She slowly rose, as her pajamas deliberately slipped down her perfect shoulder line, exposing the smooth curve of her neck and collarbone. Without any gesture of holding it up, she extended a hand and, with trembling fingers, gently took Lief's.
Then, she tilted her head until her lips, hot and wet, rested on his fingertips.
It wasn't a simple kiss; it was an act of devotion, a seal.
Lief felt her lips moving, savoring him, as she looked up at him through her dark lashes.
An addictive electric current ran through his entire body, from his fingertips, settling in his lower abdomen.
'Damn!... Who could resist this?'
With a controlled movement, he turned his wrist, now taking Jennifer's hand, and with the other, he made a gesture in the air, and a pair of black, net stockings appeared in his palm.
They were neither silk nor satin. The material was unknown, almost organic to the touch, and under the light of the room, they emitted an oily sheen.
"Put them on."
Lief's voice was low, but it was an undeniable command that cut through the desire-charged air.
Jennifer looked at the stockings, and her eyes showed no doubt whatsoever. On the contrary, an even more frantic obsession erupted in them.
She received them as if they were a supreme grace, her fingers brushing his with a burning caress.
Without taking her eyes off Lief, she slowly sat on the edge of the sofa and with a torturous slowness, she pulled down her pajama pants, sliding them past her hips and legs, revealing nothing but simple white cotton panties.
She lifted one leg, long and perfectly sculpted, her skin gleaming with its new vitality.
Her movements were hypnotic.
She took the edge of the stocking and slipped it over the tip of her foot. Lief watched the black net slide upward, a dark tattoo climbing her pale skin. The sound of the material rubbing against her skin was almost inaudible, but charged with electricity.
When the black threads enveloped her thigh, centimeter by centimeter, a profane aura of corruption and sanctity burst from her body.
Her gaze became deeper, a hungry vortex.
Her breathing became choppy, an intense blush spreading across her cheeks and chest.
She finished with the second leg, the dark fabric embracing every curve.
She stood up.
Slowly, she walked step by step toward Lief. She was no longer the innocent cheerleader who needed protection. She was a living embodiment of desire, a perfect succubus who had just tasted the flavor of her power.
She stopped inches from him, the heat radiating from her body.
"Master~" she spoke, her voice now a purr. She looked up at him, her lips slightly parted, "I... I'm so hungry..."
Immediately, Lief wrapped an arm around her, pulling her abruptly against his body. He leaned over her, brushing her earlobe with his mouth as he whispered:
"Don't worry. I'm going to fill you up right now."
…
The instant the front door clicked shut, it was as if someone had flipped a switch.
The silence in the room became heavy.
Esther's and Emma's smiles instantly vanished. Their faces hardened, becoming calculating, with an intensity that did not fit their childlike faces.
"Good," Lillith said, breaking the silence.
She turned to look at them. All the childish sweetness from a second ago had evaporated. In its place was cold indifference.
"They're gone."
Esther crossed her arms and studied Lillith. This girl gave her worse vibes than Lief. It was a sensation she recognized: the alertness you feel in front of another predator.
"So what, sister Lillith?" she asked, forcing a gentle tone that failed to hide the tension.
Emma, on the other hand, merely tilted her head, letting her dark curls fall over her shoulder. She was tightly hugging her teddy bear, observing Lillith.
She looked like she was about to enjoy a good show. She said nothing, but the beginning of a smile was forming on her lips.
"Oh, it means nothing." Lillith began walking toward them.
She wasn't walking fast. Her sock-clad feet barely made a sound on the wooden floor, but with every deliberate step, Esther felt the air in the room turn a little colder.
Emma just squeezed her bear tighter.
"..."
Lillith stopped right in front of them. She was noticeably shorter than Esther, yet she forced both of them to feel her presence.
She had to lift her chin to look them in the eye.
"It's just... that I want to play a game with my new sisters." A slight pause, "It's called 'Getting to Know the Family'."
Esther felt a knot in her stomach.
"There are rules in this house," Lillith continued, and her voice lost all trace of sweetness, "The first... and the only one that matters...
The corner of her lips curved upward, drawing a smile that did not fit her face. It was a twisted, deeply demonic smile.
"... is knowing who's in charge here."
The instant the last word left her mouth, Esther's world wobbled.
Literally.
The back wall, the one with the floral wallpaper, seemed to turn liquid. The flowers began to drip, melting like hot wax, and a smell of rotten flesh filled the air.
Esther gasped. She looked at Emma, searching for a reaction, but Emma remained still, watching the melting wall with detached fascination.
"W-What...?"
Esther tried to scream, but the sound got stuck in her throat.
She looked up, and the ceiling lamp was writhing. The crystals stretched like fangs, and in the center, the metal buckled and opened, revealing a single red and gigantic eye, which slowly blinked and focused on her.
Panic struck her. She tried to back away, but her feet were glued to the floor.
This isn't real, it's not real, it's a trick!
"The game," Lillith's voice resonated, but it no longer came from the girl in front of her; it seemed to come from everywhere at once, bouncing off the dripping walls, "starts now."
The red eye on the ceiling contracted.
And the next second, the floor disappeared beneath her feet. The world folded in on itself, and everything went black.
...
A smell.
The smell was the first thing that hit her. Pungent, chemical, unmistakable.
A distant beep. The low hum of a fluorescent light.
White walls and a white ceiling.
Cold.
She felt cold on her skin. And something else.
A pull.
She opened her eyes abruptly.
She was lying on her back. And she couldn't move.
A scream died in her throat.
She was restrained.
Straps.
Thick leather straps were tightly cinched around her wrists and ankles, securing her to a metal hospital bed.
She knew those straps. She knew that smell. She knew that ceiling.
No. No. No.
This place.
The Saarne Institute!
The terror she felt completely obliterated "Esther." The nine-year-old girl facade shattered.
This wasn't a game. This was her personal hell.
Leena Klammer writhed furiously against the restraints, but they were as tight as she remembered.
________
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