The burning skies of the Crimson Highlands gave way to the ghostly mists of the Hollowmarch — a cursed region where time bent, spirits whispered, and death refused to sleep. Auron's warfleet glided above its haunted valleys, the Dominion cutting through clouds like a blade through silk.
Below, ruins twisted and rebuilt themselves at random. Statues wept blood. Trees grew upside down. And in the center of it all stood a massive tower — taller than mountains, wrapped in floating rings of stone and chains of black magic. It pulsed like a heartbeat.
The Spire of Blackglass. The domain of the Witch Queen Elira, a sorceress said to have conquered death itself.
Seraphine watched from Auron's side, her wings now laced with obsidian corruption. Azhara leaned against the mast, arms crossed, grinning at the looming madness. The three dragon daughters knelt nearby in submission, silent and shivering.
Auron stepped forward to the bow, raising a gauntleted hand.
"Prepare the descent. The Witch Queen awaits."
The Spire's Interior
As they stepped into the tower's entrance, reality twisted. Floors turned sideways, walls whispered ancient secrets, and time loops threatened to rewind their very thoughts. But Auron's system pulsed with dark brilliance — anchoring his will, burning through illusions.
They arrived in a grand hall filled with mirrors — each reflecting not what was, but what could be. In one, Auron ruled atop a throne of corpses. In another, he lay slain. In a third, Seraphine cradled a child.
"Temptations," Auron said, destroying the mirrors with a flick of his wrist.
Laughter echoed from the darkness.
"Impressive, Lord of Fire and Flesh…"
She descended from the ceiling like a serpent — tall, voluptuous, with hair like black smoke and eyes of glowing green. Her gown was made of shadows and screaming faces. Her body curved like a spell gone wild — a mix of enchantment and poison.
Elira.
"Did you come to break me?" she purred, slithering close. "Or to beg for my secrets?"
Auron grabbed her by the throat.
"I don't beg."
Elira's grin widened. "Good answer."
She dissolved into mist and reformed behind him, whispering into his ear.
"Then play my game, dark king. Defeat my dolls, navigate my maze, and survive my curse. Do that — and you may earn the right to dominate me."
The Witch's Maze
The next hour was chaos. Illusions warped allies into enemies. Seraphine fought her own shadow. Azhara aged and de-aged by decades within seconds. Myria turned into fire and nearly exploded.
But Auron — untouched by time, will unbending — carved a path through madness. Every trap fed him data. Every illusion crumbled under his gaze.
At the heart of the maze stood a final trial — a giant animated doll stitched from flesh and steel, powered by Elira's own soul shard.
Auron split it in half with one swing.
The Throne of Thorns
Elira reclined on her throne, naked save for runes swirling across her skin. Her breath was heavy, her aura cracked. She had watched every step of his advance, every triumph, and her eyes now burned with wet, raw need.
"You won…" she whispered.
Auron stood over her, shadow swallowing the throne room.
"I always win."
He reached down, drawing the mark of submission across her collarbone with searing magic. She gasped, moaned, and arched as the Crest of Binding burned into her flesh.
System Notification: Elira, Witch Queen – Subjugated
"New Power: Necrotic Surge (revives one harem member per day)"
"Elira's Castle added to your dominion"
Later That Night – Spire's Highest Room
Elira knelt naked beneath him, her body covered in runic scars and sweat, her mouth parted in reverence and ruin. Around the chamber, enchanted candles floated — casting obscene, beautiful shadows. Seraphine watched from a black velvet chair, legs crossed, smirking as Auron trained their new toy.
"She learns fast," Seraphine commented.
"She'll learn faster," Auron growled.
He pulled Elira's hair back, whispering into her ear, "Your mind is a maze. But I've conquered it. Now you'll only cast one kind of spell — obedience."
She shuddered. "Yes, my king…"
System Update
"Elira added to Harem (Tier: Mythic)"
"Witch Queen's Knowledge Unlocked (new world zones revealed)"
"Loyalty: 85%"
Auron stood before a balcony high above the Hollowmarch. His harem behind him glowed with power. The world before him bent at the knee.
And far beyond the horizon, in a frozen citadel of starlight, a goddess stirred — having felt the Witch Queen's fall.