Viktor's vision cleared slowly, like fog dissipating in morning sun.
He was standing in water. Ankle-deep. The same endless lake he'd seen fragments of through Elara's memories during the possession.
The sky above was that same impossible blue—sourceless light illuminating everything with dreamlike clarity.
But this time, he wasn't alone.
Ahead of him, sprawled on the water's surface like it was solid ground, lay two figures.
Elara was unconscious, curled on her side, breathing shallowly. Her body looked peaceful—no marks, no blood, just sleeping.
And beside her—
Viktor's breath caught.
The succubus.
Her true form.
She was gasping, chest heaving, her body trembling and twitching like she'd just been electrocuted. Water rippled around her with each shuddering breath.
