Is that a temple? The structure stood at the red path’s end. Bliss’s golden eyes shifted up to the many life-force lights swirling above the red, stone temple. Around the temple, the red sea was silent and perfectly still.

Bliss and Lati both ran to the red temple, their black high-heels rapidly tapping upon the red, stone path. The two demonic women stopped in front of the temple’s red, stone door. The door was fairly simple, nothing fancy. It was simply a stone slab on hinges with a red handle for pulling.

Bliss reached for the door, the ivory skin of her fingers pressing against the smooth handle as she grabbed it. It is warm, like the other doors were, but … She released the handle and then pressed her palm against the temple’s wall. Her golden eyes widened. It is not just the door.

“Something wrong?” Lati’s long tongue flitted out. The snake woman’s crimson eyes were on Bliss.

“Just a little surprised. That is all.” Bliss’s white bunny ears twitched cutely, and she pulled her palm away from the wall. She proceeded to crouch down and press her right palm against the red, stone path. She narrowed her eyes, her bunny ears giving another twitch. It is cool. So the temple’s stone is different somehow.

“Surprised about what?” Lati’s tongue flitted out, and she cocked her head to the side cutely. Her beautiful crimson eyes were still on Bliss.

Bliss straightened up and stretched, her black succubi wings fluttering a bit. “Try touching the wall. You will see.”

Lati shrugged and did as suggested. She turned to the red temple’s wall and pressed her hand gingerly to it. She jolted back, her crimson eyes wide. “I-It is beating.”

“Yes. It is warm and beating.” Bliss turned back to the red temple and pressed her right palm to it again. She closed her golden eyes. It is warm and has a pulse. It is almost like it is alive, isn’t it? She opened her eyes and removed her palm from the wall. “You still want to go forward? This place just feels plain wrong now.”

Lati glanced to whence they came, mulling over the turn-back option. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it, apparently still not quite decided. Cutely, she brought her right hand to her chin in contemplation. A look of determination settled in on her face, and she turned to Bliss. “We are getting our cut.” She spoke with an air of utmost seriousness.

Well, she is still obviously determined for us to get our cut, but … Bliss turned to the red door. This place does seem to have worried her. Bliss’s golden eyes went to the door’s red handle. I guess I should get this beating door open. She grasped the handle with her right hand, her bunny ears twitching at the sensation of the beat. I don’t much like this door. She pulled the door open and stepped inside the temple, Lati entering after her.

Bliss glanced about the interior. She and Lati stood in a spacious room. Life-force lights drifted about providing ample but dim illumination. Red water ran down the walls and disappeared down small gaps along the edges of the floor. Towards the center of the room, there was a spiraling staircase of red stone leading downwards.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Somehow, it is even worse in here than it was outside. Bliss gagged, her head spinning. She thrust her arms out to maintain balance. Her breaths came out fast. Something is wrong with this place. The world stabilized around her, and she glanced to Lati.

Lati had fallen to her knees, her complexion even whiter than usual. Her breaths came out as frantic gasps. She looked to Bliss, her crimson eyes shaky.

“You OK?” Bliss offered the snake woman a hand. “You really do not look so good right now.”

“I-I’m fine.” Lati grabbed Bliss’s hand and made her way back to her feet. “Just felt like I was being crushed for a moment.” She let go of the bunny succubus’s hand and glanced around. “I’m feeling much better now. This place just feels really off, you know?”

“I am glad you are feeling better.” Bliss smiled. “I know just what you mean by this place feeling off.” She turned her golden eyes to the spiraling staircase. “You ready?”

“Let’s go.” Lati’s tongue flitted out, and she headed for the staircase.

Bliss smiled and stretched her wings before following. She turned her golden eyes to the stairwell wall as she descended. Trickles of red water would emerge from the red stone just to disappear back into the stone a moment later. It is almost like the stone itself is solidified red water or something. She continued down, the tapping of her footfalls accompanying her as the stairwell continued to pulse.

She reached the bottom of the stairwell and stepped out after Lati. Her black high-heels pressed into the red stone at her feet. This feels different. She crouched down, feeling the stone shift beneath her. She pressed her right hand into the strangely soft stone. Her hand came back wet with red water. It is like the stone is becoming less stone and more water. Maybe it really is solidified red water. She stood up and glanced over the short, pulsating passage of red her and Lati stood in. It kind of feels like we are inside of some sort of creature. She shivered, her bunny ears twitching.

She glanced to Lati, to the life-force lights, and then to the red door before them. It looked similar to the door leading into the temple. This door, though, looked wet. Bliss touched the door, feeling its pulse. It is wet, warm, and soft. She shivered and glanced to Lati again before returning her attention to the door. There is something big behind this door. I can feel it. She grabbed the handle and tensed up. Do I really want to open this though? What if something horrible is on the other side? She sweatdropped, her bunny ears twitching again. The beat of the place reverberated through her.

“What are you waiting for?” Lati poked her head beside Bliss’s and flitted her long tongue out. “Open it. Our cut awaits.”

That is right. Our cut still awaits. Bliss gulped, her bunny ears twitching yet again. A feeling of apprehension washed over her. Something is seriously wrong with this place, but … She steeled herself and strengthened her grip on the oddly wet handle. Our cut still awaits. She pulled.