Eliza sat at the head of the table, Zanac to her right, Lady Aura to her left.

  She didn’t miss the subtle reinforcement of their positions—flanking her, supporting her, shielding her if need be.

  But she wasn’t here to be shielded.

  Her fingers rested against the polished surface of the table, smooth beneath her touch. The flickering hologram projection before them was so real, so impossibly detailed, that she could almost feel the presence of the woman sitting on the other side.

  Lilith.

  She lounged upon a throne of blackened silk and golden chains, her legs lazily crossed, one bare foot resting against the chained neck of a human slave kneeling at her feet.

  Her lips curled into a slow, knowing smile, her expression drenched in mockery and playfulness.

  And when she spoke, it was with silken amusement, her voice curling through the air like perfume laced with poison.

  “Zanny. Aurrie. Dears.”

  She tilted her head slightly, raven-red curls tumbling over one bare shoulder.

  “Don’t you two look good?”

  She sighed dramatically, her fingers tapping lightly against the goblet.

  “A tad underdressed, considering your pet is so overdressed."

  Eliza’s spine stiffens.

  Lilith’s eyes flickered toward her, slow and deliberate.

  “Letting her dress like royalty is adorable...”

  A pause.

  A smirk.

  “But, letting her sit on furniture? The seat of the King, no less?”

  She let out a small, mock-offended gasp, her fingers brushing against her collarbone as if scandalized.

  “Isn’t that called blasphemy?”

  Eliza felt her pulse quicken, but before she could bite back a response, Zanac’s voice cut through the tension like polished steel.

  “It is the seat of the Queen, until the return of the King.”

  His tone was unwavering, his posture composed.

  He didn’t flinch. He didn’t hesitate.

  “You will show the respect you are given, or this will end, mi lady.”

  Lilith’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second.

  But only for a second.

  She pouted, her lips forming a perfect, painted frown, before she let out a low, teasing laugh.

  “Oh, Zanny, don’t act like that.”

  She stretched lazily, the movement languid, like a cat lounging in the sun.

  “We all know this little canary is not Queen.”

  Eliza bristled at the word.

  Lilith’s gaze darkened, the mirth in her expression sharpening into something more pointed.

  “There is only one woman who has the right to the Realm of Nighttime…”

  She tilted her head, her eyes gleaming in the dim projection light.

  “And that is the former Princess of Goodnight.”

  The room fell into a hush.

  Eliza felt the way Aura stiffened beside her, the way Zanac’s eye flickered, unreadable.

  He didn’t respond immediately.

  And Lilith savored the silence.

  Then, finally, Zanac spoke.

  “Being its former princess and its most dangerous traitor does not make you Queen.”

  Lilith laughed.

  A full, musical, delighted laugh, her fingers pressing against her lips as if tickled by the thought.

  Then, in a mock-wounded tone, she said:

  “Oh, how cruel.”

  She sighed, shaking her head as if deeply disappointed.

  Then, her eyes slid to Eliza again.

  Her smirk returned.

  “And being some human slave from a nobody realm does not make her Queen either.”

  Her tone was syrupy sweet, dripping with amusement.

  “What level is she, I wonder? Fifty? Sixty?”

  She let out a soft chuckle, raising her hand as if preparing to scan Eliza’s stats remotely—

  But nothing happened.

  Lilith’s eyes narrowed.

  She tried again.

  Still, nothing.

  Her smirk twitched slightly.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Then, she sighed in mock disappointment.

  “Ah… of course. The kingdom’s barrier."

  She took a slow sip from her goblet, eyes flashing.

  “How annoying.”

  Eliza exhaled slowly, trying to keep her face neutral, but her thoughts were racing.

  The magical graphic projection before her was more real than anything she had ever seen.

  She could see the folds of Lilith’s gown shift as she moved, the way the candlelight in her chamber flickered against her skin.

  It was seamless. Flawless.

  A slight throat clearing pulled her back to the present.

  Zanac had noticed.

  She was too quiet.

  And that was all Lilith needed.

  The succubus’s smirk widened.

  “Oh, Zanny… she isn’t even level fifty, is she?”

  Her voice was silken, taunting.

  Zanac did not respond.

  And that was enough of an answer.

  Lilith let out a small tutting noise, shaking her head in mock sympathy.

  “Sad. So sad.”

  Eliza’s fingers curl into fists beneath the table.

  She already knew the truth.

  She was nowhere near that level.

  Lilith was right about that.

  Eliza's patience snapped like a frayed thread. She leaned forward, her fingers pressing against the polished table. "Why are you reaching out to my kingdom if not for a civil, diplomatic conversation?"

  Lilith scoffed, tilting her head, her crimson curls spilling over one bare shoulder. "Your kingdom?" she repeated, voice thick with mockery. “That’s adorable. This isn’t yours. It never was.”

  Eliza’s jaw tightened, but she refused to let Lilith see it.

  Lilith leaned back against her gilded throne, stretching her arms above her head as if Eliza’s words were nothing more than an entertaining breeze. "The fact that you see yourself as anything more than a pet is laughable."

  Pet. Pet. Pet.

  Eliza exhaled slowly through her nose, feeling the weight of the word settle in her bones. She’d heard it too many times. Too many men, too many voices, reduced her to something less.

  And now it all made sense.

  Her lips curled into something between a smirk and a knowing smile. "Now I get it. I’m the new keeper of his heart, aren’t I?"

  For the first time, Lilith’s amusement cracked.

  It was barely a flicker—a tightening around her eyes, a brief twitch in her jaw—but it was there.

  Eliza didn’t give her a chance to recover.

  "You know, when I first met him, I thought he was a monster." Her voice was calm, controlled. "And honestly, for a long time, I thought most men were monsters. Every man who was supposed to love me only ever gave me pain."

  She let the words hang in the air before continuing, her voice softer now.

  "But not him."

  Lilith didn’t move, but something in her aura shifted.

  Eliza stood.

  "I don’t know why he loves me. And looking at you—" she gestured at Lilith, taking in the sharp elegance of her features, the effortless beauty, the aura of power that demanded attention— “I know it’s not because of my looks. Just look at you. You're breathtaking. Gorgeous."

  Zanac, standing beside her, said nothing, but his stance was one of quiet pride.

  "It’s no wonder he almost made you his queen." Eliza’s tone turned colder, sharper. "Almost."

  Lilith’s fingers tightened around the goblet in her lap.

  "But then you betrayed him," Eliza continued. "You saw a better opportunity and took it. And normally, I’d ask any man fresh out of a bad relationship, What did you do wrong? Because usually, it takes two to destroy something."

  She tilted her head.

  "But something tells me you decided this was a solo act long before he even knew the music had started."

  Lilith’s foot pressed down harder on the chained slave at her feet. Her lips curled into something almost feral, but she stayed silent.

  "And why," she said at last, voice low, dangerous, "should I care what some insignificant human thinks?"

  Eliza met her gaze, unwavering.

  "You shouldn’t." She smiled, slow and razor-edged. "You shouldn't care about me at all. But the man who loved you? He wasn't insignificant. He was a king. And you tried to turn him into a monster."

  She let the words sink in before delivering the final blow. Snapped like a frayed thread. She leaned forward, her fingers pressing against the polished table. “Why are you reaching out to my kingdom if not for a civil, diplomatic conversation?”

  Lilith scoffed, tilting her head, her crimson curls spilling over one bare shoulder. ”Your kingdom?” she repeated, voice thick with mockery. “That’s adorable. This isn’t yours. It never was.”

  Eliza’s jaw tightened, but she refused to let Lilith see it.

  Lilith leaned back against her gilded throne, stretching her arms above her head as if Eliza’s words were nothing more than an entertaining breeze. “The fact that you see yourself as anything more than a pet is laughable.”

  Pet. Pet. Pet.

  Eliza exhaled slowly through her nose, feeling the weight of the word settle in her bones. She’d heard it too many times. Too many men, too many voices, reduced her to something less.

  And now it all made sense.

  Her lips curled into something between a smirk and a knowing smile. “Now I get it. I’m the new keeper of his heart, aren’t I?”

  For the first time, Lilith’s amusement cracked.

  It was barely a flicker—a tightening around her eyes, a brief twitch in her jaw—but it was there.

  Eliza didn’t give her a chance to recover.

  “You know, when I first met him, I thought he was a monster." Her voice was calm, controlled. “And honestly, for a long time, I thought most men were monsters. Every man who was supposed to love me only ever gave me pain."

  She let the words hang in the air before continuing, her voice softer now.

  “But not him."

  Lilith didn’t move, but something in her aura shifted.

  Eliza stood.

  “I don’t know why he loves me. And looking at you—” she gestured at Lilith, taking in the sharp elegance of her features, the effortless beauty, the aura of power that demanded attention— “I know it’s not because of my looks. Just look at you. You’re breathtaking. Gorgeous."

  Zanac, standing beside her, said nothing, but his stance was one of quiet pride.

  “It’s no wonder he almost made you his queen.” Eliza’s tone turned colder, sharper. ”Almost."

  Lilith’s fingers tightened around the goblet in her lap.

  “But then you betrayed him,” Eliza continued. ”You saw a better opportunity and took it. And normally, I’d ask any man fresh out of a bad relationship, What did you do wrong? Because usually, it takes two to destroy something.”

  She tilted her head.

  “But something tells me you decided this was a solo act long before he even knew the music had started.”

  Lilith’s foot pressed down harder on the chained slave at her feet. Her lips curled into something almost feral, but she stayed silent.

  “And why,” she said at last, voice low, dangerous, ”should I care what some insignificant human thinks?”

  Eliza met her gaze, unwavering.

  “You shouldn’t." She smiled, slow and razor-edged. “You shouldn’t care about me at all. But the man who loved you? He wasn’t insignificant. He was on track to becoming a king. And you tried to turn him into a monster."

  She let the words sink in before delivering the final blow.

  “But you failed, and failed, and I watched him and fell in love with him day after day because I realized something. He wasn't a monster; he was a man who was tired of being hurt. And I am the woman who will make sure that women like you will never hurt him again. And know this even on his worst day at his darkest hour... The worst version of him will still be better than the best of you."

  Lilith inhaled sharply.

  “You’re the type of woman who’s stunning on the outside but rotting inside. And any man who gets close enough to taste you is doomed to become just as bitter.”

  The goblet in Lilith’s hands trembled for the briefest moment before she steadied it.

  Eliza smiled.

  “When he comes back, he won’t find you in his throne. He won’t find you in his bed.”

  Her voice turned silkier, taunting.

  “He’ll find me. And unlike you, I can be sweet—” she leaned in slightly, her next words a whisper laced with venom—” until the very last drop."

  Lilith snapped.

  The chained slave crumpled as she kicked him aside, rising from her throne in one fluid motion.

  "He’s dead!" she spat. ”There is no coming back! And to be honest, you and he did me a favor! Any lich stupid enough to die for worms like you—” she let out a sharp, cruel laugh, “—never deserved to be king.”

  Eliza tilted her head, eyes gleaming with something dark.

  “Ooh, from dust to worm? Looks like my threat factor just went up.”

  Lilith leaned forward, the sheer fabric of her gown clinging to her body, her lips parting into a slow, deadly smirk.

  Her voice dripped with venom.

  “See you very... very... soon.”

  The projection vanished.

  The air in the room was thick, charged with something electric.

  Eliza exhaled, unclenching her fists. She knew, without a doubt—

  Lilith was coming.

  And hell with her.

  But Eliza refused to go down without a fight.