Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

{Raven}

Raven lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"..."

The room felt too quiet. Too empty without Melisa's constant chatter and the soft rustling of her tail against the sheets, or her quill scribbling against parchment.

[Guess I've gotten used to the noise,] Raven mused, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

A sudden knock at the door jolted her out of her thoughts.

In an instant, Raven was on her feet, a knife almost materializing in her hand as if by way of magic. Old habits died hard, and even after all this time at the academy, she couldn't quite shake the instinct to always be on guard.

She crept to the door, her footsteps silent on the plush carpet. Taking a deep breath, she yanked it open, ready to face whatever threat lay on the other side.

But instead of an enemy, she found herself face to face with Javir, the older woman's expression a mix of surprise and amusement at Raven's dramatic entrance.

"Expecting someone else?" Javir asked, her eyes flicking to the knife in Raven's hand.

Raven flushed, quickly tucking the blade away and stepping back to let Javir inside.

"No, I just... you can never be too careful," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Javir chuckled, taking a seat on the edge of Melisa's bed.

"I suppose you're right about that," she said, her gaze roaming around the room before settling back on Raven. "So, how have you been holding up? I know it's been a bit of a whirlwind lately, what with the gala and Melisa's new... opportunities."

Raven shrugged, dropping back onto her own bed with a sigh.

"It's fine," she said, her voice flat. "I'm used to being on my own. Melisa's thing is her thing. It doesn't really affect me."

Javir raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees.

"Is that so?" she asked, her tone gentle but probing. "Forgive me if I find that a bit hard to believe. I know you two have grown quite close over the past few months."

Raven looked away, her jaw clenching.

"We're friends," she said, the word feeling strange and unfamiliar on her tongue. "Or something like that, I guess. But that doesn't mean I'm going to fall apart just because she's not around for a few weeks."

Javir nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Of course not," she said, her voice warm. "I never thought you would. But still, it can't be easy, being cooped up in here all day with nothing to do. Don't you have any hobbies or pastimes you enjoy?"

Raven snorted, the sound harsh and humorless. That alone gave Javir the answer to her question.

"Fair enough," she conceded, standing up and stretching. "But you know, there's more to life than just work and survival. Even for people like us."

Raven looked up at her, her brow furrowing.

"People like us?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Javir's smile turned sad, her eyes distant.

"People who have seen too much," she said softly, tilting her head. "People who have done things they can never take back."

Raven swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat.

She knew all too well what Javir meant.

"So what do you suggest?" she asked, her voice rough. "How do people like us find something to live for beyond just surviving?"

Javir's smile returned, brighter this time.

"Well, for starters," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "we could always go out for a drink. I know a place in town that serves the best whiskey in Syux. What do you say?"

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Raven stared at her for a long moment, trying to gauge her sincerity. But Javir's expression was open and honest, her offer genuine.

[Fuck it,] Raven thought, standing up and grabbing a black cloak from the back of her chair. [Not like I have anything better to do.]

"Lead the way," she said, gesturing towards the door.

---

{Melisa}

The sun was high in the sky as Melisa and Zephyra stepped out into the palace courtyard. The air was warm and thick with the scent of blooming flowers, but Melisa barely noticed, her attention focused solely on the sorceress beside her.

Zephyra's eyes narrowed.

"Alright. Go ahead. Show me what you've got."

Melisa nodded, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.

She'd spent the last eight years creating and perfecting her own spells, mixing and matching different schools of magic in ways that most mages would never dream of. But now, faced with Zephyra's piercing gaze, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt.

[What if she thinks they're stupid?] Melisa thought, her tail twitching anxiously behind her. [What if she laughs at me, or tells me I'm doing it all wrong?]

But she pushed those fears aside.

[Okay... Let's get started.]

"Liernus ma corval..."

As she drew the spellsign, a shimmering ball of light appeared in her palm, pulsing and shifting in time with her heartbeat.

It glowed so strongly that it was obvious this thing could light up a dark room. But, that wasn't all it could do.

"This one's a combination of Light and Life magic," Melisa explained, her voice steady despite her nerves. "It acts as an artificial source of light, but should also heal minor wounds on anyone standing nearby."

[I made this one a few nights ago, hehe.]

Zephyra's eyebrows rose, a flicker of interest sparking in her gaze. She stepped closer, examining the spell with a critical eye.

"Interesting," she murmured, reaching out to touch the edges of the light. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

Melisa felt a surge of pride at the praise, but she tamped it down, moving on to the next spell.

Just like that, she spent the next several minutes demonstrating her creations.

Some of the spells seemed to catch Zephyra's eye, drawing a nod or a thoughtful hum from the sorceress. But others fell flat, earning little more than a blank stare or a dismissive shrug.

By the end of it, Melisa was sweating and panting, her magical reserves depleted from the constant casting.

[Shit, I've just about run out of Essence.]

She looked up at Zephyra, trying to gauge her reaction, but the sorceress's face was inscrutable.

"Why did you create these spells?" Zephyra asked finally, her voice neutral.

"Uh, well, like I said, t-that one Light spell I made was so-"@@novelbin@@

"No, I mean, all your spells," Zephyra clarified. "What was the purpose behind them all?"

Melisa blinked, taken aback by the question.

She'd never really thought about it before, at least not in those terms. For her, magic had always been a source of joy and fascination in this strange place, a puzzle to be solved and a world to be explored.

"I guess..." she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I guess I just think it's fun. Piecing together different types of magic, seeing what works and what doesn't. It's like a game, almost. A challenge to see what I can come up with."

Zephyra nodded, her expression unreadable. She didn't smile, but she didn't glare either, leaving Melisa feeling off-balance and unsure.

[What is she thinking?] Melisa wondered, her stomach twisting with nerves. [Does she approve? Disapprove? I can't tell at all.]

But Zephyra didn't offer any further insight, simply turning on her heel and gesturing for Melisa to follow.

"Come," she said, her voice brisk. "I have some ideas for your lessons. We can discuss them back in my office."

Melisa hurried to keep up, her mind racing as they walked through the palace halls. She couldn't shake the feeling that Zephyra was evaluating her somehow, sizing her up and trying to figure her out.

[But why?] Melisa thought, her brow furrowing. [What is she looking for? What does she want from me?]

Zephyra remained silent, leading Melisa back to her office without a word.

As they stepped inside, the sorceress finally turned to face her, a strange, unreadable expression on her face.

"Hm... No, on second thought, I think that's enough for today," she said, her voice carefully neutral.

"What?" Melisa barked out. "B-But, I..."

"You seem tired," Zephyra said, eyes half-narrowed. Go and get some rest. We'll start your lessons in earnest tomorrow."

Melisa pulled back.

[... Can she tell my Essence is running low?]

Suddenly, Melisa was a lot less eager to remain in that room.

It just felt like this lady knew a bit too much just from looking at her.

"O-Okay..." Melisa nodded, trying to hide her concern.

"Thank you, Zephyra," she said aloud, bowing her head respectfully. "I look forward to learning from you."

Zephyra smirked.

"I have a feeling we'll both be learning about each other quite a bit in these coming days."

And with that, Melisa turned and walked out of the office.

[... What a weird start to our lessons.] She shook her head. [Okay, now...]

Melisa paused.

[..... I do remember the way home, right?]