The air between them crackled, heavy with the scent of ozone and the metallic tang of blood.
Beatrix stood frozen, her eyes darting between the man she had sworn her loyalty to and the woman who had birthed her.
The older version of her mother, Ast, hung in the air, her wings casting a long, jagged shadow over the battlefield.
"Mother, why? Why did you join them?"
Beatrix's voice cracked, raw with a mix of betrayal and lingering love.
Ast hovered, her expression tight with internal conflict.
She looked at her daughter, then shifted her gaze to Liam, her eyes hardening into slivers of ice.
"We are succubi, Beatrix. No matter how much we deny our nature, we need to return to our origin."
She gestured toward Liam, her finger trembling with agitation.
"And you, human. It is your fault for brainwashing my daughter."
Liam stood his ground, gripping his sword until his knuckles turned white.
He felt a surge of frustration.
