8: Sister - Slaves

Narrator's POV

They reappeared in a breathtaking chamber, the air thick with an unspoken power.

The walls were adorned with celestial symbols, their golden glow illuminating the grand space in a soft, ethereal light.

Aela barely had time to take in her surroundings before she noticed something… different about the woman before her.

The regal, saintly appearance from the throne room was gone.

In its place stood someone far more demonic.

Lydia's transformation was striking. Midnight-black fox ears twitched atop her head, and from behind her, ten luxurious tails swayed with a mesmerizing grace. The once-holy aura that had surrounded her was now laced with something far more primal. More dangerous.

Her amber eyes—now glowing with a faint predatory light—drank in Aela's form.

Then, her lips parted, her voice smoother, more pleasant than it had been in the throne room.

"Hey, I'm Lydia De Luna… At least, that's what my system tells me. Nice to meet you."

She extended a hand toward Aela, offering to help her up.

But Aela didn't take it.

She was too stunned.

Her mind was in chaos.

"De Luna?"

Her heart pounded against her ribs as she tried to make sense of it.

—She has Anos's surname.

—Why does she have Anos's surname?

—Could they be related?

—Is this just a coincidence?

—Or worse… is she married to him?!

Her eyes darted over Lydia's demonic form, her sharp ears, her many tails.

Anos would never marry a fox-cosplaying woman… would he?

Aela forcibly shoved those thoughts away. This wasn't the time.

She took a breath, mentally slapping herself before finally accepting Lydia's outstretched hand.

"I'm Aela Voldigold."

Lydia's hand stiffened slightly.

Her glowing amber eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face for the first time.

Voldigold?

No… that wasn't right.

Lydia could feel it—the sister-slave bond. It was unmistakable, unbreakable. Aela belonged to Anos.

Which meant…

"You meant Aela De Luna, right?"

The words struck Aela like lightning.

Her entire face flushed deep red.

Her ears burned.

She had just been called by Anos's surname.

As though she were his… beloved.

"S-Sadly, no, I'm not," she stammered, looking away in embarrassment.

But before she could even process the humiliation—

[Yes, you are.]

The same ethereal, robotic voice she had heard before resurfaced in her mind.

Aela stiffened, her breath catching in her throat.

That voice again.

That time she had heard it, she had been too consumed by rage, too focused on tearing that royal mage apart to care about the strange, robotic presence in her mind.

But now…

Now that she had calmed down—now that she was fully aware that this voice wasn't her own—

It freaked her out.

Her pulse quickened, her hands trembling ever so slightly.

Lydia, watching her reaction with amusement, let out a soft chuckle.

"Scared of a little voice in your head?" she teased, her amber eyes glowing with interest. "Relax, it's not some curse or possession. It's your Temporary Wrath System."

Aela looked at her in confusion. "Temporary... Wrath System?"

Lydia nodded. "It's an auxiliary system meant to help Anos vent his anger. But since you haven't mated with him yet, it's been temporarily bound to you—giving you a taste of its power."

Anos.

The mere mention of his name made Aela's cheeks turn pink.

Lydia smirked. "Oh? Just hearing his name makes you blush? Master is that interesting..."

Aela turned her face away, trying to fight the heat rising to her ears. "T-That's not important! I have questions about this system!"

Lydia leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "Go ahead."

Aela took a deep breath, trying to push down her embarrassment. "First question—why is a system meant for Anos attached to me?"

Lydia's smirk widened. "Because you're his slave."

Aela's entire face turned crimson.

"W-What?!" she nearly shrieked.

Just then, an image flashed through her mind.

—Anos, his brown eyes gleaming with dominance.

—His gentle hands gripping her wrists, pinning her down.

—His breath ghosting over her skin as his deep, commanding voice whispered against her ear.

Aela let out a strangled noise, her hands flying up to cover her face.

Lydia burst into laughter. "Judging by that expression, I'd say your system just gave you a taste of what being Anos's means."

Aela didn't respond—she was too busy trying to stop steam from escaping her ears.

After a moment, she forced herself to change the subject. "Second question—where is Anos?"

Lydia's amusement dimmed slightly. She looked toward the ceiling, as though in deep thought. "I don't know. He was supposed to appear at the summoning ritual… but he didn't."

Aela frowned. "Did something happen?"

Lydia's tails flicked, her expression darkening. "I felt his presence… but it was faint. It was as though he had been—"

She paused.

Her amber eyes narrowed.

Aela felt it instantly—a suffocating pressure.

Murderous intent radiated from Lydia like a tidal wave, thick enough to choke the air from the room.

Aela's breath hitched.

She wasn't just angry—

She was ready to kill.

Before Aela could ask what Lydia was thinking—

A sudden, sharp chime rang through the air.

Both women froze.

Before them, holographic blue screens flickered into existence.

The text upon them was simple—

[Master is all right.]

Aela's heart leapt.

But then—

[I felt my sister merge herself with him. Which can only mean… Iris was the one who kidnapped him. Out of all of us, she's the only one with the strength to do so.]

Silence.

Then—

Lydia's golden eyes gleamed with curiosity as she crossed her arms, tails flicking behind her. "What do you mean Iris is the strongest of all of us? Aren't you the Greed System? You're supposed to surpass all of your sisters, aren't you?"

Aela, eyes narrowing in suspicion, cut in right after. "That's not the question you should be asking. What do you mean by 'your sister merged with him'?"

A moment of silence. Then—

Two distinct voices echoed in their minds.

The holographic blue screens appeared before them.

Lydia's System

[No, we are all powerful in our own aspects. Lust is an exceptionally unique system. Unlike me and my other sisters, she lacks the same individual might when unbound. However, upon her reunion with Master, her potential will become limitless.]

Lydia's eyes slightly widened at the explanation. "Limitless?"

[Furthermore, my sister has actively aided Iris for centuries. It was through Lust's guidance that Iris gained the strength to survive humanity's conquest. She alone bore the weight of the demon realm, holding it together when all should have collapsed. She paved the way for Master's return.]

Lydia's heart swelled with pride.

She had never met this Iris, yet a deep, inexplicable bond tugged at her soul. It was as though she had known her for centuries. As though they had fought alongside one another, suffered together, and endured for the sake of their Master.

A soft smile played on her lips. "So that's what my sister-slave has done…"

Aela's System

[It means that Iris has become one with Master. Her connection to him has solidified, binding her fate entirely to his.]

Aela's breath hitched.

'A woman has become one with Anos…'

The words stabbed into her chest like a jagged blade.

They were unmistakable. Anos had already found his beloved.

Her fingers curled into fists, her heart tightening.

Before the turmoil could completely consume her, her system spoke once more.

[Not exactly.]

Aela's eyes widened. "What?"

[Iris is simply his first slave. She is bound to him, not the other way around.]

Aela's heart pounded in her chest.

[And so are you.]

Her eyes shone, pupils dilating.

Bound to him.

She still has a chance.

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