The air between us was razor-sharp, tension crackling like static electricity. Ethan—or rather, A Sly Liar—stood before us with the same casual, confident smirk he had when I first saved him from the Dire Bloodfang. But now, there was no sign of the vulnerable, low-level pyer I thought I’d rescued. His armor gleamed with sleek design, and his sharp eyes glinted with calcuted cunning.

  Ethan.Level 29."Username": A Sly Liar

  The name flickered above his head, glowing faintly in the low light. And now that we knew the meaning behind that name, it felt much less quirky and far more ominous.

  I stepped forward cautiously, pcing myself between him and my party. My fingers twitched against the hilt of Midnight Fang, shadows curling faintly at my feet.

  "You set that up," I said firmly, my voice cutting through the silence.

  Ethan’s smirk twitched, but he didn’t deny it.

  "The Dire Bloodfang," I continued. "That whole scene—the chase, your desperation—it was staged, wasn’t it? You wanted me to find you."

  For a moment, there was silence. Then Ethan cpped his hands together softly, slowly, and deliberately.

  "Bravo, Kiera," he said, tilting his head. "I was wondering when you’d piece that together. Yes, the Dire Bloodfang wasn’t random—it was a setup. Not entirely staged, mind you. That beast was real enough, and it would’ve killed me if you hadn’t stepped in." His grin turned sharp. "But I knew someone like you wouldn’t let that happen."

  Selene stepped forward, her daggers gleaming faintly in the dim light. "So you’re telling me you put yourself in danger just to get close to her?"

  Ethan’s smirk faded slightly, his gaze flicking to Selene. "I didn’t have much choice. You have to understand that Kiera isn’t just some random pyer anymore. She’s… let’s call her an asset. An unpredictable, chaotic asset. And my job was to get close, observe, and—if possible—neutralize the situation if things went south."

  I swallowed hard, my HUD flickering faintly in the corner of my vision.

  [WARNING: High-Risk Encounter Detected]

  Devon’s voice was low and edged with danger. "And what exactly counts as things going south, Ethan?"

  Ethan’s grin returned, but there was no humor in it. "Oh, you know if our dear Kiera here started glitching out too much. If her little anomaly powers started bleeding into areas, they shouldn’t. If she stopped being controlble." He crossed his arms, leaning casually against the door's metal frame. "Lucky for her, things haven’t hit that point yet."

  Lucky. Right. My knuckles went white around my bde.

  "You let us believe you were just some random pyer," I said, my voice trembling with restrained anger. "You let me heal you, let us bring you along, let us protect you. And the whole time you were… what? Watching me? Taking notes?"

  Ethan’s smile faltered for the briefest moment. "It’s not personal, Kiera. It’s… it’s the job."

  I ughed bitterly. "Not personal? You’ve been lying to us since the moment we met you. You’ve been lying to me."

  Something flickered in Ethan’s expression for a moment—a brief fsh of guilt, maybe regret—but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.

  "I didn’t want it to come to this," he said softly. "But the devs… they don’t see you as a person, Kiera. They see you as corrupted data. A threat. They think you will destroy the game world from the inside out." His eyes locked onto mine, steady and unflinching. "But I don’t believe that. Not entirely."

  Selene stepped before me, her daggers glinting as she angled her body protectively. "So what happens now, Ethan? Are we supposed to just trust you after this?"

  Ethan sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "You don’t have to trust me. Honestly, I wouldn’t trust me either. But I’m not your enemy. Not yet, anyway."

  Devon growled low in his throat. "Then what do you want, Ethan?"

  Ethan’s grin returned, faint but sharp-edged. "I want to help you. Or at least, I want to try to help you. Things are bigger than just us now. Bigger than guild politics or rogue forums or… whatever UNKNOWN wants. The devs aren’t pying around anymore. They’ve sent more Security Enforcers like me into the system, and they’re not all as reasonable as I am."

  I crossed my arms, trying to keep my voice steady. "Why should we believe you?"

  "Because I’ve been tracking you since the Dire Bloodfang," he said. "And if I wanted you dead, Kiera… I would’ve done it by now."

  The silence that followed was heavy, thick with mistrust and tension. No one spoke, and the distant sound of faint dripping water echoed somewhere in the tunnel.

  Finally, Selene exhaled through her nose, lowering one of her daggers—but not sheathing it entirely. "What’s your pn, then?"

  Ethan’s smirk softened slightly, his expression more serious. "I know where the next anomaly marker is. The next fragmented binary code. And I can get you there safely… but only if you let me stay with you."

  “So do I. I can track it with the hacked code inside of me.”

  Ethan nodded. “Yes, but most of those binary fragments are in pces like these, and without the proper authorization,…you get the gist.”

  I hesitated, looking at Devon, Selene, Mason, and Fi. Each of them wore varying expressions of distrust, suspicion, and caution. But there was something in Ethan’s eyes—a sincerity, maybe even a quiet desperation—gave me pause.

  This was a gamble—a huge one—but we didn’t have many other options.

  I nodded slowly. "Fine. You can stay with us, Ethan. But if you betray us—if you even think about pulling something—"

  Ethan raised his hands in mock surrender. "Understood, boss. Scout’s honor."

  Selene narrowed her eyes. "You’re on thin ice, Ethan."

  "I’ll try not to slip," he replied with an infuriating smirk.

  ?????°???°?????

  We left the underground and reached the outside by way of an emergency exit outside the city walls. We reached a small cavern lit by faintly glowing crystals embedded in the walls. A natural underground spring bubbled softly in the center, its water reflecting distorted blue patterns onto the stone ceiling.

  Selene raised a hand, signaling for everyone to stop. “We rest here,” she said, her voice sharp, her amber eyes fixed on Ethan. “And we talk.”

  No one objected.

  We all spread out slightly—Devon near the water’s edge, Fi and Mason leaning against a rock outcropping, Selene staying close to me. Ethan stayed near the cavern entrance, leaning casually against the stone archway.

  For a moment, none of us spoke. The faint dripping of water filled the silence.

  Finally, I stepped forward, staring Ethan down. “How long have you been following me?”

  Ethan sighed and pushed off the wall, stepping closer but stopping when Selene subtly shifted her daggers. “Only since the Dire Bloodfang encounter.”

  Devon let out a sharp breath, his hand tightening around his hilt. “You let her risk herself for you.”

  Ethan’s eyes flicked to Devon. “You think I enjoyed that? Watching her throw herself into danger to save my sorry hide? It wasn’t part of the pn, alright? But… she did it anyway.”

  “And the pn was?” Selene pressed.

  “To observe her. Track her movements. Understand her anomaly.” Ethan shrugged. “But it didn’t take long to see that Kiera’s not some glitch in the matrix. She’s… different.”

  I folded my arms tightly, my voice low. “So what now? Are you going to turn me in? Drag me to the devs as corrupted data?”

  “No,” Ethan said firmly. “That’s not why I’m here anymore.”

  His voice carried something—genuine, maybe. He took a cautious step forward, raising his hands non-threateningly. “The devs aren’t pying games anymore, Kiera. They’ve started sending people like me—Security Enforcers—into the system to shut down anomalies, to stop threats before they destabilize the game. You might not see it, but things are falling apart at the seams.”

  Selene’s eyes narrowed. “And we’re supposed to believe you’re here out of the goodness of your heart?”

  “No,” Ethan smirked faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “But I’ve seen enough to know you’re not the bad guy here. And if I wanted to stop you… I would’ve done it already.”

  For a moment, silence bnketed the cavern again. Fi crossed her arms, frowning as she watched the exchange.

  “Let’s say we believe you,” Devon said, his voice low and edged with warning. “What happens now?”

  Ethan exhaled, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Like I said, I know where the next anomaly marker is—the next fragmented binary code. I can get you there safely, bypass patrols, and navigate the security measures.”

  My HUD flickered faintly as I stared at Ethan, studying him carefully. His voice had truth, but it was wrapped in yers of caution, doubt, and something else… guilt, maybe.

  Ethan’s smirk twitched. “...You know you’ll probably stumble into an ambush, get surrounded by hostile guilds, and either lose your progress or be permanently wiped out by an enforcer less charming than me.”

  Mason let out a faint whistle. “Well… when you put it like that.”

  Selene gred at him. “Not the time, Mason.”

  Ethan looked directly at me now, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. “Kiera, this is your call. You’re the one they’re after. You’re the one carrying this… anomaly, this broken code. But you’re also the one leading this group. So… what’s it gonna be?”

  My mouth felt dry. Everyone’s eyes were on me now—Selene, Devon, Fi, Mason. And Ethan, waiting patiently for my answer.

  Trusting him was dangerous, but refusing him could be even worse. He had knowledge we didn’t, access we couldn’t fake, and—whether we liked it or not—experience navigating this mess.

  “Fine,” I said slowly, my voice steady. “You can stay with us. But you answer to me. You don’t hide anything, you don’t go off alone, and if you so much as think about betraying us…”

  Ethan raised his hands in mock surrender. “Got it. No secrets, no lone-wolf heroics. You have my word.”

  Selene let out a faint scoff. “Your word means nothing, Ethan. But you’re here now, so don’t make us regret it.”

  We moved out of the cavern, Ethan falling slightly into step with the group. As we walked, I could feel his eyes on me now and then—watching, observing, maybe even trying to figure me out.

  We kept moving forward.

  The silence was oppressive, weighed down by unanswered questions and fragile trust.

  The path twisted and turned through the subterranean byrinth. Occasionally, we’d pass faintly glowing runes etched into the stone or half-colpsed structures that suggested these tunnels once had a purpose far beyond their current state. My HUD flickered occasionally, sending faint error messages at the edges of my vision, but nothing critical enough to demand my immediate attention.

  “Anyone else feels like we’re walking straight into a horror dungeon?” Mason muttered.

  Fi shot him a side-eye. “Stop jinxing it.”

  Ethan chuckled faintly from the back. “Don’t worry, Mason. I’ll throw you at it first if anything jumps out at us.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Mason said dryly. “Now that you betrayed us, I’m unsure if that’s a joke anymore.”

  I caught Devon gncing back at Ethan every now and then, his brows furrowed. Despite Ethan’s casual demeanor, there was something in how he carried himself—sharp, deliberate, calcuted. Every movement seemed to have a purpose.

  Selene’s voice cut through the silence. “There’s an opening ahead. Looks… clearer than the st few paths.”

  We stepped into a rger cavern—a hollow space carved naturally from stone and widened by some long-forgotten purpose. Faint shafts of light filtered through cracks in the ceiling, casting long, pale lines across the uneven ground. A shallow underground stream cut across one side of the cavern, the water faintly glowing with bioluminescent algae.

  My HUD pinged faintly.

  [Zone Cleared: Temporary Safe Zone Detected]

  “Alright, let’s take another break here” Selene said.

  I sat on a boulder near the stream, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. The cool air felt refreshing after hours in the tunnels, but my mind was still racing. Devon was a few feet away, sharpening his greatsword with deliberate care, his eyes flicking up to me every few seconds.

  Ethan stood near the edge of the cavern, arms crossed, watching us all with an unreadable expression.

  Selene approached me, her amber eyes softening slightly. “You alright?”

  I nodded faintly. “Yeah. Just… trying to process everything.”

  She gnced briefly at Ethan before looking back at me. “You shouldn’t carry all this weight alone, Kiera. We’re here with you.”

  I smiled faintly. “I know. But it doesn’t make it any easier.”

  Selene gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before walking off to talk to Mason and Fi.

  Devon, meanwhile, sheathed his sword and walked over, lowering himself onto the rock beside me. His shoulder bumped against mine gently.

  For a moment, neither of us spoke. The faint sound of water trickling nearby filled the silence.

  “Do you trust him?” Devon finally asked, nodding toward Ethan.

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I want to believe him, but… it’s hard. Everything about him feels like it’s wrapped in yers of secrets.”

  Devon nodded, his jaw tightening slightly. “Well, just know I’ve got your back. No matter what happens.”

  I reached out and squeezed his hand briefly before pulling away. “Thanks, Devon.”

  A sudden voice cut through the silence.

  “So, uh… not to interrupt your very serious brooding session,” Fi said as she walked over, arms crossed and a sly grin. “But are we going to address the fact that we’ve essentially adopted a guy whose literal username spells out ‘A Sly Liar’?”

  Mason appeared beside her, scratching his chin. “She’s got a point; how did we not figure that out?”

  Ethan chuckled faintly from where he stood. “I’m right here, you know.”

  “Yeah, and that’s the problem,” Fi shot back.

  Mason smirked. “Look, if we’re going to travel together, you’ll need to pass the vibe check, buddy.”

  “Is that an official guild requirement?” Ethan asked, his lips twitching upward.

  “Absolutely,” Mason said with a nod.

  Fi tilted her head at Ethan, her grin sharp. “So tell me, Mr. Sly Liar, what’s your favorite dessert? Because if it’s raisin cookies, we’re throwing you into the nearest pit.”

  Ethan blinked, then let out an amused ugh. “Alright, alright. Chocote va cake. Final answer.”

  Fi nodded approvingly. “Acceptable. You live another day.”

  The tension in the air lessened slightly as the pyful banter carried on, but I could still feel the weight of uncertainty lingering like smoke in the cavern.

  When the moment felt right, I turned abruptly and locked eyes with him.

  “Ethan,” I said firmly. “We need to talk. Alone.”

  The rest of the group froze, turning back to look at me. Devon immediately stiffened, his brows furrowing in concern.

  “Kiera—” he started.

  “It’s fine,” I interrupted, raising a hand. “I’ve got this. Just… give us a moment.”

  Selene’s sharp, amber eyes lingered on me for a beat before she gave a subtle nod, motioning for the others to move forward. Devon hesitated, his lips tightening into a thin line, but eventually followed.

  We walked further from the group until it was just Ethan and me, left in the faint glow of distant bioluminescent crystals. I crossed my arms over my chest and squared my shoulders.

  “Alright, spill. How long have you been working with the devs?”

  Ethan’s smirk twitched upward, faint but amused. “You don’t waste time, do you?”

  “I’m serious, Ethan. If you want us to trust you, I need to know what we’re dealing with.” My voice was steady, though my heart was hammering against my ribs. “Are you a contractor? A permanent hire? How far does this go?”

  He let out a slow sigh and leaned casually against the tunnel wall, one boot crossing over the other. “Permanent hire. Security Enforcer, as I said before. I wasn’t brought in as some fshy damage dealer—I was brought in to monitor anomalies, glitches, and… well, people like you.”

  I swallowed hard, trying not to let that st part sting. “How long?”

  “A little over a year with the devs of Nexus,” Ethan replied. “But my assignment tracking you specifically started with our little Dire Bloodfang encounter.”

  “Did they know about me before I activated the code?” I pressed.

  “No. Whatever happened with that code was pure chaos—no one saw it coming, not even the devs. But the second your css icon went bnk, arms started ringing in their systems.” Ethan tilted his head slightly, his sharp blue eyes narrowing. “And here we are.”

  The faint flicker of my HUD reflected in his irises, glitching faintly at the edges. The longer I looked at him, the more I could tell he wasn’t lying—not this time. But he wasn’t telling me everything, either.

  “What’s your endgame, Ethan?” I asked softly. “Why stick with us? Why not just report me and get it over with?”

  He slowly pushed off the wall, taking a step closer. I held my ground, though every nerve in my body told me to back away. His presence was intense—confident, sharp-edged, and undeniably magnetic.

  “Because I don’t think you’re the vilin they’re painting you as,” Ethan said, his voice low. “I’ve seen corrupted anomalies before—code fragments clinging to pyers, turning them into mindless husks. But you? You’re different, Kiera. You’re… aware. Human. And that makes you interesting.”

  I stepped back, but he closed the distance again, his movements slow and deliberate. Before I realized it, my back was pressed against the tunnel wall. Ethan pced one hand against the stone beside my head, leaning in slightly, his sharp eyes locking onto mine.

  “And maybe,” he continued, his voice dropping to a faint murmur, “I just enjoy being around you.”

  My breath hitched, heat rushing to my face. My HUD flickered faintly, but I barely registered it as Ethan’s smirk grew faintly wider. His face was close enough that I could feel the faint warmth of his breath against my cheek.

  “E-Ethan,” I stammered, my voice catching. “I… I’m with Devon. And Selene. We’re—”

  “A trio, yeah, I figured that out,” Ethan said smoothly, tilting his head slightly. “But hey, nothing wrong with a side quest now and then, right?”

  I froze, my blush deepening as his words registered. “Th-that’s not—! I mean, we’re not—!”

  Ethan chuckled softly, the sound low and faintly amused. “Rex, Kiera. I’m just messing with you… mostly.”

  His smirk softened, though his hand remained braced against the wall beside me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The faint drip of water echoed through the tunnel, and somewhere far off, I could hear the distant rumble of something shifting deeper underground.

  “Ethan…” I said softly, my voice trembling slightly. “Are you going to betray us?”

  His smirk faded. For a brief moment, something genuine flickered in his eyes—something that felt unguarded, vulnerable.

  “No,” he said simply. “I’m not.”

  I exhaled a shaky breath, my hands clutching tightly at the fabric of my gloves. Ethan pushed away from the wall, giving me space again, though his sharp eyes lingered on me for a moment longer.

  “You’re a dangerous glitch, Kiera,” he said as he turned away, his voice softer now. “But… you might also be the only chance for us to catch UNKNOWN once and for all.”

  Ethan turned away, his sharp silhouette illuminated faintly by the distant bioluminescent glow of the cavern. His words still lingered in the air.

  "I’m not going to betray you. But you’re a dangerous glitch, Kiera."

  He started walking back toward the group, hands casually tucked into his pockets, but something in my chest tightened.

  I couldn’t let him walk away.

  Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt.

  Ethan froze mid-step, his shoulders stiffening before he slowly turned his head to gnce back at me. His sharp blue eyes flickered with surprise, quickly masked by his usual amused smirk.

  “Oh? Didn’t think you were the type to make the first move,” he quipped softly, though his voice carried an undercurrent of uncertainty.

  I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening in my ears as shadows faintly curled around my boots. My HUD glitched at the corner of my vision, and faint error messages were blinking in red.

  "Do it." "Use it."

  The voice in the back of my mind—faint, seductive, almost musical—urged me forward. My Succubus side stirred awake, slithering into my chest, coaxing me to act.

  “Ethan,” I said softly, my voice trembling slightly as I looked up at him. “I need to know. I need the truth. All of it.”

  A faint glow surrounded my eyes, and shadows rippled faintly along my form as the charm effect activated. Ethan’s body stiffened, his eyes diting faintly as the spell took hold. But something in his expression softened—not entirely overtaken by the charm, but influenced by it.

  I stepped closer, closing the distance between us until we were just a breath apart. My voice was barely above a whisper. “Tell me the truth, Ethan, about your involvement as an enforcer.”

  The air between us grew heavy. Ethan’s pupils dited slightly, his breath hitching as my power washed over him, wrapping around his mind like velvet chains.

  He was charmed.

  But instead of resisting, Ethan smirked faintly, something both amused and resigned in his eyes.

  “So… this is how you want to py it?” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

  My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of guilt and raw anticipation cwing at me. My Succubus side, the part of me I’d been trying to keep in check, purred in satisfaction.

  His lips parted, his voice trembling slightly. “The devs… they think you’re a threat to the system. A ticking time bomb. That code you activated? It wasn’t supposed to go to you—it was supposed to go to me..”

  I blinked, trying to process his words. “So… you were supposed to be what I am now?”

  “Not quite,” Ethan said, his voice growing softer, his head leaning slightly closer to mine. His words sent a chill through me, and for a moment, I faltered. My charm spell wavered slightly, flickering like a dying candle.

  But then Ethan tilted his head slightly, his eyes locking onto mine. The glow of Crimson Kiss reflected faintly in his irises, but there was something else there—something entirely human. Curiosity. Attraction. Hunger.

  “And yet,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a faint whisper, “even now… I can’t seem to bring myself to do anything about it.” His words were alien to me, as if he were speaking to someone else entirely or maybe himself.

  The distance between us disappeared.

  His hand came up, gently cupping the side of my face, his thumb brushing faintly against my cheek. My breath hitched, my heart hammering in my chest.

  This wasn’t just the charm spell—it was something else entirely. Something raw. Something instinctive.

  Before I could pull back, Ethan leaned down, his face so close to mine that our noses nearly touched.

  “You want the truth, Kiera?” he said softly. “Then take it.”

  Without realizing it, I leaned into him. His lips brushed against mine, faintly at first, testing, lingering until I found myself responding. My gloved hands gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly as the shadows around me writhed faintly, reacting to my heightened emotions.

  His other hand came to rest on my hip, pulling me closer against him.

  My breath hitched as the world seemed to tilt sideways. His kiss was sharp, demanding, and filled with an edge of danger. My back hit the tunnel wall as Ethan pressed closer, his hands coming up to brace against the stone on either side of my head while his other hand traveled up the length of my attire and fondled my breast.

  The shadows around me flickered, reacting to my rising pulse. My HUD glitched faintly as my Succubus abilities thrummed through my veins, making my skin feel electrified.

  Our kiss deepened a heated pull that seemed to blur the lines between charm and raw attraction. Ethan groaned softly against my lips. I had to hold back my own whimper of pleasure.

  I should stop. I should pull away.

  But I didn’t stop him.

  My arms moved independently, looping around his neck and pulling him closer. My Succubus instincts weren’t just whispering—they were roaring. Every part of me felt alive, on fire, and despite the guilt cwing at the edges of my mind, I couldn’t bring myself to stop.

  It wasn’t until Ethan pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against mine, that reality came crashing back into focus.

  We were both breathing heavily, our faces inches apart. Ethan’s eyes were sharp, focused, and filled with a mix of emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.

  “The truth…” he said hoarsely, his voice uneven. “The Devs were going to use me to get the code and infiltrate UNKNOWN. But something went wrong, and you… you got it instead.”

  I swallowed hard, my breathing still ragged.

  Ethan leaned closer, his voice barely a murmur. “If they get their hands on the game’s code, this world will burn to ashes because they’ll have the most immersive AI in the palm of their hand.”

  “And how would you stop them if they caught you?”

  Ethan smirked. “Let’s just say the Devs didn’t hire me for nothing.”

  Silence stretched between us as I processed his words. My shadows had settled now, curling faintly around my boots. The charm had worn off, and Ethan was fully himself again.

  He reached up, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. “You didn’t have to use your charm to get me to tell you.”

  I blushed fiercely, guilt swirling in my stomach. “I… I didn’t know if you’d tell me the truth otherwise.”

  Ethan’s smirk softened into something gentler. “You have my loyalty, Kiera. Whatever happens next… I’m with you.”

  I nodded, biting my lip. We stood silently for a long moment before I let myself sink into what felt like an eternity—and only a heartbeat simultaneously. Into the charm. Into him.

  A few moments ter…

  I sat on a mossy stone ledge further down the tunnel, my cloak draped loosely around my shoulders. The faint sound of dripping water echoed softly in the cavern, and my HUD had finally stopped glitching, though faint warnings still blinked faintly in red.

  Ethan leaned against the tunnel wall nearby, arms crossed over his chest. His shirt was rumpled, and his usually sharp smirk had softened into something quieter.

  There was a faint flush along my cheeks, and I knew it wasn’t just from the shadows and dim lighting.

  Neither of us spoke for a long while. The silence wasn’t awkward—it was heavy, weighted by everything that had just happened.

  Finally, Ethan broke the quiet. “Your secret’s safe with me, Kiera.”

  I turned to look at him, my fingers tightening faintly around me. “I didn’t ask.”

  He met my gaze evenly. “Yeah. but it was implied. Besides, we wouldn’t want your lovers to know you’re sleeping with the enemy.”

  His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer before he returned to the distant glow of the crystals lining the tunnel walls.

  “You know,” he said softly, his voice carrying a faint edge of amusement, “I told you everything you need to know, but… you still kept going, and there was no charm effect.”

  I felt heat rush to my face again. “I-It wasn’t… I didn’t mean for it to… it just happened, okay?!”

  Ethan chuckled, the sound faint and low. “Rex, Kiera. I’m not compining.”

  I briefly buried my face in my hands, letting out a soft groan. “This… this can’t happen again.”

  “Perhaps. I won’t compin if it does,” Ethan said softly, though his smirk remained. “But hey… this just showed me that I was right.”

  I gred at him weakly, though I couldn’t keep the blush from creeping back up my neck. “Right, about?”

  “That you aren’t what the devs thought you were. You’re different.”

  I blinked, caught off guard by his… compliment.

  “Come on,” Ethan said, pushing off the wall and offering me his hand. “The others are probably wondering if I betrayed you or something.”

  I hesitated momentarily before taking his hand and letting him pull me to my feet. As we walked back toward the others, I couldn’t shake the weight of everything that had just happened—everything Ethan had said, everything I’d felt.

  The Succubus side of me purred faintly in the back of my mind, pleased and content.

  But the rest of me?

  The rest of me was a tangled mess of guilt, confusion, and something I couldn’t quite name

  And the frightening part? I enjoyed it and wanted more.

  When we made it back with the others, Selene’s sharp, amber eyes flicked toward me immediately. Devon watched Ethan like a hawk, his hand still resting on his sword hilt.

  “Everything good?” Selene asked softly. “That took a minute; I was about to come get you.”

  I nodded, swallowing hard. “Y-yeah. Everything’s fine.”

  Devon’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t press further. Ethan, meanwhile, had resumed his spot near the back of the group, his posture rexed but his eyes still sharp.

  “Alright,” Selene said firmly, her voice cutting through the tension. “We keep moving. But let’s stay sharp—something tells me this next encounter isn’t going to be easy.”

  As we continued through the tunnels, I couldn’t stop my mind from repying that encounter with Ethan—his closeness, sharp words, and the faint vulnerability in his eyes.

  Whatever happened next, one thing was certain: this wasn’t the st time my Succubus side would stay hidden.