Lilia: A New Dawn

Akari's cheeks flared crimson as she realized the kiss had been unnecessary. In her haste, she had acted impulsively, mistakenly believing it was the only way to save Lilia. Now, swamped by embarrassment, she sought to deflect the blame.

"You—you tricked me!" Akari stammered, fixing Lilia with an accusatory glare. "You made me think that kiss was the only way to help you!"

Lilia's eyes widened in surprise. "I did no such thing," she replied calmly. "I told you to leave me alone. You chose to act on your own accord."

"That's a lie!" Akari retorted. "You demons are known for your seduction and deceit; it's in your nature!"

Before Lilia could reply, Collins intervened, raising his hand in a gesture of peace. "Let's not jump to conclusions, Akari," he said, attempting to defuse the tension. "I'm sure Lilia had no intention of manipulating you."

Akari opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. As much as she disliked admitting it, Collins was right. She had acted of her own volition.

"You're right," Akari conceded with reluctance. "I apologize." A new wave of embarrassment swept over her.

An awkward silence lingered before Collins finally broke it. "Well, now that the area is secured, we should start the cleanup and containment procedures."

Grateful for the distraction, Akari nodded. "Yes, I'll call in the containment team immediately."

As Akari stepped aside to make the call, Collins turned to Lilia. "Thank you for your assistance here. We couldn't have done it without you." He offered his hand, which Lilia shook with a friendly grip.

"It was my pleasure to help," she said, her gaze drifting to Akari, who was deliberately avoiding eye contact. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way then. Take care, both of you."

With a final nod, Lilia and Alistair left the chamber and stepped outside. The sunlight made Lilia blink, but she felt reinvigorated after absorbing Akari's life energy, her persistent hunger finally quelled.

Alistair looked at her with a smile. "As always, our excursions prove eventful, Mistress! That young exorcist, though, has quite the peculiar way of expressing her thanks!"

Lilia gave a nonchalant shrug. "Her actions are as much a mystery to me as they are to you."

Meanwhile, Akari retrieved a hefty tome from the trunk of their car—a comprehensive manual on supernatural entities. She thumbed through the section on succubi, searching for information on their feeding patterns. The text only described intimate encounters as the method for draining life force. It mentioned nothing about a touch being sufficient.

Akari's brow creased in thought. Was Lilia playing with her? Or perhaps she wasn't an average succubus. Much about her contradicted the knowledge Akari held. She resolved to uncover the entire truth, whatever it might be. For the moment, a budding respect for the mysterious succubus moderated her scepticism.

 

Lilia meandered through the bustling streets of New Atlantis, her thoughts a whirlwind. Hours had slipped by since her encounter with Akari, yet her transformation showed no signs of diminishing. If anything, she felt more energized than before, the exorcist's impulsive kiss infusing her with a lingering vitality.

Glancing at her phone, she noticed multiple texts from her worried parents. She quickly tapped out a response to reassure them of her safety and mentioned she would spend the night at a friend's place. That should grant her some time, she thought.

"Well, Mistress, it appears we have the entire night to engage in some delightful mischief," Alistair chimed in, his voice laced with a mischievous lilt as he followed in his feline form.

Lilia chuckled. "Actually, I was thinking we might find a tranquil area to hone my abilities," she suggested.

"An excellent choice!" Alistair exclaimed, his enthusiasm palpable.

Lilia offered a warm smile at his eagerness as they continued their walk. Soon, they approached a towering office building that seemed perfect for their needs. Lilia surveyed the edifice and noticed an external fire escape zigzagging upwards.

"There," she announced, and with a graceful bound, she leaped three stories to seize the lowest rung. Alistair beat his diminutive wings vigorously to keep pace with her climb.

Reaching the summit, Lilia stepped onto a secluded rooftop patio. "This will do nicely," she stated, her eyes sweeping over the expansive view. The sun hovered at the brink of the horizon, draping the city in twilight's embrace.

Back in Endless Fantasy, her inventory brimmed with an array of weapons, armour, potions, and other trinkets. Access to such resources would undoubtedly aid her in the potential conflicts that lay ahead. She focused intently, trying to recall the game's user interface, willing it into existence.

"Open inventory!" Lilia commanded, her voice laced with drama. Nothing happened. Unfazed, she persisted with different phrases, tones, and gestures, yet her efforts remained fruitless. Lilia huffed in annoyance. Accessing something as routine as a game avatar's inventory should have been simple, but it now eluded her.

"Do not fret, Mistress," Alistair offered with a supportive tone. "I am certain you will decipher this puzzle in due time."

Lilia smiled. "You're right. I just need to think outside the box." She paused, contemplating, when suddenly an idea struck her.

In the game, items didn't simply appear in one's hands upon equipping; they appeared via an equipping animation. Normally, characters used a simple animation that resembled retrieving an item from a pouch, but thanks to a special package she had purchased, hers animation resembled summoning them from the shadows.

Focusing on that animation sequence, Lilia lifted her hand, palm facing the ground, and concentrated. After several attempts, she felt a tugging sensation from beneath the darkness. The shadows seemed to swell upwards, straining to release something from their depths.

Encouraged, Lilia redoubled her efforts. By midnight, she could consistently produce the effect, but so far, only small objects like rings, pendants, and piercings would respond to her summons. Anything larger remained elusive.

"Excellent progress, my lady," Alistair praised. "But take care not to overexert yourself."

Lilia nodded. "I shall rest soon. But first..." She concentrated once more, her brow furrowed in determination, and focused on one of her smallest weapons. This time, an elegant dagger emerged from the shadows. Grasping the hilt, she adopted a combat stance, slicing the air with surprising finesse. Her body seemed to remember every move. Halting the tip inches from Alistair's nose, she flashed a playful grin.

"My apologies, I couldn't resist testing my skills."

The imp gulped audibly. "Quite alright, Mistress. I am unharmed."

Lilia placed the dagger on the ground and sat beside her companion. "Now, the challenge is figuring out how to return it."

Fortunately, it seemed that depositing items was far easier than summoning them. The items simply sank back into the shadows without any resistance. She idly tested this with a few more trinkets, pleased with her progress.

The night sky was a tapestry of glittering stars. Deciding to rest before contemplating her next move, Lilia wondered if, should she remain transformed by morning, Ren might offer some insight.

As Lilia gazed up at the starry sky, her thoughts turned to the Blade of Pestilence, now in the possession of NABC. She couldn't help but question whether she had been too hasty in handing over the artifact.

Yet, it was too late for regrets. She would have to trust that NABC was capable of containing it safe from other forces.

Sleep soon overtook her, and Lilia drifted off with Alistair in his cat form nestled by her side, his soft purrs soothing in the darkness.

Morning sunlight stirred Lilia awake. The sudden shout of a janitor jolted her fully conscious.

"What are you doing up here?" the man yelled in bewilderment.

Without a word, Lilia leapt up and scurried to the fire escape. She nimbly descended the zigzagging ladder to street level before the janitor could approach further.

It seemed a visit to Ren was in order to make sense of her lingering transformation. Lilia pulled out her phone and called her sister.

"Hey Ren, it's me," she began when her sister answered. "Something strange is going on with my powers. I was hoping I could stop by and get your take on it."

"Of course, come right over," Ren replied, a note of concern in her voice. "I'll make us some tea and we can talk."

Lilia smiled. "Thanks sis, I'll be there soon."

She ended the call, heartened that Ren could provide some insight into her predicament. With Alistair at her heels, Lilia set off towards her sister's place.

 

Lilia sat across from Ren in her tidy apartment, recounting the events from previous day. She had just finished describing the unexpected kiss with Akari, which prompted an amused grin from Ren.

"My, my, looks like you're quite the charmer in this form, little brother," Ren teased.

Lilia's cheeks flushed slightly. "It wasn't like that at all!" she insisted. "Akari was just confused in the moment, that's all."

Ren chuckled, taking a sip of her tea. Her expression then turned serious. "Honestly, this transformation is lasting far longer than usual. At this rate, I don't think you'll revert back by tomorrow."

Lilia nodded grimly. Based on prior experiences, her Lilia form had never persisted for more than a few hours. Yet now, almost a full day later, she could still feel the thrum of energy coursing through her.

Ren set her teacup down and regarded Lilia intently. "I think it's time we conducted some more tests. My lab has seen significant upgrades since we last met. Perhaps I can glean some new insights into your unique physiology."

Ren led Lilia into her private lab and gestured for her to take a seat on the examination table. With brisk efficiency, Ren collected her instruments and began to conduct various tests on Lilia's body.

After more than an hour of scans, blood draws, and energy readings, Ren leaned back, a contemplative look on her face. "There's a lot of new data I need to analyse," she mused. "However, it's clear that the ambient energy levels in your body are significantly elevated."

As she tapped her chin thoughtfully, Ren studied the results. "That kiss with Akari must have infused you with a substantial amount of energy, supercharging your transformation. I suspect you'll remain in this state for at least a week or two before reverting back."

Lilia's eyes widened in alarm at Ren's words. "Weeks? No, that's too long! Mom and Dad will definitely notice if I'm absent for that duration." She shook her head vigorously. "There must be another way. Can't you figure something out?"

Ren sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'll do my best, but I can't make any guarantees. We're in uncharted territory here." She met Lilia's anxious gaze. "Still, we can't keep this from our parents indefinitely. If I don't find a solution soon, you'll have to come clean."

Lilia nodded with reluctance. She wanted to maintain the secrecy, but Ren made a valid point. "Alright, if you don't find a solution in two days, we'll tell them the truth."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll understand," Ren said, offering reassurance. She then cracked a grin. "And hey, we could always enrol 'Lily' as an exchange student at your school. That way, you won't have to risk missing any classes because of your sudden transformations."

A soft chuckle escaped Lilia at the outlandish suggestion. "Thanks, but I think I'll stick to my real identity."

Ren shrugged. "It was worth a shot. The offer stands if you change your mind." She gave Lilia a playful wink.

Standing up from the examination table, Lilia felt somewhat relieved. "I won't. And thanks again for always being there for me. I've been leaning on you a lot lately."

"What are big sisters for?" Ren replied with a teasing smirk.

With a temporary plan in place, Lilia left Ren's lab feeling cautiously optimistic that they might resolve the situation without having to disclose everything to their parents just yet.