Despite his instincts warning him it was another trick of this cursed place, Kale found himself moving, drawn toward the sound. Each step took him deeper into the shadows, the voice growing softer, but somehow, he could feel he was getting closer.

The darkness around him began to shift, shadows thickening and stretching, forming a narrow passage that hadn't been there moments before. As he stepped forward the surroundings became more enclosed, as if Runom's Departure were reshaping itself to guide him. He moved cautiously, his fingers brushing against the damp, uneven walls.

"Help me…"

The voice grew fainter, and he quickened his pace as he wound his way through twisting corridors. The path sloped downward, the walls narrowing until he had to angle his shoulders, forcing himself through the tight, claustrophobic space.

Finally, he stumbled into a small chamber.

A single beam of light shone down from the ceiling, stark and cold, illuminating the center of the room, and the woman bound there.

She was bound by ethereal chains that shimmered faintly in the glow. Her head lifted as he entered, violet eyes locking onto his, a glimmer of hope breaking through the haunting sadness in her gaze.

She was breathtaking in a way that felt almost unreal, her beauty sharpened into something precise, constructed. Jet-black hair cascaded in loose, silky waves, framing a face that might've belonged to a goddess if not for the horns curling elegantly from her head. They ruined the illusion of divinity, or maybe completed it.

Her deep purple kimono was no less intentional. Intricate patterns drew the eye, the flowing silk revealing just enough skin to stir curiosity without ever satisfying it. Every detail—her posture, her stillness, the way her eyes lingered—seemed crafted to pull him in.

But Kale felt it, even through the dazzle: something wasn't right.

It was too deliberate. Too rehearsed.

Like a trap made to look like a gift.

And he'd walked into enough of those to know better.

"You… you're not from here," she whispered. "I can feel it."

Kale swallowed as he took in the chains binding her wrists, ankles, and wings. The wings themselves shifted like living shadows, and as they moved, he glimpsed ghostly faces within them, like trapped souls twisting and swirling in silence. He took a cautious step forward, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked.

A faint smile touched her lips. "My name is Namara," she said, her voice like a quiet, sad melody. "I am… bound to this place, held here by forces I can't break alone." Her violet eyes softened as they held his, searching. "But if you are truly from the outside… you could help me."

Kale hesitated. There was danger in her. He felt it in the way she held herself, the way she balanced fragility and power like a blade sheathed in silk.

He knew he should be careful.

But the plea in her voice, the desperation beneath her composure—it stirred something in him. Not because he believed her, not yet. But because he wanted to. Because helping was what he did, even when it wasn't safe.

"And why are you bound here?" he asked. "Who would want to keep you locked away?"

She held his gaze, her violet eyes filling with sorrow that seemed too deep to be feigned. "Those who fear what I am. They trapped me here… and I have no way of breaking free on my own."

Kale's brow furrowed as he watched her closely. Her words felt sincere, but something in her manner held him back, a quiet, unsettling edge beneath the sadness. He couldn't tell if she was giving him the full truth, or merely a sliver of it.

"Are you… a devil?" he asked.

She gave a small, amused laugh, one that softened her expression but did little to ease his wariness. "No," she replied. "I'm no devil."

"Then… what are you?"

Her eyes never wavered from his. "A succubus," she said smoothly, as though the word itself were meant to charm. "But I'm no threat to you, no threat at all."

"Runom's Departure is a treacherous place. How can I be sure you won't try to kill me the moment I set you free?" Kale asked.

"Oh, I promise. Besides, I doubt I'd be any match for a strong man like you."

The words dripped with flattery, too deliberate, too perfectly timed. He wasn't naive enough to think she meant it, not when her beauty and charm were so finely tuned, weapons in their own right.

She's playing me, he thought. Trying to get in my head.

He continued to study her, his wariness refusing to fade. Her tone, her smile—everything about her felt too precise, too practiced. It left him trapped in a web of doubt, caught between the apparent helplessness she projected and the undeniable danger that clung to her like a second skin.

Seeing his hesitation, she leaned forward as much as her chains would allow, her eyes wide and pleading. "If you free me, I will do whatever you want. I will serve you for an entire year. Please… just free me. I've been stuck in this awful place for so long."

Kale's expression softened but only slightly. "I don't need or want anyone to serve me."

She tilted her head, curiosity lighting her gaze. "Then… what do you want?"

He sighed, letting his guard down just enough. "I need to become stronger… or find something powerful enough to help me defeat Xeroth," he admitted, almost reluctantly. "I have a friend I need to save."

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At the mention of Xeroth, her expression shifted, a flicker of amusement dancing across her face. "Xeroth… You want to kill a god?" She chuckled softly. "How bold of you." Her eyes gleamed as her smile widened. "I guess I could help with that. I know of a place… right here, in Runom's Departure. A place of power." She paused, letting her words hang in the air for a moment. "But I cannot show it to you bound in chains."

She leaned in again. "Release me, and I will help you save your friend… and kill Xeroth."

Kale hesitated, her words echoing in his mind. Can I trust her? She did appear powerful, there was no denying that. There was something about her presence, the way it seemed to fill the room, that told him she was no ordinary captive. Yet, someone had managed to bind her here. If she was so strong, why was she chained? And why would she help him?

What if she's lying? What if she tries to kill me the moment I set her free? The thought gripped him, refusing to let go.

But then Rika's face flashed in his mind. He'd already promised himself he would do whatever it took to save her. To save all of them.

Kale looked at Namara again. Her eyes gleamed with something he couldn't quite place—danger, perhaps, or maybe the faintest trace of sincerity. He couldn't be sure. But deep down, he felt he had no choice.

He exhaled slowly, his hand hovering near the chains. For Rika, he thought. I'll take the risk.

"How do I break the chains?"

"It would take powerful magic to dispel these chains," she replied. "And you, brave as you are, don't have that kind of magic."

"Then what? There has to be a way."

A mischievous smile curved on her lips. She looked at him intently. "There might be another way… if you're willing."

He raised an eyebrow, his caution evident.

"Come closer," she whispered, her words like a spell, tugging him toward her.

Kale took a hesitant step, then another, until he was close enough to feel her presence enveloping him like the warmth of a flame. She tilted her head up to him, and she gazed at him with a look both pleading and commanding. "Closer," she whispered.

"What?"

"Closer," she repeated. "It's the only way… trust me."

She tilted her head and leaned forward, her lips pressing against his. It wasn't a kiss—it was a theft, sharp and sudden. Her touch was like fire and silk, scorching and soft all at once, and for a moment, he froze, caught completely off guard.

A sharp pull ripped through him, stealing the breath from his lungs. It wasn't just his breath, though, something deeper, something vital, was being drawn from him. His chest tightened, his vision blurred, and a dizzying warmth spread through him like a poison.

"Am I… dying?" he whispered, as his soul seemed to pour from his body into hers.

Namara's eyes widened as the connection snapped into place. His soul was unlike anything she had ever encountered. Pure and potent, it burned so brightly that it was almost blinding, a brilliance that seemed to pierce through her entire being. Most souls were dull, fractured things, flickering with fleeting desires, weighed down by selfishness, or clouded by regret. But his? His was whole, untainted, radiating with a strength and goodness so rare that it left her breathless.

And yet, within that brightness, something stirred. Beneath the purity, she felt a ferocity buried deep, wild and untamed. It was a fire that raged, blazing hotter and brighter than anything she had ever touched. It roared through her, searing into her core with the power of something far greater than mortal will. It wasn't just anger, it was raw, unrelenting fury, ancient and absolute, coiled tightly within him like a storm ready to break.

Her breath hitched as the intensity surged through her. Her heart pounded, her body trembling as the overwhelming essence filled her. It was too much, too bright, too fierce. And then, with a deafening crack, the chains binding her shattered, bursting apart in a flurry of light and shadow.

Namara barely registered her newfound freedom. Her focus remained on Kale as his body faltered, his strength slipping away. He slumped against her, and instinctively, she caught him, cradling him with surprising care. His head rested against her shoulder, and for a fleeting moment, she felt the steady beat of his heart, faint but persistent.

Her expression softened as she looked at him, his face pale, his breathing shallow. Something stirred in her chest, a feeling she couldn't name, something unfamiliar and unsettling. She tilted her head, brushing her lips against his once more, and carefully let his essence flow back into him. It was gentle, deliberate, like returning a piece of a puzzle to where it belonged.

As his soul slipped free of her grasp, she savored the connection for just a moment longer, her eyes fluttering closed. The lingering warmth of his light filled her as it faded, leaving behind a slight ache she hadn't expected.

Kale stirred, his breath evening out as he slowly came back to himself. Namara released him, easing him upright, smiling faintly.

"Such power," she said. "You're full of surprises, Kale."

As his vision cleared, he found her looking at him with something close to admiration, her fingers tracing along his cheek. "You've given me more than I ever expected," she said. "I think we are going to have a lot of fun."

As the warmth of his soul fully returned to him, Kale felt a strange, lingering haze, that slowly began to fade.

"Well, Kale," she said, "what would you like first? Save your friend, or kill Xeroth?"

Her words cut through the trance, jolting him back to the urgency of reality. Liliana and Sadek. They were still out there, still somewhere in Runom's Departure, possibly in danger. He straightened as he shook off the lingering effects of whatever it was that just happened.

"I need to find my friends. Liliana and Sadek. Do you know the way back to where I came from?"

Namara watched him for a moment, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, though it was quickly replaced with an amused smile. "Ah… your first request, and it's to help someone else." She gave a light, thoughtful sigh, then gestured ahead with a graceful wave. "Very well, your friends are lucky. I'll lead the way."

Namara guided him with ease, her steps confident even in the dark, twisted pathways. He followed, watching her carefully, every sense still on edge.

Namara noticed, her smile widening slightly. "I told you, Kale. I'm in your debt. You have nothing to fear."

She paused, casting a sly look over her shoulder. "At least… not from me."

***

Kale glanced over at Namara as they walked, curiosity getting the better of him. "Who bound you here?" he asked.

Namara's expression darkened, though her smile remained. "Oh, I told you, those who fear what I am. Some chains are forged from ignorance and fear… and others from grudges that run deep." She turned to him with a wry smile, eyes glinting. "But those chains are shattered now, aren't they?"

Kale sensed that her answer held secrets she didn't intend to share, but he let it rest for now. Ahead of them, a winding path appeared, snaking through shadows and shafts of light that seemed to shift and pulse as they moved forward. Whispers drifted through the air, faint and elusive.

"This is where I lost them," he said as he surveyed the area, searching for any trace of his friends.

Namara moved beside him, her head tilting slightly as if sensing something just beyond sight. A faint, almost knowing smile crept onto her lips as she lifted her chin toward a narrow, dark path leading into the distance. "They went that way."

Kale turned to her, surprised. "How do you know?"

"I can taste their souls. Their essence… it lingers in the air, faint but unmistakable." She nodded back toward the path. "They went that way."

They moved deeper into the surreal landscape, where massive, twisted pillars stretched upward, their shapes caught between beauty and something unnervingly distorted.

They reached the edge of what looked like a great archway carved into the side of a massive rock formation, its surface covered in strange, cryptic symbols.

Namara's expression grew serious, her playful confidence evaporating as a shadow of tension flickered across her face. It was subtle but enough to send a ripple of unease through Kale.

"Oh no," she whispered.

"What is it?"

She turned sharply toward him. "Hold on to me, Kale."

He hesitated. "What?"

Her wings snapped open. A low, haunting sound followed, a chorus of anguished souls, their wails twisting through the air like a mournful hymn. "Your friends," she said, her voice filled with urgency, "are in big trouble."

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