The courtyard shimmered under the high noon sun, but a chill ran through Blackthorne High. It wasn't the weather.
It was her.
Selene Frost stood at the dueling platform behind the gymnasium, surrounded by a crowd of eager students. A sanctioned magical sparring match wasn't unusual in a dungeon-affiliated school. But this match? Everyone smelled blood.
Because her opponent wasn't a top-tier awakened.
It was Adrian Cain.
Or rather, Velarion—the once-dethroned Demon Emperor cloaked in a weak human vessel.
He stepped into the ring with steady poise, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.
"You're serious about this?" Selene asked, voice like crackling ice. "You'll regret it."
Her platinum hair fluttered in the wind, eyes gleaming with cold confidence.
Velarion rolled his shoulders. "I don't duel to win, Ice Queen."
He took a step forward, his voice lowering to a sensual threat. "I duel to dominate."
A hush fell over the crowd.
> [Quest Objective Activated: Subdue Selene Frost through magical combat. Time Limit: 2 Hours.]
> [Reward: Soul-Bond Unlock. Skill: Frost Immunity.]
Selene's aura ignited, a burst of freezing air enveloping the platform. Shards of ice spiraled around her as she extended her hand.
"Try not to die, Cain."
She moved like a phantom.
Velarion barely dodged as jagged ice lances erupted from the ground around him. The crowd gasped. Teachers monitoring from the edge of the courtyard didn't stop the match—they were as curious as the students.
He leapt back and whispered, "Let's play dirty."
> [Activating: Demonic Spark – Level 1. Infernal Flame Awakened.]
A flicker of black fire danced across his fingertips.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "That's… not school-issued magic."
"No," he said darkly, "it's me."
He raised his hand—and threw.
A streak of dark flame met Selene's barrier of ice. Steam exploded into the air, hissing as the spells clashed violently. Velarion rushed forward through the mist, fists cloaked in blazing heat.
Selene faltered—just a moment—but enough.
He grabbed her wrist and twisted her body mid-spin, forcing her down to one knee. She gritted her teeth, her lips parted in a surprised hiss.
"Get off—"
He leaned close, voice barely audible to her ear. "Your frost can't hide what your body wants, Selene. I can feel it trembling."
Her cheeks turned scarlet. But her resistance surged.
She thrust her palm into his chest—a raw, desperate burst of ice energy.
He stumbled back slightly… then smiled.
> [HP -3. Stamina -5.]
> [Frost Affinity Detected: Partial Bond Instability. Soul Energy Sparked.]
"You're a ticking core," he said, wiping blood from his lip. "You keep bottling that power, you'll explode."
"I control myself!" she snapped.
He shrugged. "Then prove it. Beat me."
Selene roared. A storm of sharp ice daggers formed above her and rained down.
Velarion raised both arms and let the Infernal Flame explode from within. The air shook.
Fire and ice clashed in a brilliant shockwave.
When it cleared—
Selene was flat on the platform, breathing hard, her uniform torn at the shoulder, exposing bare skin flushed from the heat.
Velarion stood above her, panting.
He didn't raise his fists.
Instead, he offered his hand.
"You're strong," he said, voice low and sincere. "But strength buried beneath pride… is weakness."
She stared at his hand. The crowd was silent, mesmerized.
And then… she took it.
> [Quest Complete.]
> [Initiating Soul-Bond Sequence…]
Selene gasped as a red circle formed beneath their feet, ancient demonic runes spinning.
> [Synchronizing Energy Cores… Extracting Frost Affinity…]
Her body trembled as the magic flowed between them. Their hands still clasped, an invisible tether pulled at her soul, her breath hitching as her inner energy spilled toward him.
A pulse of ice entered Velarion's core. He shuddered, overwhelmed—but euphoric.
> [New Ability Gained: Frost Immunity.]
[Affinity Link with Selene Frost: 21%]
[Soul-Bond Level 1 Achieved.]
[Dungeon Key Acquired: Forgotten Flame Ruins]
She fell against his chest, dazed.
"What… did you do to me?" she whispered, breath warm against his collarbone.
Velarion wrapped an arm around her waist. "I showed you what it means to feel."
He turned toward the silent crowd, holding Selene like a dark prince claiming his icy bride.
The crowd dispersed without a word.
Selene didn't pull away immediately. Her pride was cracking. Her heartbeat was racing.
And her body… was leaning into his.
Later — Rooftop Garden
Selene sat on the bench beside him, watching the horizon. Sunset streaked the sky in hues of crimson and violet.
She didn't speak.
Velarion didn't force her.
Their connection was still fresh. Still forming.
"I've never…" she began quietly. "Lost control like that."
"You didn't lose control," Velarion replied. "You let go. That's the difference."
She looked at him. Eyes no longer sharp and judgmental—but curious.
"Who are you really, Adrian Cain?"
He turned, his lips brushing close to her ear. "A king… waiting to rise again."
Her breath caught.
> [Affinity Level: 29%]
[Emotion Detected: Confusion. Curiosity. Attraction.]
But just as things turned tender—
> [WARNING: Rift Detected.]
[Dungeon Opening: Forgotten Flame Ruins – Underneath Blackthorne High.]
Velarion stood, eyes burning with purpose.
Selene blinked. "What now?"
He extended his hand once more. "We enter the fire."
> [New Quest: Explore Forgotten Flame Ruins.]
[Participants: Velarion (Host), Selene Frost (Bound)]
[Reward: Essence Core, Hidden Relic, Boss Class XP Boost]
The earth rumbled.
A crimson portal cracked open in the ground near the school fountain, spewing black smoke and flickering runes.
Students screamed and scattered.
Velarion's smirk returned.
"Let's descend, Ice Queen."
And as Selene took his hand once more, her fingers trembling—
The Demon Emperor took his first step into reclaiming his infernal throne.
The world twisted.
One moment, they stood on Blackthorne's pristine campus.
The next—
They were falling.
Crimson light warped around them as they descended into the heart of the newly-formed rift. Stone walls lined with pulsing runes flared around a spiraling descent, and the air smelled of smoke, sulfur, and ancient magic.
Selene's grip on Velarion's arm tightened. She wasn't screaming—but her body tensed, uncertain.
He relished it.
"Don't worry," Velarion said, his tone calm, dominant, full of command. "I'll lead."
> [You Have Entered: Dungeon — Forgotten Flame Ruins.] [Recommended Level: 20+] [Warning: Host Level 6. Risk Level: Extreme.] [Bonus Activated: Forbidden Entry (Tier I – System Override). Loot and XP Gain Doubled.]
They landed hard on stone flooring.
Selene rolled to her feet gracefully. Her breath steamed in the frigid magic lingering around her, but Velarion's presence kept the frost at bay.
"This place…" Selene said, spinning slowly, "It feels… alive."
He narrowed his eyes.
A vast hall stretched ahead. The floor was cracked obsidian laced with glowing crimson veins. Massive braziers lit up with ghostly fire as they approached, casting flickering shadows on ancient murals carved into the walls—depictions of demonic kings, chained gods, and celestial maidens offering themselves to an obsidian throne.
Selene stared. "This… this place isn't part of any known dungeon register."
"It's not," Velarion said. "Because it was mine. Once."
She turned to him slowly. "What?"
But before he could answer—
A roar echoed through the halls.
From the far end of the corridor, a beast emerged.
Not just any beast.
A corrupted Cerberus—a three-headed hellhound the size of a truck, its eyes glowing with infernal hatred. Chains dragged behind it, sparking against the ground.
> [Boss Encounter: Flamebound Cerberus – Level 22] [Warning: Over-Level Threat Detected. Survival Odds: 3%]
Selene instinctively summoned a wall of ice between them and the beast.
Velarion stepped past it.
"Wait!" she hissed.
He raised a hand. "You said you've never lost control before…"
The flames around his hand blazed higher, swallowing his entire arm now.
"…so watch what it looks like when someone finally embraces it."
He dashed forward.
The Cerberus charged, three mouths snapping with molten fangs.
Velarion ducked under the first head's lunge, planted a foot, and punched upward, sending a shockwave of demonic flame into the beast's jaw.
The second head retaliated, biting into his shoulder.
> [HP -14] [Demonic Core Stabilizing… Auto-Regeneration Engaged.]
Velarion grunted—then grinned, blood dripping from his mouth.
Selene watched, frozen—not with fear, but something else.
Arousal.
Power. Raw, untamed, masculine.
He wasn't just fighting.
He was conquering.
She joined the fray. Spikes of enchanted ice flew like spears, distracting the third head. "Cover right flank!" she shouted.
"I don't need to cover," Velarion snarled. "I break."
He slammed his palms together—and unleashed a demonic flame shockwave so intense it split the dungeon floor, fire erupting beneath the Cerberus and engulfing all three heads in black inferno.
The beast howled.
> [Boss HP: 82% → 49%]
Selene landed beside him, panting. "You're insane."
He turned, a wild gleam in his crimson eyes. "You're just starting to enjoy it."
> [Affinity Spike: 39%] [Emotion Detected: Lust. Admiration. Rebellion.]
Together, they unleashed a combo barrage—Selene's Frost Chain locking the Cerberus down as Velarion dove straight into its core, punching through its chest with a cry of demonic fury.
The beast collapsed.
Silence fell.
Smoke curled into the air, and Velarion stood atop the smoldering corpse, chest rising and falling with each heavy breath.
> [Boss Defeated.] [XP Gained: 13,500] [Level Up: 6 → 9] [New Skill Acquired: Infernal Rush] [Loot Acquired: Core Fragment of Wrath x1 | Soul Ember x2 | Ancient Collar (Relic)]
Selene stepped forward, sweat glistening on her brow. Her breathing was uneven, her cheeks flushed. She looked at Velarion—truly looked.
"You aren't just different…" she said breathlessly. "You're something else entirely."
He walked toward her, close enough that the heat of his body sent a ripple through her ice-cloaked aura.
"Say it," he whispered, hand brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek.
Her lips parted. "You're not Adrian Cain. You're—"
He pressed a finger to her lips.
"Not yet. Not here."
Her eyes fluttered.
He leaned close, lips barely grazing hers—not a kiss, but a promise.
And it was Selene who grabbed the front of his shirt first, yanking him down to crash her lips against his in a desperate, heated kiss that made her tremble.
It wasn't soft.
It was fire meeting ice.
Her hands clawed into his chest, and for a heartbeat, the forgotten ruins echoed with something other than death.
> [Soul-Bond Surge Detected.] [Affinity Link: 51% – Tier II Connection Forming.] [New Trait Unlocked: Flame/Ice Fusion Compatibility]
When they finally pulled apart, she gasped, eyes wide in disbelief at herself.
Velarion grinned, fire flickering behind his gaze.
"We'll return," he said, his voice like prophecy. "But this is only the first step."
> [Quest Chain Unlocked: Return of the Demon Emperor – Chapter I] [Main Objective: Build Your Empire. Conquer Earth.] [Next Target: Unlock Second Harem Bond – Target: Professor Lilith Nyx]
Selene's lips parted, jealousy flickering—but the fire in her eyes said something else.
"You're going to break the world, aren't you?"
Velarion stepped into the shadows, flame licking at his boots.
"No," he said with a smirk.
"I'm going to rebuild it—with my throne above all."