Midnight found Damien at the eastern garden wall of the Church compound, dressed in dark clothes and using shadow manipulation to blend with darkness.
The wall was fifteen feet high, well-maintained, with guard patrols every twenty minutes. Getting Elara out would be impossible.
But she wasn't planning to leave.
A section of wall shimmered slightly – illusion magic, basic but effective. Damien approached and found a small alcove, barely visible, where the wall had a maintenance gap.
Elara sat inside, still in her white robes, looking exhausted but determined.
"You came," she whispered.
"You called." He settled beside her in the cramped space. "This is incredibly risky, you realize."
"I know. Sister Catherine has doubled surveillance. But I needed to see you before tomorrow's interrogation." She looked at him seriously. "They're going to try to separate us. Formally forbid me from contact with you."
"Of course."
"Damien, I'm serious. High Priest Aldous is already preparing the case. You're dangerous, corrupting, politically motivated – " She ticked off points. " – he's building narrative that you're using me for House Valcrest's advantage."
"He's not entirely wrong."
"What?" She blinked in surprise.
"I'm not going to lie to you, Elara. Not about this." Damien met her eyes directly. "Yes, I initially approached you with strategic intent. Yes, your position has political value. Yes, getting close to the Saintess benefits my house."
Her expression closed off slightly. "I see."
"But – " He continued firmly. " – that's not why I rode through demon territory to reach you. That's not why I'm sitting in an uncomfortable alcove at midnight risking scandal. That's not why I think about you when I should be sleeping."
[CORRUPTION TECHNIQUE: Radical Honesty]
[Admit strategic elements to make emotional confession more credible]
She was quiet, processing. "You think about me when you should be sleeping?"
"Constantly. It's annoying."
That got a small smile. "I think about you too. Also annoying."
"We're a disaster, aren't we?"
"Completely." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "But I don't want to stop. Even though I should. Even though the Church will fight this. Even though you're still hiding things from me."
"I am," he admitted. "Some secrets I can't share. Not yet. Maybe not ever."
"The shadow magic source."
"Among other things."
"Will it hurt you? Using it?"
The question was so direct, so concerned, that Damien felt something crack in his carefully maintained emotional distance.
"Potentially," he said honestly. "All power has costs. I'm managing them."
"How?"
By corrupting women to serve as emotional anchors preventing complete demonic transformation seemed like a bad answer.
"By remembering why the power matters," he said instead. "What I'm protecting. Who I'm protecting."
"Me." It wasn't a question.
"Among others. But yes. Primarily you."
[INTIMACY MILESTONE: Mutual Emotional Confession]
[Trust Level: High]
[Intimacy +19]
[WARNING: Genuine feelings detected in both parties]
She was quiet for a long moment. "Tomorrow, they're going to tell me you're dangerous. That I should stay away. That you're manipulating me."
"You should listen to them."
"What?"
"They're right, Elara. I am dangerous. I am manipulating situations to my advantage. Being close to me will complicate your life enormously." He turned to face her. "If you walk away now, I'll understand. It would be the smart choice."
"I don't want the smart choice." Her voice was firm. "I want the real choice. The one where I decide what risks are worth taking."
"Even if that choice is me?"
"Especially if it's you." She took his hand. "I've spent twenty years letting other people make choices for me. I'm done with that. If I'm going to be corrupted – " She smiled slightly at the word. " – I want to choose my corruption."
The irony of her statement, given the literal corruption spreading through his body, wasn't lost on Damien.
But the sincerity in her voice, the determination in her eyes – those were real.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Then we do this properly. No more secret meetings that risk your reputation. I'll face the Church interrogation tomorrow, establish my legitimacy, and create space for open association."
"They won't allow it."
"They will if I give them no choice." He stood, helping her up in the cramped space. "Trust me, Elara. I'm very good at making impossible things happen."
"I know. That's part of why you're dangerous." She squeezed his hand. "Be careful tomorrow. Aldous is skilled at verbal traps."
"So am I."
"More than him?"
"We'll find out." Damien smiled. "Now go back to your quarters before Sister Catherine notices you're gone."
"She already knows. She always knows." But Elara was smiling too. "Thank you. For coming. For being honest. For not making the smart choice either."
She rose on her toes and kissed him – not on the cheek this time, but properly. Brief, chaste, but unmistakably intentional.
Then she was gone, slipping back through the maintenance gap before he could respond.
Damien stood in the alcove for a long moment, touching his lips where she'd kissed him.
[CORRUPTION MILESTONE: First Romantic Kiss]
[Intimacy +25]
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Romantic Interest → Acknowledged Mutual Attraction]
[CURRENT AFFECTION LEVEL: Deep Attachment]
[WARNING: Player emotional investment approaching critical threshold]
He'd been systematically corrupting the Saintess to prevent his own death.
Now he was falling for her.
The complication was enormous.
Also inevitable.
"Well," he said to the empty darkness. "This is going to make everything more difficult."
The shadows around him seemed to agree, coiling sympathetically.
He headed back to the estate, already planning tomorrow's confrontation with High Priest Aldous.
The Church wanted to separate him from Elara.
They'd learn that separating him from objectives was significantly harder than they anticipated.
They'd try, but only that.
He had demonic powers, psychological expertise, his father's support, and a Saintess who'd chosen him despite every rational reason not to.
The Church was outmatched.
They just didn't know it yet.