The Throne Room was silent, save for the low hum of the violet Dungeon Core. I knelt on the cold stone, my fingers brushing against the vial Silas had meticulously filled with Elara's glowing, golden blood. Even outside her body, the liquid pulsed with a rhythmic light—a direct, living connection to her soul and her marriage.
"Place it upon the pedestal," I commanded.
The Shadow Merchant moved with a limp, his form still scorched from Elara's flare. He placed the vial atop the Core, which began to spin rapidly. The violet light of the room turned into a bruised, sickly gold as the system processed the "offering."
[New Feature Unlocked: Blood Sorcery]
[Item Created: Tainted Grail of the Priestess]
"With this," I whispered, my eyes fixed on the shimmering liquid, "I don't need her to be here to break her."
I poured the blood over the length of the Wife-Stealing Rod. The artifact let out a low, predatory purr, the silver serpents appearing to drink the liquid. Through the blood-link, I could suddenly feel her.
I could feel her heart hammering as she stumbled into the arms of the City Guards. I could feel the sheer, agonizing confusion in her mind as the Arousal Mist—now a permanent part of her blood—continued to circulate through her veins.
"Every time she closes her eyes to pray, she'll see my face," I grinned. "Every time Kaelen kisses her forehead, she'll feel the phantom heat of my hands on her skin. I'm going to turn her own 'Virtue' into a cage of lust she can never escape."
At the gates of the Royal Capital, the guards cried out in shock as the radiant High Priestess collapsed. They saw a woman exhausted by "demons," but as they carried her toward the infirmary, they didn't see the shadow attached to her soul.
I sat back on my throne, watching the Grail pulse. "Run to your husband, Elara. Tell him the monster is waiting. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he realizes his 'holy' wife can no longer stand his touch."
[Sarah's Loyalty: 50%]
[Elara's Corruption: 5% (Remote Influence)]