After Mei and I finally managed to put our clothes back on—and after I stopped twitching every time she licked her lips—we regrouped in the central chamber.
Raven was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Her gun rested on her thigh, but her eyes… they were sharp. Restless.
She didn't say anything. But I caught her watching me and Mei. Not with jealousy—more like calculation. Like she was reading something we hadn't even said out loud.
"Everything good?" I asked, adjusting my shirt. It still smelled like sex and sweat.
"Fine," she said quickly. Too quickly.
The temple pulsed.
[New Dungeon Zone Unlocked – Floor 4: Hall of Echoed Sins]
A spiraling staircase appeared, carved from onyx and obsidian, lit by flickering crimson lanterns. At the top: an archway throbbing with heat and danger.
"Ready?" I asked the team.
"Let's wreck it," Iris grinned, stretching.
"Let's try not getting molested by statues this time," Aria muttered.
We ascended.
Hall of Echoed Sins
The air here was thick with guilt and desire. Statues lined the walls—each one carved in intimate poses: a knight on his knees before a queen's bare foot, a priestess moaning into chains of gold.
The worst part? The statues moved when you weren't looking.
"Stay sharp," I said.
The hallway curved… then forked.
Two doors.
One bathed in white light.
One in deep, dark red.
[Split Route Activated – Psychological Temptation Layer]
Path of Redemption | Path of Regression
Before I could even open my mouth, Raven stepped forward.
"I'm going alone."
"Nope," I said instantly.
She gave me that look. The one that could make a volcano think twice about erupting.
"This place is testing us. I can feel it. This floor? It's personal. I don't want anyone seeing what I might be forced to face."
Mei frowned. "You don't have to—"
"I do."
There was something fierce behind her voice. Not anger. Not shame.
Conviction.
She turned and strode into the dark red door.
It sealed behind her.
[Raven Entered: Path of Regression]
Raven's Trial – Memory Locked
The room beyond wasn't a dungeon.
It was a memory.
Her parents' house. The living room. Burned.
Raven stood there, trembling.
"No," she whispered. "Not this one."
[Trial Initiated – Confront the Sin You Regret Most]
A figure emerged from the smoke—a younger Raven. Tears in her eyes. Blood on her hands. A pistol clutched in her grip.
"You let them die," Younger Raven hissed.
"No. I tried to—"
"You ran. You had the gun. You had the chance. But you ran."
She dropped to her knees, shaking.
[Mental Resistance Check – Success (41/40)]
She looked up. Grit her teeth.
"I was scared. I still am. But I'm not that girl anymore."
She raised her current gun. The real one.
And fired.
The illusion shattered.
[Trial Passed – Bond Milestone Progressed]
[New Skill Acquired – Ghost Trigger: Temporarily boosts precision and grants the first shot in a battle double damage if Raven is emotionally focused]
Back in Reality
The door opened.
Raven stepped out. Her hair was damp with sweat. Her eyes were puffy—but sharper. Cleaner.
"You good?" I asked quietly.
She nodded.
Then she pulled me into a hug. Tight. Silent.
And I understood.
No words needed.
She stepped back, eyes still serious.
"If I ask you to hold me tonight… it's not about sex."
"I know."
"Doesn't mean you can't try something, though."
She smirked.
I smirked back.
End of Chapter 33