Kafka appeared as mysteriously as she vanished, without any lingering fuss.
After sharing a meal together, Kafka bid Sylvia farewell.
Once she'd seen Kafka off, Sylvia finally remembered—it was time for a gacha pull.
One purple-tier draw.
Who knew what she'd get this time?
She really hoped to roll out some kind of 'Spirit Whisper' ability. That sort of power was definitely something worth looking forward to.
How cool would it be if she got one just like Kafka's?
Time to pull!
As purple light flashed before her eyes, Sylvia knew—last time had just been a lucky break; this time, fortune wasn't smiling on her.
Soon, the glow faded, revealing a new skill before her:
--+--
[Spirit Resistance Up]
['With this skill, your resistance to mental assault techniques such as Spirit Whisper is greatly enhanced.']
['Miss, you wouldn't want to become Kafka's plaything, now would you~']
--+--
"Hmm…"
Sylvia fell silent for a moment.
Not that the skill was bad—resistance skills were like passives, unassuming and subtle, but incredibly reliable when needed.
It's just…
She'd been all geared up to pull some cool Spirit Whisper to show off.
How did she end up with a resistance skill instead?
Now that she thought about it, aside from Kafka, were there even any abilities like that in Honkai: Star Rail?
Sylvia couldn't recall any at the moment.
Well, maybe there are.
After all, Penacony is a dream world—maybe they've got something like that there.
Sylvia comforted herself with that thought and soon put the gacha result out of her mind.
--+--
That evening, Acheron actually came back to rest.
By now, Acheron was used to seeing new accessories appear on Sylvia.
But—
"That's a nice new outfit. Did you buy it today?"
Acheron had already taken off her boots and undone her outer coat, now sitting on the sofa, revealing her toned abdomen and those long, lovely legs.
Still not washed up, she looked a little weary.
Sylvia hung Acheron's coat on the nearby rack and, without turning around, replied:
"Kafka visited today. She bought herself a set of clothes and gave me one too."
"Mhm… Kafka, huh."
Acheron watched Sylvia's back, her gaze lingering on the ring on Sylvia's hand and the necklace around her neck.
After hanging the coat, Sylvia turned with a smile and came over to show off the outfit properly.
"Not bad, right? Just not really for everyday wear."
"It really is quite nice, only…"
Acheron's words trailed off, and she raised a hand, beckoning Sylvia closer.
"Only what?"
Curious, Sylvia leaned in and walked to the sofa, standing before Acheron.
Then, Acheron's hair suddenly turned white as she reached out, seized Sylvia's wrist, and yanked hard.
"Whoa—!"
With only a startled cry, Sylvia was pinned down onto the sofa.
Acheron rose over her, crimson eyes looking down at Sylvia's… chest.
Where that crystal necklace rested.
Snowy white hair cascaded down, mingling with Sylvia's own pale locks, though the shades were clearly distinct.
"...What's wrong?"
Sylvia looked up, puzzled, into Acheron's eyes, unsure what had prompted this.
But Acheron didn't answer. Instead, her fingers traced along Sylvia's neck, hooking onto the crystal necklace.
The purple crystal shimmered beautifully—a truly pretty piece.
Acheron gave a mental nod to the necklace, then reached out to stroke Sylvia's neck.
Under Sylvia's bewildered gaze, she undid the clasp of the amethyst necklace and casually tossed it aside.
"Ah…"
Sylvia glanced at the necklace, now tumbling into the crevice of the sofa.
She didn't notice that the movement also brought the earring on her earlobe right before Acheron's eyes.
So, two slender fingers gently pinched Sylvia's earlobe.
Again, without giving Sylvia a chance to protest, she unfastened the earring.
Acheron watched the earring roll into her palm, then casually turned her hand over, letting it drop onto the sofa as well.
"You… I…"
Two accessories removed in a row, and Sylvia still didn't fully understand why Acheron was suddenly doing this.
But she had a rough idea of what might come next.
So Sylvia met Acheron's eyes, smiling as she raised her left hand.
But Acheron reached out and caught Sylvia's right hand as well.
Right in front of Sylvia, she lifted both hands and pressed them against the back of the sofa above Sylvia's head.
Then, with a hint of roughness, she removed the ring Kafka had given her.
Leaving only the one that matched her own—the pair they wore together.
Alright, Sylvia had thought Acheron was about to do something else, but noticing only that one ring remained…
Sylvia stared intently, surprised, at Acheron.
Those crimson eyes were as lifeless and oppressive as ever.
But by now, Sylvia had grown accustomed to that pressure.
Still, after a moment's thought, Sylvia couldn't help but speak up:
"Mei, are you unhappy?"
"...Maybe. It's been so long since I last felt it, I've almost forgotten."
Acheron looked down at the girl pinned beneath her, fingers gently lifting Sylvia's chin.
"All I know is, you're being quite naughty."
With that, Acheron's hand moved to undo the zipper and fasteners at Sylvia's waist.
"When I'm tempering your Permanence, I don't like you wearing clothes someone else gave you. So I'll help you take it off."
"..."
Such aggressive words left Sylvia speechless for a moment.
Don't think I don't know—in this state, you remember everything.
But facing an Acheron who was clearly serious, Sylvia had no room to struggle.
She could only watch as Acheron undid the gown on her, forcibly reducing it to a 'battle-damaged' state.
And gowns, being form-fitting, often called for undergarments with minimal fabric and barely visible lines.
So when Acheron saw what Sylvia wore beneath…
Her gaze sharpened instantly.
And she showed no sign of letting go.
Being stared down so intensely—even if it was Acheron—was a bit too much for Sylvia.
"Mei… shouldn't you let go now? Let me go change."
Yet Acheron didn't budge an inch, instead leaning in closer again.
"No need. This is fine. It's not like I haven't seen before."
"How is this the same?!"
Sylvia's eyes widened as she watched Acheron completely ignore her protest and simply straddle her.
Since when did this woman play by any rules?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.