The room dimmed, the Veil's mist recoiling from the altar, the whispers faltering.

Leon's breath came in ragged bursts, his hips twitching into her, her moans turning sharp, needy, purging the curse with every fervent flick of her tongue.

Zara stood to the side, arms folded, her blue eyes unreadable but approving, her axe ready, guarding the sanctum.

Light erupted from Lysette's body—golden, violent.

A glowing sigil ignited beneath her hip, blooming like a divine brand, its radiance banishing the crimson mist.

Her moan cracked as Leon came, hot and thick, his release flooding her mouth.

She swallowed with a raw groan, her lips sealed, her throat twitching, tears running freely—not from pain, but from something sacred, overwhelming.

Her emerald eyes locked on his, bright with trust, her body trembling as she pulled back, her mouth red, slick, jaw slack.

"It's done," she whispered, her voice hoarse, lips glistening.

Leon knelt, catching her before she fell, her weight light against his chest.

She looked up, her fiery defiance softened, her fingers grazing his arm, lingering.

"Don't get cocky," she added, her tone lacking bite, a faint smirk breaking through.

Terya laughed softly, her green eyes sparkling. "Welcome to the team, Lysette."

Zara grunted, her nod subtle but warm.

"Don't die on us now," she said, her voice dry.

Leon felt whole—not just with power, but with purpose.

The Starbloom Crystal's light dimmed in his hand, its task complete, the Bloodvine fruit still pulsing on the altar.

____________

The sanctum of the Temple of Lysara was no longer bleeding.

Where crimson mist once wept from the walls and the air stank of old blood and failure, now a soft radiance shimmered through the cavernous cathedral.

Lysette stood at its center, her staff glowing with renewed brilliance, her light magic painting golden reflections across the cracked bone pillars and shattered stained glass.

Each flicker of her radiant energy peeled away the Crimson Veil's illusions like brittle parchment burned in a hearth, revealing the temple's ancient beauty beneath the corruption.

Etched patterns emerged across the bone altar, once hidden beneath pulsing red veins.

They crawled like veins of purpose, forming a constellation of Lysaran symbols and lines, coalescing into a map that led to a jagged cliffside surrounded by dark spires.

Zara leaned forward, her gloved finger tracing the path, her silver brows furrowed, her blue eyes sharp despite the sweat clinging to her bronze skin.

"That's the enclave," she muttered, her voice rough but steady. "I've heard whispers in Southreach. If the Dreadwraith's anywhere, it'll be there."

The chamber fell quiet, Lysette's magic waning to a gentle pulse, the Veil's oppressive pressure thinning but not vanishing.

A final whisper slithered through the air—a voice like silk over a blade.

"You've unbound the light… but darkness never rests."

Leon shivered, his linen shirt damp against his chest, his reforged dagger heavy at his belt.

The fear still clung to the corners of his mind, but it no longer dictated his breath.

He stepped away from the altar, the Starbloom Crystal's energy now a part of him, a faint glow lingering in his veins.

He held out his hand, focusing, and light swirled around his palm, fusing with wind in a glowing vortex.

He released a Crescent Gale, the spell slicing through a crumbling bone pillar, its remnants crashing with a hollow thud.

Terya clapped him on the back, her grin wide, her green eyes sparkling in the golden light.

"Look at you, sunshine. Light and air in harmony. Gods, you might actually be useful now," she teased, her leather top clinging to her sweat-slicked curves, her blonde hair catching the radiance.

Leon laughed breathlessly, the sound surprised out of him, a spark of confidence blooming in his chest, his wind and light magic humming like a second heartbeat.

He turned, catching Zara leaning heavily against a column, her breath shallow, her curse marks flaring red along her thigh and lower back, crawling upward like molten veins.

"Zara?" he asked, crossing the floor, his voice tight with concern.

She grunted, sinking to a sitting position, her axe propped beside her.

"Guess the Wraith took more out of me than I thought," she said, her blue eyes narrowed, pain etched in her grimace.

Leon knelt beside her, his hand instinctively finding the curve of her thigh, brushing aside her torn leathers.

His fingers met feverish skin, the curse marks pulsing hot.

A golden glow spread from his palm, infused with the Starbloom's light, easing the pain.

Zara exhaled, her expression relaxing, her blue eyes softening as they met his.

"You're getting better at this," she murmured, her voice raspy but warm, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

"Still figuring it out," Leon said, his grin faint but genuine, his hand lingering just a moment longer, the warmth between them a quiet anchor.

Her hand rested briefly over his, her calloused fingers steady. "Just don't screw up when it's my turn next," she said, her tone dry but lacking bite, her gaze holding a spark of trust.

Lysette approached, her white robe cinched hastily, her auburn hair falling in loose waves, her emerald eyes no longer dulled by pain.

She moved with the grace of someone reborn, her light magic steady, but her fiery defiance remained, tempered by a new respect.

Her gaze locked with Leon's for a beat too long, a nod passing between them.

"You did well," she said, her voice quiet but heavy with meaning.

Leon opened his mouth, then closed it, her praise hitting harder than expected.

"Thanks," he said, his voice soft, a flush creeping up his neck.

Terya elbowed him lightly, her grin mischievous.

"You should've seen your face when she first knelt in front of you," she teased, her green eyes glinting, her leather top still torn from battle, revealing the curve of her collarbone.

Leon flushed deeper, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm trying not to think about it."

"Why? It was hot," Terya said, her laugh warm, her hand brushing his arm.

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