The throne room, a cavern of obsidian, felt less like a seat of power and more like a tomb. A single shaft of moonlight, fractured by the jagged edges of the crystal prison, barely illuminated the pale form of his human body—sixty percent of his being—entangled in vines of cruel light. The Thorns of Ra coiled around his heart, binding it in radiant malice.
But he felt nothing. His consciousness resided in the other vessel: a forty-percent echo, shadow-forged and untainted by the Light's chains.
The air was heavy. Sweet with decay. Alive with ancient magic. Dust motes swirled in the dim shaft of light like drifting galaxies in a suffocating night.
Beside him, Victoria sat upon her skull throne. In the gloom he could only trace the outline of her neck, the flow of midnight silk clinging to her curves. Every shift of her gown made his avatar jolt. Not just beauty—it was the way she moved. A quiet command of gravity itself. A scent of jasmine, sharp and heady, stirred something primal in him.
He stared at his human form. Pale. Vulnerable. Bound. The sight gnawed at him until frustration throbbed through his shadow-flesh.
"You're quiet," Victoria purred, her voice velvet against the silence.
He almost laughed. His inner geek was screaming: She's gorgeous. I'm gawking at a real-life goddess. NPC romance side quest unlocked. The thought clashed so hard with his Dark Lord persona he nearly winced.
"I'm trying to make sense of it," he rumbled instead. His eyes never left the crystal prison. "It's like I'm split between worlds."
"You are," she said softly, squeezing his hand. Warmth bled into his avatar. "But not alone. You're with me. And together, we will navigate them."
That word—together—hit him harder than any spell.
Victoria leaned forward, gaze sharp as emerald flame. "You're captivated already, aren't you, my love?"
His throat went dry when her fingers brushed his cheek. Every nerve lit up. His inner geek hyperventilated: She's touching me. The Dark Lord is being touched by a sorceress. This is not in the tutorial manual.
He forced out words, rough and low. "I have to admit… this world is unlike anything I've ever seen."
"Then let me show you more."
She rose, silk swirling around her like water. Each step was a weapon—hips swaying, shadows curling. When she traced the lines of his imprisoned body, the phantom sensation seared through his avatar.
"I can't help but feel connected to you," she whispered. "As if fate has bound us."
The admission dragged a raw truth out of him. "I feel it too."
Her lips curved. Mischief. Desire. Promise. "Then let us explore that bond." She cupped his face. "Let me show you my world. Our world."
The shadows rose with them. When her mouth found his, the kiss broke every barrier. Jasmine. Heat. Darkness alive with power. His world tilted. He let it.
What followed was fire, shadows, and surrender. A night left to imagination—its intensity written in shivers, in echoes, in the way the moonlight burned against their skin. But even wrapped in passion, the Thorns of Ra still gleamed, a cold reminder of chains yet unbroken.
---
The afterglow faded. Reality returned.
He sat upon the obsidian throne, the scent of jasmine lingering. His avatar still buzzed with fire, but his mind sharpened to the threat ahead. The summoners still waited.
Victoria leaned casually beside him, eyes gleaming with layered intent.
"This wasn't just seduction," he said flatly. "You need me. Why?"
Her laugh rippled through the chamber, sweet and cutting. "Perceptive, my love. Yes, I need you. To awaken the Shadow Realm. To rule it. To love me."
His jaw tightened. "Why me?"
"Because you are the key," she said simply. No jest. No mask. Just truth. "The one who can stop the Demon Lord's return. The one who can save my people from a fate worse than death."
He shook his head, almost laughing. "I'm a gamer. A digital shadow. Not a hero."
"You will be," she answered, eyes burning into his. "You will be everything."
He glanced at his bound human form. "And the thorns? When I return to the Ancient Realm, won't the spell complete?"
A sly smile touched her lips. "The Thorns of Ra are strong—but not invincible. My Dark Rope is already coiled beneath them. It will keep you free."
Instead of rage, exhilaration coursed through him. She had anticipated everything. Controlled everything. And he wanted in.
---
The world shifted.
The throne room peeled away. Shadows bent into glass. And suddenly, the Ancient Realm stretched out before him.
Eight continents glowed against a sea of black, each a titan across the endless ocean. The air vibrated with a low thrum, like a heartbeat beneath stone. He swore he heard faint whispers in languages he didn't know, carried on phantom winds. The map was alive.
"The Ancient Realm," Victoria whispered. "The crossroads of creation. Every war begins and end here."
Her finger hovered over the largest. "The Red Continent. From pole to pole. Three domains."
The north flared dark. "NeverDay. Land of demons, orcs, goblins. Eternal night."
The south blazed. "NeverNight. The Sun Empire. Twin suns that never set."
The middle bled crimson. "The Untamed Land. Dungeon-spawned beasts. Eternal war."
He leaned forward. "A war funnel. Whoever holds the center controls both ends."
Her smile sharpened. He thinks like a conqueror already.
She pointed west, across the ocean. "The Elven Realm. Forests older than memory. Proud, but fragile."
South of it: "The Dwarven Realm. Stone and steel—unyielding, but stubborn."
Further still: "The Realm of Men. Small kingdoms, smaller vision. Easy prey, should you choose."
To the south, jagged peaks. "Dragon Land. Untamed, volcanic. Death with wings."
She shifted east. "Fae Land—small, but deceptive. And above it, the Land of the Alliance. Smallest, yet united by desperation."
Finally, far east: "The Frost Continent. Giants older than mountains. Waiting."
The map pulsed. A living board. A war-table made for him. Smoke curled from the glowing northern borders of the Elven Continent as it cracked open, bleeding light. At its heart: the summoning ground.
Her voice darkened. "It was the Elves who summoned you. They bound your flesh. They thought you would kneel. Even now, they wait."
His fists clenched. "Then they'll regret it."
"They'll test you," Victoria said. Her touch slid over his hand, soft, dangerous. "Elves don't test to measure. They test to break. And if you fall…" Her gaze pierced him. "…they'll carve your heart from both bodies. And I will die with you."
He stared at the glowing Elven Realm, his vow a growl that shook the map.
"Let them try. I'll show them what it means to summon a Dark Lord. They will not see me coming."