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

{Aria}

Aria's footsteps echoed through the empty corridor as she and Lady Belstadt approached her royal bedchamber. The weight of the revelations pressed down on her, making each step feel like a monumental effort.

Lady Belstadt's emerald eyes gleamed in the flickering torchlight.

"Remember, Your Highness," she said, her voice low and urgent. "Discretion is paramount. The fate of our kingdom may well rest on your shoulders now."

Aria nodded, her throat too tight for words. As they reached her chamber door, she paused, her hand on the ornate handle.

"Lady Belstadt," she managed finally, "thank you. For trusting me with this."

The older woman's lips curled into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Oh, my dear. The pleasure was all mine."

With a final nod, Aria pushed open the door and stepped inside. The soft click of the latch behind her sounded like the closing of a tomb.

Aria's chambers were a sanctuary of luxury, with silk drapes and plush carpets. But tonight, the familiar comforts felt hollow, like props in a stage play where she'd forgotten her lines.

She sank onto her bed, the mattress dipping beneath her weight. Her eyes fixed on the intricate patterns of the ceiling, tracing the swirls and whorls.

[... I won't lie, a lot has suddenly started to make sense,] she thought, her mind racing.

The pieces fell into place with sickening clarity. Melisa Blackflame's sudden magical abilities, the rising tensions between humans and nim, the Shadow Mages' actions over the years...

[Of course the nim can all use magic. They always could. We just... what? Convinced them they couldn't? Mental trickery on such a large scale?]

The magnitude of the deception was staggering. Generations of nim, their true potential locked away by nothing more than carefully crafted lies, societal pressure, and...

[And probably quite a few assassinations.]

Aria's thoughts turned to Melisa, the purple-skinned girl who'd burst onto the scene like a comet, upending everything in her wake. She'd discovered her magic outside Syux, beyond the reach of the Shadow Mages and their suppression.

[No wonder she's so powerful. She never knew she wasn't supposed to be.]

A chill ran down Aria's spine as her mind landed on the most pressing mystery: her mother's death.

Queen Melara, found lifeless in her bed, no signs of struggle or foul play. No traces of poison in her system either. At the time, it had been baffling, incomprehensible. Now...

[It had to be Blackflame,] Aria thought, her hands clenching into fists. [Who else could have done it? Not Zephyra, and certainly not Father. Of course not.]

But how? How could a nim girl, even one as exceptional as Melisa, have penetrated the castle's defenses, slipped past the guards, and killed the queen without leaving a trace?

[Unless...]

A new, horrifying possibility bloomed in Aria's mind. What if the nim's abilities went beyond mere magic? What if she too could influence minds, control bodies, bend wills to their desire?

[Could that be how she managed to make it past all the knights? Could she have simply slipped in without a single problem? Is that how they ruled before? Is that what we're truly being protected from?]

Aria sat up abruptly, her head spinning. She needed proof, hard evidence to support these wild theories. But where to start? Who could she trust?

[I'll go through every document,] she decided, a spark of determination igniting in her chest. [Every report, every letter, every scrap of paper in this castle if I have to. There have to be clues, patterns I missed before.]

She stood, smoothing down her gown with trembling hands. The weight of responsibility settled on her shoulders like a heavy cloak. The fate of the kingdom, perhaps of all humanity, might rest on her actions in the coming days.

[I won't let you down, Mother,] Aria vowed silently. [I'll find the truth, and I'll make it right. Whatever it takes.]

---

{Raven}

The lock clicked open under Raven's expert touch. She pushed the door, wincing at the creak that echoed through the empty street. Javir followed close behind, her eyes darting nervously from shadow to shadow.

Javir's fingers twitched (or, rather, she drew a spellsign so quickly it looked like her fingers twitched) a small flame dancing to life above her palm.

The warm light revealed a home frozen in time – books left open on tables, a half-empty cup of tea on a side table, everything waiting for an owner who would never return.

"I'm shocked the Shadow Mages didn't just burn this place to the ground," Javir said.

Raven's eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail.

"Too much attention. A mysterious fire, especially at the home of an outed Shadow Mage, would get people talking."

They moved deeper into the house, the floorboards creaking beneath their feet. Raven's trained gaze searched for anything out of place, any hint of hidden compartments or secret messages.

As they entered what appeared to be a study, Raven noticed Javir had stopped moving. The older woman stood transfixed, staring at a framed painting on the wall. Raven moved closer, curious.

The painting depicted two women, their arms around each other, laughing at some shared joke. One was clearly Miria, younger and carefree. The other...

"Me?" Javir whispered.

Raven shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to respond. This wasn't her area of expertise.

"We should keep looking," Raven said finally, breaking the heavy silence.

Javir nodded, tearing her eyes away from the painting. They continued their search, methodically going through drawers and checking behind books for hidden compartments.

After an hour of fruitless searching, Raven sighed in frustration.

"Nothing. It's like she never even-"

"Wait," Javir interrupted, holding up a crumpled piece of paper. "I found something."

Raven moved closer, peering over Javir's shoulder. It was a letter, unfinished and unsent.

"Dear Vyra," Javir read aloud, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know it's been a while since I last visited you, but, once I finish my mission, I should have a week or two off. I don't particularly like Yalmir, but... Oh well. I'll bear it if it means I get to see you soon, sis."

Javir nodded, a spark of hope lighting her eyes.

"I doubt Miria would have told this girl the Shadow Mage headquarters, but she might know something."

"She may even be a Shadow Mage herself," Raven pointed out.

"In which case, we might be walking into a fight. It's a risk we'll have to take," Javir said, folding the letter and tucking it into her robe. "We should go have a talk with this girl."

Raven nodded, her mind already planning their next move. As they made their way out of the house, she cast one last glance at the painting of Javir and Miria.

The door closed behind them with a soft click, leaving the house once again to its silent vigil. As they walked away, blending into the shadows of the night, Raven couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

---

{The Following Day}

{Melisa}

Melisa shifted in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position with Isabella's voluptuous ass planted firmly in her lap. Not that she was complaining, mind you. Having a lapful of warm, curvaceous kitsune was hardly the worst way to start the day.

Still, there was something keeping Melisa's eyes off Isabella's curvy body. As she absent-mindedly ran her hands up and down Isabella's milky thighs, coming dangerously close to Isabella's cock multiple times, Melisa looked ahead.

Her gaze landed on Armia, and Melisa's heart clenched. The darian girl sat hunched over her desk, an air of grief hanging around her. Her notebook lay open before her, but her eyes were vacant, staring through the pages rather than at them.

[... Fuck,] Melisa thought, a wave of sympathy washing over her. [I wish I could do something, anything, to make this better for her.]

The classroom door swung open with a dramatic creak, making Melisa jump. The professor strode in, robes billowing behind him.

"Good morning, class," he announced. "Before we begin, I have an announcement that might actually keep you awake today."

Melisa's eyebrows shot up.

"Ooh," Isabella said quietly, wiggling her ass a bit in Melisa's lap. Melisa had to bite her lip to keep from moaning.

"We have a special guest joining us. Someone who's expressed interest in reconnecting with the magical arts."

He gestured to the door, and Melisa's jaw dropped.

[No fucking way.]

In walked Aria of Syux, the princess herself, looking like she'd stepped out of a "Royals Monthly" magazine cover.

Her white hair practically glowed, and her gaze alone felt like it could probably cut glass.

"Hello, everyone," Aria said, her voice clear and commanding. "I hope you don't mind my intrusion. Unfortunately, my travels made keeping up with my magic studies difficult. I decided to use your course for a refresher."

Her eyes scanned the room, and when they met Melisa's, it felt like being hit by lightning. Aria's stare was intense, almost predatory, and didn't waver for a second.

[Okay, what the actual fuck is going on here?] Melisa blinked. [Is this about her mother? Does she suspect something?]

The professor cleared his throat, clearly thrown off his game.

"Yes, well, we're honored to have you, Your Highness. Feel free to observe or participate as you see fit."

Aria nodded graciously, but her eyes never left Melisa.

And, naturally, she went to take a seat at the window side of Melisa's row.

Melisa could have sworn she saw the princess's lips curl into the barest hint of a smirk.

[Great,] Melisa thought, her tail twitching nervously. [Just great. As if I didn't have enough on my plate already.]

She glanced at Armia, noting how the darian girl had barely reacted to the princess's arrival. Then back to Aria, who was now primly seated but still staring at Melisa with unnerving intensity.

[Well, this is going to be "fun",] she thought, sighing. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire