Goddess of Moonflame.

The battlefield still steamed with the stench of scorched steel and divine blood.

Ren Zian stood at the edge of the ruined temple, his Chaos Blade pulsing faintly, tasting the victory he had earned moments ago. The so-called hero—Kareth of the Silver Flame—now lay broken at his feet. Another one of the "saviors" who arrived with glorious titles and veiled malice.

And another who had tried to claim a goddess for himself.

Ren turned, eyes narrowing as he approached the chained woman who'd been hidden behind layers of illusion and divine seals throughout the battle. His senses had tingled with her presence since entering the sacred grounds—but Kareth had bound her with a cursed contract.

She sat slumped in a circle of shattered sigils, her white hair falling in wild tendrils over bronze shoulders. Her eyes opened slowly as Ren neared, and when they met his—moonlight and fire.

"I thought he'd never fall," she whispered. Her voice was dry, cracked with disuse but thick with suppressed fury. "He kept me for display. Like a trophy. He never deserved my power."

Ren knelt beside her, brushing a thumb across her bruised cheek. "You're not a trophy. You're free now."

She tilted her head, studying him. "You… you're the Emperor who was auctioned. The one who takes goddesses and turns the world upside down."

"Ren Zian," he said, helping her stand. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed into his arms, her skin hot against his battle-worn chest. "And you?"

"…Naevia," she whispered, her voice softer now. "Goddess of Moonflame. Half bound to lunar tides, half to wildfire. And still I was caged like a pet."

A notification shimmered in the corner of Ren's vision:

⚔️ CHAOS BIDDING SYSTEM TRIGGEREDGoddess: Naevia – Moonflame AspectStatus: Previously bound to Heroic VillainCondition to unlock power: Consensual Intimate BondingReward: 🔥 [Lunar Pyre] – Grants hybrid control of moonlight and infernal flame.

His grip on her tightened slightly. "Naevia," he said, voice lower now, "you deserve to reclaim your flame. And I… I want to help."

Her laugh was a tired, bitter thing—but not cold. "You're not afraid of me?"

"I've walked through Voidfire and kissed the Goddess of Bloom under a dying star. I think I'll manage."

A pulse of heat surged between them—more than divine. Her body shifted against his, closer. She touched the scar on his collarbone, brushing lips over it. "Then claim me, Emperor. Not because you must, but because I'm tired of being untouched. Tired of being a symbol. I want to burn."

Ren didn't hesitate.

He lifted her gently in his arms, carrying her into the sanctum's inner chamber where moonlight poured through the collapsed dome. She straddled him the moment he laid her down, her fingers already tugging at the remnants of his battle-worn robes.

There was no shy buildup, only desperate hunger. Their mouths met fiercely—Naevia kissed like she wanted to devour every memory of being chained. Ren groaned against her lips, his hands roaming her waist, back, the curve of her hips.

She leaned down, breath ghosting against his ear. "Touch me like I'm more than a weapon."

He obeyed.

Their bodies tangled, sweat and divine heat building as her nails raked down his chest. She guided him into her slowly, her breath catching in her throat before melting into a low moan that echoed across the ruins.

As they moved, her skin began to shimmer, tattoos of flame and crescent moons glowing with every thrust. Ren kissed along her throat, then her collar, before lifting her up and changing their rhythm entirely—Naevia gasped, wrapped her legs tighter around him.

"Harder," she panted. "Let me feel that I'm alive."

He obeyed again, each stroke deeper, rougher—yet his hands never stopped holding her like something precious. She came undone in his arms first, her cries laced with a divine pulse that shook the very ground beneath them.

Then Ren followed, groaning her name into her neck.

The system activated.

🔥 [Lunar Pyre] – UnlockedMoonlight-infused flame now under command. Use for AoE divine cleansing, or targeted judgment burst.Bonded Status: Goddess of Moonflame – Awakened.

Naevia collapsed on top of him, breathing hard, her glowing body slowly dimming. "I didn't think it could be… that freeing."

Ren stroked her hair gently. "That's the difference. I'm not here to own you. I'm here to walk with you."

She smiled against his chest. "Then let's burn the rest of these false heroes down."

Outside, thunder rolled across the distant peaks. The next wave was coming.

And Ren Zian, Emperor of the Chaos Bidding System, had just become stronger again.