Mission: Suncrest Heart

Anna's lips had curled into that understanding smile that mothers used to wear when they knew more than their children did. "Oh, contemplating what present to bring her, maybe? You haven't visited her in years. You can't just show up unannounced. And… well, you've hurt her countless times before, haven't you, son? Her voice relaxed, tinged with a soft melancholy, the kind that stemmed from knowledge of past missteps, the slight bitter-ness that clung to ancient regrets.

Her eyes locked on him, soft and inquiring, feeling the depth of his heart and the concern he now had for the girl he'd hardly known.".

Victor rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the faint heat of shame mix with longing. "Right. A gift… yes. I'll think of something." His voice was quiet, more to himself than to her, but it carried weight—a promise, a careful acknowledgment of what had passed and what still lingered.

Ania leaned forward, excitement glinting in her green eyes. "Brother, can I go too? Please? I've never been at the Suncrest estate!" Her enthusiasm was catching, a gentle tug at the borders of his closed-off heart.

Victor's lips curled into that soft, warm smile that reached his eyes and softened his face. "Why not? I'd be happy to have you with me, my little star."

Ania yelped, tossing her hands in the air, her happiness overflowing in unbridled, untamed glee. "Yay!"

Anna laughed, shaking her head but her eyes twinkling with warmth. "Alright, alright. You two can go in the evening. I'll make the presents and take care of the formality. Tonight, will count, Victor. Don't be late."

"Understood, Mom."

Victor stood and smoothed the creases of his coat, bracing himself as a soft thrill coursed through his chest. The atmosphere around him seemed dense, laden with duty and the eerie excitement that preceded a storm. He turned to go—but then something flared within his head.

A whisper. Quiet. Familiar. Potentially deadly.

My, my… look at that, darling.

The voice slid through his thoughts like silk dipped in sin, warm and poisonous all at once.

You're finally getting a chance to take a wife. How delightful.

He froze mid-step, his pulse slowing. That voice—he could never mistake it.

"Violet…" he breathed within his mind.

Her laughter curled through him, smoky and intimate, like a lover's touch across the back of his neck.

Mmm… a great prospect, don't you agree? Claim her for yourself. It may even assist you in controlling that line of blood kinfolk of yours.

Victor's mouth curled up in a weak, discerning smile. "You think I should marry her for cultivation purposes?"

Oh, please, she drew out, her voice with heavy amusement. You and I both know power has many guises. Desire just so happens to be one of the most delicious.

He breathed softly, amusement seeping through the strain. "You're right," he whispered. "I'll claim her… but first, I have to clean up the mess in front of me."

That's my man, Violet teased, her voice fading into a sultry echo. Do with it what you will, my love.

Her presence faded away, leaving a faint heat—and then, piercing the stillness, came a sharp chime.

[Ding!]

A blue screen transparent as glass glowed into being before his eyes, only he could see it. The words hovered there, softly radiant, nearly hypnotic in their precision.

[Mission Triggered: Get Sasha Suncrest's heart.]

[Objective: Win Sasha Suncrest's total devotion.]

[Reward: Death Orb.]

[Warning: Success will double host's lust.]

Victor's eyes widened, his heart jumping like a caged bird. "What the fuck…?" he growled, voice tense. The words leered back at him once more, each one heavier than the previous one. Death Orb? Lust boost? His jaw flexed automatically.

"Fuck," he spat under his breath, the fire of frustration creeping over him.

A voice, husky and smooth, slid into his head, wrapping around his thoughts like smoke. What's wrong, sweetie?

Victor stopped dead. It was Violet. Her voice was close, teasing, gliding a shiver along his backbone and causing his pulse to misstep. He grunted in answer beneath his breath, You tell me. You didn't give me fair warning on this system stuff.

Relax, she crooned, her tone a gentle, half- musical mockery. Think of it as a present. Or… an test.

His frown grew darker, pointed and irritated. "Some gift," he growled, spitting the words through his teeth. Every fiber of him revolted at the ridiculousness of it all. A test? Her sense of humor?

He sank deeper into himself before he could be pulled back by a warmth against his shoulder—a solid, anchoring weight. A hand. One he knew, calm, tugging him back from the precipice of his whirling thoughts.

Blinking, he anchored himself in the present. Anna's face floated above him, worry etched in each line of her brows. Her hand lay on his shoulder, shaking him gently with insistent tenderness.

"Victor? Are you even listening?"

"Ah—yes, Mom." He tried to make a sheepish smile, to conceal the sudden flutter in his chest. "Just… lost in thought."

Anna's eyes softened, but there was a glimmer of doubt there, subtle but unmistakable. She angled her head slightly, as if reading him like an open book. "Lost in thought, hmm? Well, don't get too carried away. The Suncrests are a proud family, Victor. And tonight… tonight isn't just any ordinary visit."

His brow creased. He hadn't anticipated that, and for an instant, the warmth in her eyes left him feeling embarrassingly vulnerable. "Wait—tonight's activity. what is it, exactly?" His tone held a blend of curiosity and discomfort.

Anna halted mid-step, turning to face him completely. Her eyes, wide with surprise and worry, searched his. "You mean. you don't know?

Victor rubbed the back of his neck, a pained smile escaping him. It was uncomfortable, a bit embarrassed, but sincere. "Uh… no, in fact. I didn't. What's going on?"

For the first time that night, Anna's restraint cracked. She blinked, stunned, as if trying to make sense of his words. "Victor… you were invited to—" She stopped, the weight of her words bearing down, causing the space between them to feel heavy, almost intimate in tension.

Victor's pulse picked up, his brain racing with all the possibilities, none of which were negligible. The manner in which she regarded him—half teasing, half worried—awakened something deep inside him, a fire that was so exhilarating and yet so perilous. He edged a little nearer, as though by an unseen force, refusing to remove his eyes from hers.

"Mom…?" His tone was lower this time, uncertain, laced with a thread of tension. The tease, the censure in her voice—it all squeezed his chest in a manner he wasn't ready to acknowledge.

Anna sighed slowly, deliberately, shaking her head as if to clear the thickened air. "Victor…"

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