I walked beside Aria toward Professor Scarlet's history class, feeling remarkably energetic despite our sleepless night. My body hummed with vitality - different from feeding on Arthur or Bellas. Those encounters left me satisfied, but this was the first time I'd skipped sleep entirely. Yet here I was, fresh as morning dew. Aria too showed no signs of fatigue, her steps light and bouncy.

I studied her face, searching for any hint of exhaustion.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Aria caught my gaze.

Lost in my analysis, I answered without thinking. "Just thinking about how invigorating sex with you and Isabella was last night."

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Aria's lips curled into that familiar devilish smirk.

"Well, well. Look who's finally thinking about the important things instead of boring stuff." She reached behind me and slapped my bottom playfully. "We can have more fun tonight if you're up for it."

I jumped at her touch but didn't pull away like I might have yesterday. Something had shifted between us after last night.

We entered the classroom to find Isabella already seated, her silver hair gleaming in the crystal light. She'd saved spots for us on either side of her.

"What's the betting odds on another war lecture?" Isabella whispered as we settled in.

"Ten soul coins says we're covering the Fall of Eden again," Aria chimed in.

"Please, we did that last week. My money's on 2nd layer's politics." I found myself joining their banter naturally.

The playful discussion continued, punctuated by Aria's suggestive comments that no longer made me blush like before. Our dynamic felt easier, more comfortable. Even Isabella seemed more relaxed, her usual reserve softened around the edges.

After Professor Scarlet's lecture ended, I met up with Aria and Isabella in our usual spot near the crystal gardens. The soft purple glow from the crystals cast dancing shadows across Isabella's pale features as she leaned against a stone pillar.

"I've been thinking about our cave expedition," Isabella said. "We should get properly equipped. I can acquire some weapons from my family's armoury."

Aria rolled her eyes. "You're being dramatic. We're just checking out some caves, not storming a fortress."

"Better safe than sorry," I interjected. "Our magic can be strong, but having backup options makes sense. Especially since we don't know what we might find there."

Isabella nodded. "Exactly. I'll bring some enchanted daggers and swords. They're easy to conceal and use."

"Fine, fine." Aria raised her hands in surrender. "But I still believe we're overthinking this whole thing."

"When should we go?" I asked, steering us back to planning.

"This weekend would work best," Isabella said. "The guards change shifts then, making it easier to slip past unnoticed."

"Perfect," Aria chimed in. "I don't have any plans besides some fun on Thursday"

"This weekend it is then," I agreed. "We can meet at the northern gate before dawn."

Isabella pushed off from the pillar. "I'll make sure to have everything ready by then."

Walking back from our break, Aria skipped beside me, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief.

"You and Isabella are such worry-warts," she said. "All this planning and weapons talk for a simple cave exploration."

I shook my head. "We could die in there, Aria."

She waved her hand dismissively. "So what? We're succubi. Even if we die, we'll just reform later. No big deal."

Her casual attitude about death made me pause. It struck me as funny how dying sounded like nothing to her. The demon perspective on death was truly different from what I'd known before.

"Okay, maybe you two have a point," Aria admitted after a moment. "My mother told me that being killed is extremely painful. And not in the fun way."

"There are painful things that are fun?" I asked.

Aria's eyes lit up. "Oh yes! Like when you're tied up and someone takes a flogger and-"

"Stop!" I held up my hands. "I don't need the details."

"You're no fun sometimes." She pouted, then brightened again. "At least vacations are coming soon!"

"Vacations?" I repeated, confused.

"You know, the three weeks of free time we get next month?" Aria looked at me expectantly.

"Oh right, that vacations," I said quickly, trying to cover my ignorance. "Of course."

"Come on, we better hurry or we'll be late for Professor Morrigan's class," Aria said, pulling me along by the arm.

A week passed in a blur of classes. Some professors kept things scholarly and engaging, while others turned every lesson into an exercise in innuendo and seduction. I'd grown oddly accustomed to both teaching styles.

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Tonight, we gathered in Isabella's private quarters, preparing for our cave expedition. Aria bounced on the balls of her feet, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Finally! Some real adventure instead of just studying," she said, adjusting her tight-fitting leather clothes.

I couldn't deny sharing her enthusiasm, even if part of me questioned the wisdom of investigating mysterious attacks. The engineer in me wanted answers about what lurked in those caves.

Isabella laid out an array of weapons on her bed. "These should keep us safer," she said, picking up a short sword that gleamed with subtle enchantments. "The blades are infused with holy magic. Effective against undead and some of the demons."

"You really came prepared," I said, accepting a short sword. The weapon felt foreign in my hand, but its weight provided some comfort. Better than facing whatever was out there empty-handed.

"House Lilitu doesn't take chances," Isabella replied, strapping another sword to her hip. She handed Aria a matching sword.

"Do we really need all this?" Aria asked, but took the weapon anyway.

"Better safe than sorry," I said.

We slipped out of Isabella's quarters, keeping to the shadows. The streets of Igneus were quieter than usual, with fewer demons wandering about. Perfect for leaving unnoticed.

"The northern gates should be changing guards soon," Isabella said as we made our way through back alleys. "That's our chance to slip past unnoticed."

The night air shimmered with heat rising from obsidian plains as we passed through the northern gate. The guard change had gone smoothly - they barely glanced our way, too focused on their own rotation.

Once we'd walked far enough from the walls, I finally looked back at the City in its full glory. My breath caught in my throat. The city sprawled across the dark landscape like a living entity, crystal spires piercing the cavern ceiling while rivers of magma wound through its districts. The Academy's district, which I'd thought encompassed most of the city, was merely a fraction of its true expanse.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Isabella asked, noting my wide-eyed stare.

"I had no idea it was this massive," I admitted. The city rivaled London in scale, perhaps even surpassed it. Bridges of crystalline light connected floating platforms between districts, while mechanical lifts transported demons between different levels.

"First time seeing Ardorkeep from outside?" Aria nudged my shoulder. "The walls and buildings block most of the view from inside the northern district."

That explained why I'd never grasped its true size before. Even during our carriage ride to House Lilitu, we'd flown a route that kept the full cityscape hidden from view. I thought about Aria and Isabella's amazed expressions when we'd explored London together - now I understood exactly how they'd felt, confronted with such an overwhelming urban expanse of unfamiliar architecture.

"We should keep moving," Isabella said, gesturing toward the distant caves. "The northern tunnels are still a fair walk from here."

She was right. I tore my gaze away from the breathtaking view of Ardorkeep. We had a mission to focus on. The caves awaited, their dark mouths barely visible in the distance where the obsidian plains met jagged cliffs.

We approached one of the cave entrances after our long walk across the obsidian plains. A few demon guards lounged at their posts, displaying such obvious boredom that they barely acknowledged our presence. Their casual attitude seemed bizarre given the recent undead attacks in the area.

"Can we just walk right in?" Aria asked, glancing between Isabella and me.

Isabella shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem. Most guards don't care what happens to people entering the tunnels. At worst, they'll include us in their next report."

"There are side entrances we could use instead," she added. "Could be safer or more dangerous, depending on our luck."

Aria's eyes lit up. "Let's use a side entrance! Feels more adventurous that way."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, adjusting my grip on the holy-infused blade Isabella had provided. "What if we get lost down there?"

Isabella pulled out a rolled piece of parchment from her ring. "I have a map, but it doesn't cover all the tunnels. We'll need to track our path back either way."

"As long as I don't have to memorize the entire route, we should be fine," I said. "I've always had a good sense of direction."

"No need," Isabella waved off my concerns. "I'll just add new tunnels to the map as we explore." She spread the parchment on a flat rock, its edges curling slightly in the hot breeze.

I leaned in to study the intricate network of passages marked in dark ink. Some tunnels branched off into empty spaces, while others led to what appeared to be large chambers.

Isabella traced a path with her finger. "The undead seem to be emerging from these inner magma chambers here." She tapped a section deep within the cave system. "We could take this route, though some tunnels might have collapsed by now. And there's always a chance the undead have carved new passages."

I examined the proposed path carefully. "What if we follow this tunnel instead?" I pointed to an alternate route. "It looks like it connects to multiple chambers. We could check more areas without backtracking."

While Isabella and I discussed strategy, Aria twisted a strand of her black hair around her finger, half-listening to our planning session. Her eyes wandered between the cave entrance and the distant city lights of Ardorkeep.

After finalizing our approach, we made our way to the side entrance Isabella had mentioned. Crystal formations jutted from the walls, casting a dim blue-white glow through the passage. The light barely illuminated the rough stone floor ahead of us.

A peculiar coolness radiated from within - unexpected given the heat outside. The temperature difference created small currents of air that made the crystal light dance and flicker.

I took my first step inside, gripping the holy-infused weapon tightly. The cool air raised goosebumps on my exposed skin.

Aria bounced in right after me, practically vibrating with excitement. "This is going to be fun!" Her voice echoed off the walls.

Isabella brought up the rear, her ice-blue eyes scanning our surroundings with practiced vigilance. Her hand rested on the hilt of her blade, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

The tunnels stretched endlessly before us, their crystalline walls casting an eerie red glow. We'd been walking for what felt like hours without encountering anything more threatening than loose rocks.

My initial nervousness had faded into mild boredom. Even Aria's bouncy steps had settled into a steady pace, her earlier excitement dampened by the monotony.

Only Isabella maintained her alert posture, ice-blue eyes scanning our surroundings with unwavering focus.

"You know what would make this more interesting?" Aria broke the silence. "Talking about yesterday's orgy at the pleasure dome. You both really missed out."

I kept my eyes forward, trying to ignore her, but Aria continued.

"They provided these delicious mortals for feeding. And the way those cocks felt, rubbing against each other through those thin walls..." She let out a pleased sigh. "One in my pussy, another in my ass. The sensation is simply exquisite."

"Aria," I cut her off sharply. "Focus on the road." I'd experienced enough in this body, but certain activities remained firmly off my to-do list.

"We should be more careful now," Isabella added, her voice low. "We're getting closer to where the undead were last spotted."

"You're both no fun." Aria pouted but straightened up. "Though maybe things will finally get interesting now."

As if on cue, a skeleton stumbled around the corner ahead of us. Its joints creaked with each jerky movement, empty eye sockets staring blankly at the cave walls. The creature seemed lost, pawing at the crystalline surface with bony fingers.

"What do we do?" Aria whispered beside me, her earlier bravado replaced by caution.

I studied the undead's frame. The bones looked weathered and yellowed, held together by what appeared to be decaying magical energy. "It looks brittle."

Isabella nodded, gripping her sword tighter. "Usually skeletons are the weakest type of undead, so knocking one down shouldn't be a problem."

"Let's go then." Aria brandished her blade with newfound enthusiasm.

The three of us charged forward, weapons raised. The skeleton turned its hollow gaze toward us, caught completely off guard by our sudden assault.