Kaili's chamber thrummed with a calm that was both majestic and alive, a mirror of the Throne who called it home. Pools edged with gems shimmered with purple reflections under the soft glow of phosphorescent mushroom curtains hanging like iridescent veils, their hues shifting with every whisper of air. A dark stone throne rose at the center, surrounded by aquatic plants that released a fresh, earthy scent, their leaves brushing the floor with a murmur that filled the space with an odd peace. It was a place Sebastián had transformed weeks ago, a gift to enhance Kaili's beauty, and since then, she'd claimed this corner of the dungeon with a natural ease she wouldn't admit out loud.
That night, Kaili was alone, reclining by one of the pools, her iridescent wings folded at her back and grazing the water with a faint whisper. Her purple skin gleamed under the light of the gems embedded in the walls, her golden, silver, and red runes pulsing with a slow, steady rhythm, as if meditating alongside her. She wore no armor or heavy robes, just a light fabric that hinted at the strength of her arms and the curve of her hips, a subtle contrast to the majesty she exuded. The dress Sebastián had given her rested nearby, folded atop the throne with a care she wouldn't own up to, its iridescent petals catching the light in flashes of purple, green, and blue.
Days had passed since she'd worn it for him the first time, a moment still echoing in her mind: Sebastián's shameless gaze roaming her curves, his warm voice calling her gorgeous, the heat of his embrace and the kiss on her cheek that had made her runes flare with an intensity she couldn't deny. She hadn't stashed it in the dark wooden chest she used for her few belongings; instead, she'd left it out, a silent reminder she couldn't shake. That night, something had drawn her to pick it up again, a curiosity she wouldn't voice but that had her turning the garment in her hands, her fingers brushing the vine corset with a calm that betrayed her interest.
"What a persistent human game," Kaili muttered, her voice sharp but tinged with a playfulness she couldn't fully hide, her runes glinting with a golden spark as she lifted the dress. She didn't see it as a useless trifle—not anymore; she'd already given in to its charm in front of him, and that quiet acceptance had cracked her arrogance open. Now, alone, she wondered how this garment could keep growing in Sebastián's eyes, how it could reflect something beyond her power as a Throne.
With a fluid motion, she rose and let the light fabric she'd been wearing slip away, the chamber's cool air brushing her purple skin as she slid the dress over her body. The vine corset hugged her like a second skin, molding her curves with a precision that highlighted the slimness of her waist and the fullness of her hips. The airy skirt fell in layers that whispered with every step, the iridescent petals shimmering as if they'd trapped the underground lake's light. The "V" neckline bared her collarbones and the top of her chest, her smooth, runeless skin contrasting with the dress's dark purple, while the runes on her arms and neck pulsed with a golden glow that seemed to feed off the garment.
Kaili stepped toward the obsidian mirror adorning the wall, a carved piece that reflected her image with an almost unearthly clarity. The gemlight danced across the dress, its colors—dark purple, emerald green, deep blue—complementing her skin and making her dark eyes shine with a new intensity. She turned slightly, her wings brushing the air with a whisper that charged the chamber with a subtle tension, her hips swaying under the corset, the skirt rippling like an echo of her power. Her chest, framed by the neckline, took on a prominence she rarely gave thought to, and for a moment, a small smile—arrogant yet warm—tugged at her lips.
"Maybe it's got more going for it than I figured," she said under her breath, her tone sharp but carrying a hint that wasn't entirely cold. Her fingers grazed the corset, an intimate gesture she couldn't hold back, as if testing the pleasure of being seen—not just as a warrior, but as something more. The dress seemed to whisper promises of a beauty that didn't need justifying, and for once, Kaili didn't feel the urge to brush them off.
But before she could turn again, something in the mirror caught her eye. For a split second, she thought she saw a figure behind her—tall, dark, with eyes that didn't cut but beckoned, a softer, more vulnerable version of herself. Her runes flared with a golden glow, and the air thickened with a strange calm. "Is this me?" she wondered, her arrogance giving way for a moment to a curiosity she couldn't ignore. But when she blinked, the figure vanished, leaving only her own reflection, the dress shining like an echo of what Sebastián saw in her.
A sound broke the silence—light footsteps and a low chuckle she knew well. Sebastián stepped into the chamber, his silhouette framed against the curtained glow, his eyes locking onto her instantly. There was no shyness in him, just the bold calm she'd come to expect. His gaze roamed her body without a shred of restraint, tracing the hips the corset shaped like a caress, climbing the curve of her waist to the neckline that lifted her chest, lingering on her eyes with a smile that was both challenge and admiration. "Knew it'd look even better on you today," he said, his voice thick with a desire he didn't bother hiding, sauntering closer with a confidence that filled the space.
Kaili raised an eyebrow, her runes flashing with a golden spark that betrayed the warmth his words stirred. "You again, human?" she growled, her tone arrogant but laced with a playful glint she couldn't mask, her wings twitching as if testing his presence.
Sebastián closed the gap, his eyes still fixed on her, drinking in every line of her form with a shameless admiration that made her runes pulse brighter. "Can't keep my eyes off you," he said, his voice low and loaded with intent as he stopped in front of her, close enough that the heat of his body brushed the air between them. "You're a sight, Kaili—every curve, every glow. You look gorgeous, more than words can touch."
She tilted her head, her runes flaring with a golden glow that hinted at a softness she wouldn't fully own up to. "Maybe your human eye's not as useless as I thought," she said, her tone sharp but warm enough to echo through the chamber, a quiet nod she didn't need to spell out. Her wings rustled, brushing him with a whisper that drew a grin from him, and she spun once more, the skirt whispering a sound that filled the space.
Sebastián stepped closer still, his grin curving with a hint of mischief as he slid a hand to her waist, his fingers grazing the corset with a deliberate caress that sent a subtle heat through her skin, her runes flaring brighter under his touch. "You know I think about you all the time," he said, his voice low and thick with affection, leaning in just enough that his breath grazed her neck. "This dress just makes it harder to get you out of my head—you're too important to me, Kaili, more than I can put into words."
She didn't pull away, letting his hand linger on her waist, the contact sparking a warmth she didn't deny. Her wings lifted slightly, brushing him with a whisper that filled the air, and her dark eyes met his with a mix of arrogance and something softer. "Don't get too full of yourself, human," she grumbled, her tone playful enough to cut through the quiet, though the glow in her runes and the slight tilt of her head gave her away.
Sebastián chuckled, a low sound that bounced through the chamber as his other hand drifted up to trace her arm, his fingers running a slow line over the runes that pulsed beneath his touch. "Too late for that," he said, his voice brimming with bold affection as he leaned closer, his face inches from hers. "You're already stuck right here," he tapped his chest with a theatrical flourish, his grin widening as she raised an eyebrow in reply.
Kaili spun once more before the mirror, the skirt whispering a sound that filled the chamber, and for a moment, she let the dress's light define her—not just as a Throne, but as something more, something Sebastián saw in her every day. The pools mirrored her image, a beauty no longer just cold, and in the silence that followed, they shared a peace as deep as the dungeon itself. Before the obsidian mirror, Kaili smiled—a small, arrogant, but genuine smile—and for once, she didn't feel the need to question what she saw.
Sebastián stepped back just enough to take her in again, his hands still resting on her arms as his eyes roamed her curves with that shameless admiration she'd come to know. "You're a sight I'll never get tired of," he said, his voice warm and teasing, and he eased back a step, letting her spin one last time as if he knew she enjoyed the game as much as he did.