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Lilith approached slowly, her gaze cold and full of disdain. When she finally stood face-to-face with the prince, her expression hardened even more. Without hesitation, she slapped him hard across the face, the sound of the impact echoing through the cave.

— That was for the punch you gave me — she said with icy satisfaction in her voice.

The prince turned his head from the slap but remained silent. He simply looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of fury and determination. The physical blow did not disturb him as much as the venom in her words that followed.

Lilith ran her fingers across the prince's face, her touch delicate yet threatening, as if savoring her control over the situation.

— You know, prince — she began, her voice low and calculated, almost soft — without you, all of my plans crumble. You are the key to everything. No matter how much you resist, you are still part of something far greater than yourself. Alone, you cannot stop what is coming. And if you don’t cooperate, all this strength you’ve discovered, everything you’ve become... will be in vain.

She paused, watching for any reaction from him. The prince remained still, his eyes fixed on hers, battling disgust and a bitter realization. Lilith’s voice turned manipulative, almost hypnotic, as she continued.

— Think, prince. Without me, what are you? Who brought this power to life within you? Who guided you here? It was me. I brought you to this moment, and I can take you even further. What are you really going to do? Fight for Volcrist? Defend a kingdom that is already crumbling? Do you honestly think they will accept you? They fear your name, and soon, they will cast you aside. But me? I see who you really are. And together, we can take something far greater than any throne.

She let the words linger, her voice wavering between confident manipulation and an almost intimate vulnerability, as if she wanted him to feel he had no other choice.

— You need me, prince. And I need you. — Lilith leaned closer, her lips hovering near his ear. — You can waste your time fighting for a cause that will never care for you, or you can become something far more powerful with me. What will it be?

The prince, his eyes full of disdain, stared directly at Lilith as she spoke, not moving a single muscle. He waited for the perfect moment, and when she leaned too close, he spat on her dress with a heavy gesture of repulsion.

Lilith froze for a moment, the prince’s spit dripping down the luxurious fabric of her dress. Her face, once controlled and manipulative, twisted into something furious, almost animalistic. She stepped back, her eyes blazing with hatred.

— You… miserable wretch! — she shouted, her voice trembling with rage. — I should have expected this from you, prince. You’ve always been stubborn, always defying everything and everyone! But now... — She wiped her hand on the stained dress, trying to contain the explosion of fury rising within her. — Now, you’ve crossed the line.

Lilith paced back and forth for a few seconds, as if trying to calm herself, but her anger was palpable. She stopped suddenly and looked at the prince with a cruel smile, something dark in her eyes.

— I didn’t want it to come to this, you know? — she said bitterly. — I thought that maybe, just maybe, you’d see what I was offering you. But of course, you had to be a fool. You had to choose the wrong side.

She extended her hand, as if summoning something from the air around her, and magical energy began to coalesce between her fingers. An ancient rune appeared in her hand, glowing a sinister red, pulsating with malevolent power.

— I didn’t want to do this, prince, — she continued as the rune floated lightly, its presence almost suffocating. — I thought you could be convinced to walk by my side willingly. But you’ve left me no choice. If you won’t cooperate... then I’ll make you cooperate.

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She began to walk toward him, the rune crackling in her hand.

— I didn’t place the mark before because I believed you’d obey. I believed we could do this together without needing such drastic measures. But you forced my hand! — Her voice now carried a mix of fury and frustration, and she raised the rune high, ready to impose it on the prince.

— It won’t take long, — she whispered, her voice icy. — This mark will subdue you, make you mine. Completely. And you will obey my every word without question.

The prince, even bound by restrictive magic, continued to glare at her with defiance. His eyes showed no fear, only unwavering resolve. He knew Lilith was about to take a drastic step, but his determination never wavered. She might place the mark, but he would never surrender to her.

Lilith, however, seemed unwilling to wait for more refusals. She approached once again, bringing the slave rune toward the prince’s chest, the magic preparing to seal his fate.

The prince knew this was his last chance. Pain and exhaustion overwhelmed him, but his mind, always sharp, sought a way out of this desperate situation. He took a deep breath, letting the despair retreat for just a moment, and with a hoarse voice, he murmured:

— Lilith... — His voice was low, almost submissive. — It doesn’t have to be like this. You’ve won. I accept... I will follow you.

Lilith hesitated, her eyes fixed on the prince, trying to decipher the truth behind his words. There was a trace of doubt in her gaze, but the idea of finally bending him to her will was too tempting.

— Finally, you see reason, prince, — she said, lowering her hand slightly, the rune still glowing. — But your words come too late.

— No. — The prince forced himself to appear more vulnerable. — I realize now... I cannot win this fight. You have the advantage, Lilith. Without you, I am nothing. I understand now. Just... let me be part of your plans. Let me prove I am with you.

Lilith stepped back slightly, still suspicious, but her guard was visibly lower. Her need for control, to see the prince subdued, now wrestled with the temptation to accept the power he was offering. She knew how valuable he could be to her plans if he were truly loyal.

— I offered you this path before, — she murmured, her voice now less harsh but still tense. — And you rejected it.

— I was blind, — the prince continued, fighting against every instinct screaming at him to strike. — But I see now. You... you’re the only one who can truly guide me.

She approached, more relaxed now, though the rune still hovered in her hand. When the prince realized she was within reach, he knew it was his only chance to act. Lilith, believing she had dominated him, lowered her guard even further, moving closer to place the mark.

— It didn’t have to be this way, prince, — she said with a touch of melancholy, ready to apply the rune. — This was your choice.

The moment the rune flared in her hand, about to be pressed against his chest, the prince used the only advantage he had left: control over his emotions. He knew Lilith was impulsive, and though her magic was powerful, it still relied on focus and precision.

As she moved to mark him, the prince took advantage of her proximity. He felt the restraining spell weakening as Lilith believed she was in control. With a calculated movement, he shifted his body slightly to the side, causing Lilith’s hand to miss her intended mark.

At that moment, he quickly flexed his right arm, partially freed from the magic, and grabbed Lilith’s wrist just as she tried to apply the mark. The speed and strength of his motion caught her by surprise, and the floating rune that was about to bind him faltered, flickering for an instant.

— What...? — Lilith tried to react, but in that second of hesitation, the prince, with impressive dexterity, used her own magical flow against her.

He twisted her wrist with brutal precision, causing the unstable magical energy of the rune to collide with her hand. The rune exploded in a flash of light, but instead of hitting the prince, the spell ricocheted back onto Lilith. Caught off guard, she was thrown backward, feeling the impact of the magic she had conjured.

— It didn’t have to be this way, Lilith, — said the prince, regaining control of his body, his eyes burning with a mixture of determination and regret. — But this was your choice.

Lilith, now on the ground, felt the weight of the magic collapsing around her, her own energy trapping her like a snare she had created.