It was already the dead of night.
Compared to the harsh conditions of the Zaun Sump, the environment of the Middle Levels was significantly better. Yet, Zaun was still Zaun; the Middle Levels were only "better" in a relative sense. Walking through it, layers of rock and bridges completely blanketed the streets and alleys. The air was heavy and stifling, reminiscent of London during the Industrial Revolution, perpetually wreathed in moisture and toxic haze.
Although air pollution had been somewhat mitigated by the martial law decree, the dampness and stagnation brought by the terrain remained almost unbearable.
In the middle of a deserted street, Seraphine, her hair damp from the humid mist, was limping through the alleyway.
She struggled to move forward, her clothes covered in marks of brutal tearing. Her face was as pale as paper, and her entire body bore the signs of a desperate struggle. Dressed in rags, she leaned one hand against the wall to steady her uneven gait. Likely from crying, her eye makeup had been smeared by tears, leaving two blurry tracks down her face.
Her other hand was pressed against her lower abdomen, her slender waist slightly arched. With every step, her hips parted slightly, her legs trembling involuntarily. A mixture of red and white fluid seeped out, flowing and dripping slowly in rhythm with her movement. A few stray, curled hairs clung to her lips, and she occasionally let out low moans of agony, as if the mere friction of walking caused unbearable pain.
"Uh... isn't this a bit too much?"
From a distance, hidden by the concealment of Faen's water magic, Zeri spoke with some embarrassment through a viewing lens: "I feel like this is quite a challenge for Seraphine... Maybe I should be the one out there? Otherwise, if someone sees her, they'll think she's really been through something horrible..."
"Who would believe it if you went?" Faen shook his head with a look of helplessness. "Everyone in Zaun knows our relationship, not to mention you were charging at the very front today, blowing up that chem-tech engineering vehicle with one shot. As for being seen, don't worry. Janna's storm and my water are monitoring everything. No one but our target can catch a glimpse. The wind and rain will make it so they can't even open their windows."
Just as Faen spoke, a storm swept through the streets. Rain poured down, turning the window panes into sheets of cascading water. It was like a layer of oily plastic film had been laid over the world, making it impossible to see what was happening outside.
In the midst of the storm, Seraphine appeared even more haggard. Her shredded clothes, soaked by the water, clung tightly to her body, perfectly outlining her graceful curves. Standing right behind Faen, Caitlyn looked on with a face full of confusion and bewilderment.
Although she was a hostage—or perhaps a suspect—Caitlyn hadn't actually received any ill-treatment. Aside from being forbidden from going out alone, her freedom hadn't been overly restricted; she was simply required to stay by Faen's side.
Now, having seen with her own eyes how Faen had personally torn Seraphine's clothes to pieces, she knew Seraphine's current state was entirely a fabrication. However, Caitlyn could not comprehend why these people from Zaun were doing this.
"I say there was no need to send Seraphine. That girl is so naive it's like she grew up in a fairy tale. Having her play the victim like this... if she develops some weird resonance, it's going to be interesting," Jinx said, lying on a discarded sofa with a look of irritability and annoyance.
It was a single-seat sofa, but Jinx, as casual and scattered as ever, lay across the part meant for sitting like a child. Her long legs swayed against the backrest, forming a sharp contrast with her twin braids trailing on the floor.
As she spoke, a malicious smile gradually climbed onto Jinx's lips, and she turned her gaze toward Caitlyn.
"Since we're drawing out a demon, I say we might as well do the 'play' for real. This Piltie warden isn't a good person anyway... Faen? What do you say? It shouldn't be too late to swap. Since we're enemies, there shouldn't be any harm in humiliating her properly before finishing her off, right?"
Caitlyn's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't speak. She had already noticed that Jinx was always filled with malice and hostility toward her.
However, this malice was unique; it wasn't a simple desire to kill her. Rather... it was a desire to humiliate her, to strip her of her personhood and dignity.
Noticing Caitlyn's gaze, Jinx met it with a sneer: "Fill her up until her belly bulges. By the time you let her go back to Topside, she might not even want to leave~ Hahahahaha!!"
Sensing the malice in Jinx's words, Caitlyn didn't get angry. Instead, it further confirmed her suspicions. She replied calmly: "Does Vi's departure hurt you that much?"
"Shut up! Warden!" Hearing Vi's name, Jinx stood up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her crimson eyes glaring at Caitlyn.
Despite her rage, under the influence of her paranoid and extreme mental state, the corners of Jinx's mouth quirked into a strange arc, as if she were smiling.
"You don't seem to understand your situation? This isn't your hometown of Piltover."
"Indeed, it isn't," Caitlyn said placidly. "But Vi will still come to see me."
According to what Faen said earlier, Vi was the messenger between the two cities and had been granted the right to enter Zaun to confirm Caitlyn's condition.
Now, that right became the means for Caitlyn to provoke Jinx. Just as Jinx's eyes were becoming consumed by paranoia—
"Calm down. Caitlyn is not your enemy, and Vi has not betrayed Zaun. She is merely blinded by the reality she can see."
Noticing Jinx's mind spiraling toward extremes again, Faen shook his head helplessly. "Besides, Caitlyn is observing you. This unrestrained malice and madness will only make her look down on you even more."
Hearing Faen's words, Caitlyn made no comment, merely shrugging at Jinx. Seeing Caitlyn's calm face, the corners of Jinx's mouth twitched repeatedly.
After a moment of silence, the girl pouted in annoyance. She then crouched beside Faen, stuck out her tongue, and pointed at her open mouth.
Seeing this, Faen reached his finger inside to smear the Joy Factor.
After ingesting the Joy Factor, Jinx's state improved visibly. Even so, her gaze toward Caitlyn remained filled with thick hostility, though it was no longer as paranoid or sarcastically vocal. She leaned back in her chair, swinging her braids in a sullen silence.
Judging by the thoughts in her eyes, it was clear that Caitlyn's words were still affecting her.
Seeing the two settle down, Faen focused back on Seraphine in the street. "External disguises are useless against spirit realm creatures. Only the mental state is the prey for them. Especially for those demons that feed on extreme emotions and constantly manufacture panic and negativity. No matter how bedraggled the exterior, if the spirit remains sunny, healthy, and cheerful, even the stupidest little imp will easily spot the trap."
"And Seraphine possesses the ability to read the melody of others' emotions. This melody of panic and unease might just be an 'atmosphere' to ordinary people, but to demons, it is a more direct manifestation of state than facial expressions or body movements. So, besides me, only Seraphine can take on this responsibility here."
Faen shrugged with an air of self-satisfaction. "Mark my words, that demon will probably run the moment it sees me. While I am powerful and handsome in the material realm, I am only more excellent in the spirit realm~"
"That sounds so arrogant!" Zeri couldn't help but stick out her tongue. "Even if you're probably telling the truth."
"Remove the 'probably'." Faen rubbed Zeri's head.
"I told you not to touch my head!" Zeri dodged and hissed in mock anger. "And even if it's Seraphine, why did you have to do it yourself?"
Zeri rubbed her chin suspiciously. "Tearing her clothes is one thing, but you even shredded her tights and pumped her full of milk..."
"I had to make the act complete. Otherwise, how could little Seraphine's emotions be so authentic?"
Zeri knew exactly how "authentic" this so-called act was. Just half an hour ago, she had watched with her own eyes as Faen pinned this high-and-mighty Piltie idol onto a cold interrogation table. To draw out the demon that fed on pain and despair, Faen didn't just drain Seraphine of all her joyful emotions; he used the most barbaric method to destroy her defenses.
Rippp—! With the sound of tearing silk, Seraphine's expensive white pantyhose were roughly shredded by Faen, exposing those long legs trembling with fear.
Stripped of the protection of the Joy Factor, the agonizing pain of a virgin being forcibly impaled cut through Seraphine's nerves like a razor-sharp blade. Faen's thick, veiny giant rod showed no mercy as it smashed through her closed flower path, driving straight into the cervix that had never been touched before.
"Ahhh! It hurts... no... please..."
Seraphine's shrill screams echoed in the room. Without the buffer of euphoria, she could only clearly feel her private parts being torn and stretched apart bit by bit. Warm virgin blood flowed from the point of union, staining Faen's thighs. Faen, however, acted like a cold pile-driver, dead-locking her slender waist as every thrust brought out a pathetic squelching sound and a striking mixture of red and white fluids.
Until the very end, Faen shot a massive, scalding load of thick cum into the depths of her thoroughly fucked, red and swollen vaginal canal, before coldly lifting her from the table. That thick white paste, mixed with her virgin blood, dripped uncontrollably down Seraphine's smooth inner thighs, pattering onto the dirty floor of Zaun—the most authentic footnote to her current pathetic appearance.
Watching the two of them flirt, Caitlyn frowned, her eyes filled with deep confusion as she looked at Faen.
"I don't understand much of this, but based on your exchange... you are... hunting a demon?"
Caitlyn didn't feel particularly nervous just because she was a hostage. In fact, quite the opposite; after calm observation and confirming her personal safety—and that she wouldn't be subjected to mistreatment or abuse due to her status as a Piltovian or the Kiramman heir—Caitlyn had relaxed quickly.
She could sense that Faen—or rather, the Wind of Change—had other plans for her. But Caitlyn wasn't nervous; instead, she was exceptionally clear-headed. It meant she held significant strategic value to Zaun. As long as her negative impact didn't outweigh her value, she was likely safe.
What Caitlyn wanted to do now was determine exactly how much value she possessed, and thus determine the extent of the "freedom" she could enjoy in Zaun.
Thinking this, she didn't suppress her thoughts, but said bluntly: "I have to say, this sounds like a total fairy tale."