The servants' quarters buzzed with whispered gossip as I made my way through the narrow corridors. Lord Aldric's confrontation with his brother had apparently been spectacular, involving thrown wine glasses and accusations of treachery that echoed through half the castle.
I kept my expression carefully neutral as I passed clusters of maids and kitchen staff, all eager to share the latest scandal. A servant girl discussing her betters too openly would draw unwanted attention, and I had learned the value of invisibility in my previous life.
"Did you hear?" A young scullery maid grabbed my arm as I passed. "They say Lord Aldric accused his own brother of plotting against him. Right there in the great hall, in front of everyone."
I widened my eyes appropriately. "How terrible. What did the Duke say?"
"Threw him out, didn't he? Said Aldric was drunk and speaking nonsense." The girl leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But Cook says she saw Lord Aldric packing his things. He's leaving the castle."
My blood ran cold. This was not supposed to happen. Aldric was meant to create chaos within the family, not remove himself from the board entirely. Without him, I would lose my foothold in the noble hierarchy.
"Where is he going?" I asked, trying to keep the urgency from my voice.
"Nobody knows. But his steward's been asking about hiring new servants for a household in the capital." The girl's eyes gleamed with the thrill of gossip. "They say he's got debts to pay, and the Duke won't help him anymore."
I thanked the girl and continued toward the kitchens, my mind racing. The capital. That changed everything. If Aldric was indeed planning to establish himself there, it could work to my advantage. The capital was where the real power lay, where I would eventually need to go to confront the three men who had betrayed me.
But first, I needed to understand what was happening to me. The encounter with Raven had awakened something in the system, and I could feel it stirring restlessly beneath my skin. Whatever power I carried was growing stronger, more complex, and I needed to know its limitations before I made any more moves.
I found a quiet corner in the castle's chapel, a place where servants often went to seek solace or simply escape the endless demands of their duties. The afternoon light filtered through stained glass windows, casting colored shadows across the stone floor.
I closed my eyes and turned my attention inward, seeking the source of the power that thrummed through my veins. The Crimson Kiss System responded immediately, unfurling in my mind like a dark flower.
But what I saw there made my breath catch.
The system was not just about absorbing power through kisses. It was about transformation, evolution, becoming something beyond human limitations. I could see the pathways it offered, the choices that lay before me. Each kiss, each absorption of power, was a step toward transcendence.
But transcendence came with a price.
I saw the woman Raven had mentioned, the one who had carried this power before me. She had been beautiful once, strong and determined. But the system had consumed her from within, turning her into something monstrous. By the end, she had been more demon than human, her hunger for power overwhelming everything else.
Was that my fate as well? To become a creature of pure need, devouring everyone I touched until nothing remained but darkness?
"You're learning," a voice said behind me.
I spun around to find Raven standing in the chapel doorway, his storm-grey eyes fixed on my face. He moved with perfect silence, a predator who had learned to hunt in sacred spaces.
"How did you find me?" I asked.
"I followed the scent of power. It's getting stronger." He approached slowly, his hands visible and empty. "The system is awakening fully, isn't it? Showing you what you could become."
I nodded, not trusting my voice. The visions were still fresh in my mind, images of transformation and corruption that both thrilled and terrified me.
"Tell me about her," I said. "The woman who carried this power before."
Raven's expression darkened. "Her name was Lyralei. She was a healer, initially. Used her power to save lives, to ease suffering. But power corrupts, little bird. Always."
"What happened to her?"
"She became obsessed with preventing death. Started taking life force from enemies to heal allies. Then from strangers to heal friends. Finally, from friends to heal herself." He sat down on the pew beside me, close enough that I could feel his warmth. "In the end, she was immortal and completely alone. The power had consumed everything human in her."
"And you think I'll follow the same path?"
"I think you have a choice. But you need to understand what you're choosing."
He reached out and touched my hand, and again I felt that electric connection between us. This time, I didn't pull away. Instead, I let the system respond, opening the pathways that connected my power to his.
What I saw in his mind shocked me.
Raven wasn't human. Not entirely. He was something older, something that had existed long before the kingdoms of men rose to prominence. His power was different from mine, rooted in shadow and night rather than blood and desire. But it was power nonetheless, and it recognized the potential in what I carried.
"You're not just offering to teach me," I said, understanding flooding through me. "You're offering to bind with me."
"The system responds to strong emotions. Love, hate, desire, fear. But it responds most strongly to partnership." His fingers tightened on mine. "Alone, you'll eventually be consumed. But with the right bond, you could learn to control it."
"And what would you gain from this bond?"
"Completion. I've been searching for centuries for someone who could match my power. Someone who could stand at my side without being destroyed by what I am." His eyes met mine. "I think you might be that person."
The offer was tempting. More than tempting. I could feel the system's hunger growing stronger with each passing hour, and the thought of facing that alone was terrifying. But binding myself to another person, even one as powerful as Raven, felt like trading one form of slavery for another.
"What would this bond entail?" I asked.
"Complete honesty. Shared power. Mutual protection." He smiled, and I caught a glimpse of teeth that were definitely not human. "And other things, when you're ready."
Heat curled through my belly at the implication. There was something undeniably attractive about Raven, something that called to the darkness awakening in me. But I had learned to be suspicious of attractive men who offered exactly what I needed.
"I need time to think," I said.
"Of course. But don't take too long." He stood, moving with that fluid grace that marked him as something other than human. "Your Lord Aldric is planning to leave tomorrow. If you want to maintain your position, you'll need to act soon."
He was right. The political situation was moving faster than I had anticipated, and I needed to adapt my plans accordingly. But first, I had a more immediate problem to solve.
"Raven," I called as he reached the chapel door. "If I were to accept your offer, what would happen to the men who betrayed me?"
His smile was sharp as a blade. "They would die, little bird. Slowly and painfully, as they deserve."
"Good."
After he left, I remained in the chapel, studying the colored light that fell across my hands. The system pulsed beneath my skin, eager to be used, to grow stronger. But now I understood the true nature of what I carried.
The Crimson Kiss System was not just a tool for revenge. It was a pathway to godhood, a chance to transcend the limitations of mortal flesh. But it was also a trap, a hunger that would eventually consume everything I was if I let it.
I had to be smarter than Lyralei. I had to find a way to use the power without letting it use me.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the chapel, and I looked up to see a young priest approaching. He was perhaps twenty-five, with the kind of earnest face that spoke of genuine faith. His brown eyes were kind, concerned.
"Are you alright, child? You look troubled."
I smiled, letting vulnerability show in my expression. "I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to disturb your prayers."
"No disturbance at all. I'm Father Benedict. I don't believe we've met."
"Seraphina. I'm new to Lord Aldric's service."
"Ah, yes. I heard about the unfortunate incident with the guards." His expression grew troubled. "I'm sorry such things happened to you. No one should have to endure such treatment."
"Thank you, Father. Your kindness means a great deal."
He sat down beside me, his presence radiating the sort of calm that came from genuine faith. "Would you like to talk about what's troubling you? Sometimes confession can ease the burden on our souls."
I studied his face, noting the compassion in his eyes. Here was a man who truly believed in redemption, in the possibility of forgiveness. The system stirred with interest, recognizing the pure life force that flowed through him.
One kiss, and I could take his memories, his knowledge of the church hierarchy, his connections to the capital's religious authorities. It would be easy, and he would never know what had happened to him.
But something held me back. Perhaps it was the genuine kindness in his eyes, or perhaps it was the warning of what I might become. Either way, I found myself speaking honestly for the first time in days.
"I've been hurt, Father. Betrayed by people I trusted. And now I find myself wondering if I'm becoming something I don't recognize."
"Betrayal is one of the deepest wounds the human heart can suffer," he said gently. "But it doesn't have to define us. We can choose to let it make us bitter and cruel, or we can choose to use our pain to help others who suffer."
"And if the betrayal was so deep that it killed everything good in me?"
"Then you would need to find a way to be reborn. Not as the person you were, but as the person you choose to become." He smiled. "The church teaches that redemption is always possible, as long as we're willing to seek it."
His words hit me like a physical blow. Redemption. The idea seemed laughable given what I had already done, what I was planning to do. But something in his voice made me want to believe it was possible.
"What if I've already done things that can't be forgiven?"
"Then you would need to find a way to make amends. To use whatever power you have to help rather than harm." He reached out and touched my hand briefly. "But first, you would need to forgive yourself."
I stared at him, this young priest who spoke of forgiveness and redemption as if they were simple things. He had no idea what I was, what I carried within me. But his words planted a seed of possibility that I hadn't considered.
What if I could use the system for something other than revenge? What if I could find a way to channel its power toward healing rather than destruction?
"Thank you, Father," I said, standing. "You've given me much to think about."
"I hope I've helped. And please, if you ever need to talk, my door is always open."
I left the chapel with my mind spinning. The encounter with Father Benedict had shown me another path, another way to use the power growing within me. But it had also shown me how easy it would be to abuse that power, to take what I wanted from innocent people.
The sun was setting as I made my way back to the servants' quarters. Tomorrow, I would have to decide whether to follow Aldric to the capital or find another way to advance my plans. But tonight, I had a different task.
I needed to test the limits of the system, to understand exactly what I was dealing with. And I had the perfect subject in mind.
The guard who had tried to assault me in the dungeons was still recovering in the castle's infirmary. Marcus, the man whose memories I had stolen with my first kiss. He would provide the perfect opportunity to experiment with the system's capabilities.
After all, he had already proven he deserved whatever happened to him.
I smiled as I climbed the stairs to my small room. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new opportunities. But tonight, I would learn just how far the darkness within me could reach.
The Crimson Kiss System pulsed with anticipation, eager to show me the depths of its power. And I was finally ready to listen.