Aya sat alone in the crystal chamber, her knees pulled up to her chest.
The trial was over.
She knew it the moment the flames died.
The bond between Elias and Lilith had shifted—no, ignited. She didn't need the system to tell her. Her heart did that all on its own.
> [System Alert: Trial of Desire – Phase Complete]
Elias has successfully completed the Path of Fire and Temptation.
Primary Emotional Link: Lilith.
New Soul Bond Registered.
Aya stared at the message as it flickered across her vision. Her fingers trembled.
Lilith?
She felt the magic change in Elias. His aura was warmer now, tainted with infernal energy—but it wasn't just about power. It was about closeness. Intimacy. Something she hadn't gotten the chance to share.
Not yet.
"I should be happy he survived…" she whispered.
But the words tasted like lies.
Aya stood slowly, her white priestess robes falling around her in soft folds. She stepped out of the chamber and followed the corridor, her pace quiet but firm. Each footstep echoed louder in her chest than in the hall.
When she found them, they were walking side by side—Lilith with her usual smug grin, and Elias… changed. More confident. More grounded. But his eyes still held softness when he saw her.
"Aya," Elias said.
Lilith rolled her eyes, brushing past. "You deal with that. I'll be ahead."
Aya didn't move. She just looked at him.
He hesitated. "I—"
"You slept with her, didn't you?"
The question came like a slap, even though her voice was quiet.
Elias's jaw tensed. He didn't deny it.
Aya's chest tightened. Her eyes glistened.
"I waited. I trusted you. I thought maybe… just maybe you'd come back and look at me first."
"I didn't plan it," Elias said, stepping closer. "It just—"
"You always don't plan it," she snapped. "But it still happens."
Silence. Heavy and sharp.
"I'm not Lilith," Aya whispered, voice cracking. "I don't seduce. I don't flirt. I loved you when you were nothing—when you didn't even know what the system was."
Elias reached out, but she stepped back.
"Don't."
> [System Notice: Aya's Emotional Threshold has reached CRITICAL]
Trial of Serenity - Now unstable.
Warning: System path divergence detected.
Aya's power may become volatile.
She wiped her eyes angrily. "I don't want to be part of some ranking list of lovers. I'm not a side quest. I'm not some purity token you win after everyone else is done touching you."
Elias winced. "Aya, I care about you—"
"But you didn't choose me."
That silence again. The kind that hurts worse than yelling.
Then Aya laughed—quiet and bitter. "Maybe that's what this whole system's about, huh? Reward the bold. Forget the gentle ones."
Her aura flared—pure white magic laced with something… darker.
"I'll finish my trial alone," she said. "Don't follow me."
And before Elias could speak, she vanished in a burst of shimmering light.
Lilith reappeared behind him with a low whistle. "She's pissed."
"No kidding," Elias muttered, clenching his fists. "I didn't want to hurt her."
Lilith shrugged. "You will. No matter what path you take. That's what happens when you hold too many hearts."
> [System Update: Aya's path has evolved]
New Trial Triggered: Serenity or Vengeance?
Emotional Chaos Level: 84%
Aya's Soulbond: Unstable. Affection now overlaps with Wrath.
Elias stared down the corridor where Aya had disappeared.
"She's not just some girl I met."
Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Then you'd better find a way to prove that. Before someone else does."
The temple was no longer silent.
Aya stepped into the Trial of Serenity… but something was wrong. The air wasn't calm or pure—it was thick, crackling with unease. Shadows danced across marble walls that should've been glowing with holy light.
She looked around, heart pounding. This was supposed to be a space of peace, clarity, self-discovery.
Instead…
> [System Alert: Trial of Serenity Corrupted]
Emotional interference detected.
New path initialized: Trial of Reckoning.
Possessiveness × Betrayal × Unstable Affection
"…what is this?"
A mirror floated before her, framed in silver flame. Aya stared at her reflection—her white hair, normally soft and floating, now whipped around her like a storm. Her eyes… weren't the same. One remained its usual bright blue.
The other had turned red.
A voice echoed—not from the system. Older. Deeper. Feminine and cruel.
> "Why do you cry for someone who gave his fire to another?"
Aya spun, but no one was there.
> "Why do you wait patiently while others take what you longed to give?"
"I didn't wait," she whispered, fists trembling. "I trusted."
> "And was your trust rewarded?"
The air shifted. Shadows formed into shapes—mocking versions of Elias and Lilith, locked in an embrace. Laughing.
Aya raised her hand instinctively—holy light burst from her palm, searing the illusions to dust. But something inside her snapped.
The voice returned. Velvet-soft.
> "You can heal, Aya. But not with serenity. Not with purity. Only with power. Only when he kneels for you."
The mirror shattered. And in its place rose a sword—its blade black glass, its hilt wrapped in white cloth.
She didn't hesitate.
Aya grabbed it.
And the system screamed.
> [Critical System Divergence Triggered!]
Aya has rejected the Trial of Serenity.
New Path Awakened: Possessive Saintess – Route of Holy Wrath
Emotion: Love × Jealousy × Divine Fury
Power Modifier: +800% (Temporary Boost)
Aya fell to her knees, the sword pulsing in her hands. Energy flooded her. Her magic, once calm and warm, surged into something fierce and consuming. No longer a soft light—it blazed like a star about to go nova.
She stood.
"I won't be forgotten."
She took a step forward, and the temple began to collapse. The floor cracked under her heels. Statues of gods shattered as if mocking her pain. And through it all, her voice rang out—clear and furious.
"I won't wait anymore."
---
Meanwhile…
Elias gasped and clutched his chest. His bond with Aya flared violently, then dulled—like someone had slammed a door between them. Lilith felt it too.
"…What did she just do?" Lilith asked.
Elias didn't answer. He stared into the distance, heart racing.
> [System Alert: Aya has completed her Trial.]
Result: SUCCESS – Unstable Route
Aya's current status: Ascending.
New Title: Saintess of Wrath.
> Warning:
Aya's affection level is now linked to emotional chaos.
Risk: Emotional collision.
Result: Unknown.