Chapter 24
Midnight arrived cloaked in shadows and the low growl of distant thunder. A great stone altar rose from the forest floor, half-consumed by ivy, a relic from the Age of Lustaria. Candles—black, crimson, and violet—flickered in a circle around it, casting flickering lights upon Zahra, Zephyr, and the two other queens.
Celindra stood on the left, arms folded, black armor gleaming like polished obsidian. Marix, on the right, barefoot, a serpent coiled lazily around her arm, her golden eyes never leaving Zephyr.
Zahra stood opposite them, holding Zephyr’s hand tightly.
"This is madness," Zephyr muttered.
"No," Zahra whispered, "this is royalty. You’re now bound to me through the Queen’s Flame. They’re testing whether you’re worthy to stand beside a Queen... or be taken by another."
System Notification(Ding)
Initiating Trial of Queens – Phase One: Temptation of the Body
Rules: Zephyr must resist or redirect the seduction attempts of the rival Queens.
Duration: Until dawn or until one Queen withdraws.
Reward: +15 Affinity with Zahra if successfully completed.
Penalty: Zephyr may be claimed by another Queen if he succumbs.
Lust Points Locked during Trial.