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

Melisa sat in the main room of their home. Her parents stood across from her, both clearly very pensive.

Margaret took a deep breath as if steeling herself for the conversation to come.

"Melisa, sweetheart," she began, her voice almost reluctant, like she didn't want to face the possibility of what Javir had proposed. "What do you want to do? About Javir's offer, I mean."

Melisa looked down at her hands.

Her dreams all flashed before her eyes.

"I want..." She looked up. "I want to be a hero. I-I like it in this village, it's a nice place, but..."

She took a shaky breath.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life here."

Melistair leaned forward, his brow furrowed with concern.

"But Melisa, you heard what Javir said. The human kingdom, it's not kind to nim. You'll face so much hardship, so much opposition. Do you understand? People like Striker," he added, "they'll be a dime a dozen over there, and no less awful."

Margaret nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"We don't want to see you get hurt. M-Maybe... Maybe you could take a year or two to consider it? What do you think?"

Melisa shook her head.

"No. I know it won't be easy. But... But I feel like this is what I'm meant to do. I don't want to waste time here."

Margaret and Melistair looked at each other. It shocked Melisa, how open they were being to her wants, her ambitions.

She hadn't felt this kind of support before.

And, she didn't want to let it go.

She looked at her parents, a sudden realization dawning in her eyes.

"But... But I don't have to do it alone, right?"

Melisa jumped off the couch and ran up to them, taking her parents' hands in her own.

"Mom, Dad... Come with me! Come to Syux with me!"

Margaret and Melistair blinked, taken aback by the request.

"Melisa, we... we can't just leave. This is our home, our life."

But Melisa was undeterred.

"But what kind of life is it, really? Struggling to make ends meet, always worrying about debt? Wouldn't it be better to start fresh, somewhere new? Somewhere with opportunities, for all of us?"

She squeezed their hands, her eyes pleading.

Margaret shook her head, smiling sadly.

"We're not scholars, Mel. You heard what Javir said. The only way to be free in Syux is to get a scholarship. We're well past that point in our lives."

Melisa shook her head too.

"N-No, she said that was one of them! Let's ask her, come on, right now! Let's see if you could be free some other way!"

It looked like her parents were considering it when they heard that.

But, they didn't even make it two steps to the door before they heard something.

"MELISTAIR, COME OUT!"

Instantly, Melisa's heart dropped.@@novelbin@@

[What?]

"Oh no," Melistair said, gently pushing Melisa aside.

Melistair cracked the door open, just enough to peek outside. Melisa, her heart pounding, leaned in to catch a glimpse of who was calling for her father.

Her blood ran cold.

It was Striker, and he wasn't alone. Several rough-looking men stood behind him, their faces twisted into cruel sneers.

"Melistair!" Striker called out. "Get your ass out here, now! We've got some unfinished business, you and I."

Melistair tensed, his hand gripping the doorknob so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Oh gods, oh gods, what do we do?" Margaret asked, pacing side to side, hands on her own head.

Melistair took a moment to think. Melisa could see his eyes darting as he considered their options.

"You and Melisa need to hide," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Don't come out, no matter what you hear. I'll... I'll handle this."

Melisa looked back at the door.

[... What do we do?] She looked up at her father. [They'll kill him.]

"N-No, come on, hide with us!" Margaret said, trying to pull Melistair to the hallway.

"No. It's me they want. You two just get yourselves to safety. Please."

[What do we do? What do we do? What...]

An idea came to Melisa.

[Javir. I need to get Javir. She'll know what to do, she can help us!]

Without a second thought, Melisa darted towards the back door.

"Melisa, no! Come back!"

But Melisa was already gone, sprinting through the garden and into the village streets.

Melisa's heart raced as she sprinted through the village streets, her eyes darting from building to building.

[The inn, the inn, where's that damn inn?]

She'd never had a reason to visit that part of the village yet. So, right now, she was pretty damn lost.

[Come on, come on, it's got to be around here somewhere!]

She turned a corner, nearly colliding with a startled villager.

"H-Hey!"

"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, not slowing down for a second.

Every moment she wasted was another moment her father was in danger. She couldn't afford to lose any more time.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Melisa spotted a sign hanging above a doorway.

["The Rusty Mug". That has to be it!]

She ran up to the door and, without hesitation, shoved it open with all her might.

The door flew open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Every head in the inn turned to stare at the panting, wide-eyed nim girl standing at the entrance.

Melisa's eyes scanned the room frantically, searching for that familiar head of sunlight hair.

[Please be here, please be here, please...]

And then, she spotted her. Javir, sitting at a table in the corner, a mug of ale in her hand and a surprised expression on her face.

"Javir!" Melisa cried out.

She ran to the table, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste.

Javir set down her mug.

Immediately, the woman understood something was wrong.

"Melisa? What's wrong, what's happened?"

The words poured out of Melisa in a frantic jumble, her voice shaking with fear.

"It's Striker- t-this guy who- look, he's a bad guy and h-he's back, he's at our house with a bunch of goons and he's going to hurt my dad, you have to help, please, I don't know what to do!"

Javir was on her feet in an instant, her hand already reaching for her sword.

"Say no more," she said, her voice hard as steel. "Lead the way."

Melisa nodded, a flicker of hope sparking in her chest.

They ran out of the inn together, Melisa leading the charge back towards her home.

[Hold on, Dad,] she thought, her jaw clenched with determination. [We're coming. Just hold on a little longer.]