A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

With her nerves taut, Emily yelped in surprise, released Erik's shirt, and jumped back, "Who said that?!"

At the same time, the lingering elemental darkness in the room began to stir as Erik noticed how Emily drew power towards her hands in an instinctual desire to protect herself despite her earlier conviction to die.

The same voice, obviously Elora's, sounded again as it giggled, "Look at you, jumping to defend yourself. Not yet ready to die, are you?"

Unable to find where the voice was coming from, Emily looked at Erik with panicked eyes, "Are you hearing that voice?!"

Erik briefly considered pulling a prank on the girl by pretending not to but quickly discarded that thought as he reminded himself not to let Elora have too much influence on his behavior.

So he answered honestly with a nod, "That's my partner, Elora. If you want someone to thank for your current situation, you should look to her, as she did most of the work."

He chuckled softly, "Don't be fooled, however. If you're looking for someone to care about you and your sister, you'd be better off with me."

Emily looked relieved that she wasn't going insane but remained on edge as she likely still associated Elora's voice with floating in an abyss of nothing, "A- Alright, so you said something about a solution? A- And why do I feel weird when I hear your voice."

Suddenly, Erik felt Elora appear on his right shoulder in her smaller form. Emily's eyes were quickly drawn to her before Elora's giggles echoed through the basement, "Because I was the one that kept your mind locked up inside itself for the last two days."

Her green eyes sparkled with sadistic glee, "I'm sure you still feel a little… apprehension."

Emily opened her mouth a few times as if to say something, but in the end, she kept quiet. Erik suspected Emily simply didn't know what she could say to that information. Was she angry? Scared? Thankful, because Elora was part of the reason Emma was free now?

Seeing no reaction from Emily besides a continued wary gaze, Elora shrugged and continued, "Anyway, yeah. If you can't hold on against the onslaught of darkness in your soul, I can offer an easier way."

Elora's small, bright red lips curled into a lustful grin as Erik felt her pat the shoulder she was sitting on, "Let my partner here take control of you. Become his willing slave and let chains of pleasure and servitude bind your soul in a protective embrace."

Erik raised his eyebrows at Elora's proposal, as there was no real need for pleasure to be mentioned. Still, he just let it go, as he knew this was what Elora enjoyed: enticing women to fall into pleasure with her and Erik.

Her reaction was one that Erik expected. After all, years of first being a rebellious teen and then, even if she was corrupted, an enslaver herself had ingrained a deep desire for her own freedom.

So Emily instinctively jumped back in fright, "W- What?! I'll never be a slave! To anyone!"

Elora smirked at her defiance and shrugged, "Well, if you prefer to be a slave to your darkness, that's fine too. I'll just retake forceful control of you. Your choices are slavery to darkness while puppeteered by me or enslaved to him while otherwise being yourself.

At least with that last choice, you'll be able to interact normally with Emma."

Having said her piece, Erik felt Elora's tiny weight disappear from his shoulder, but not before she left behind some final words, "Anyway, I'll look on with interest to see what choice you make."

After Elora disappeared, Erik saw Emily pan her gaze towards him with apparent hesitation. It seemed as if Elora's words about being enslaved to darkness had struck a chord with the young woman.

Eventually, she asked, "C- Can you tell me a little more?"

Erik couldn't help but smirk at Elora's ability to entice people. Making a deal with Elora was like making a deal with the devil. Unfortunately for Elora, Erik didn't always play along with her half-truths.

He nodded, "Your situation isn't as grim as she made it seem. Besides the two options Elora mentioned, you do have a third one. Perhaps you haven't noticed yet, but you seem to be doing better already, right?"

He shrugged, "You just need some time to get used to living with this new burden. Find the best ways to resist your darkness and grow your mental fortitude. Use that same aversion to being enslaved by me and keep away the darkness through sheer willpower."

Erik had to admit that he didn't really know what Emily was going through, as he had never suffered from corruption. At least, not any negative corruption. Yet he couldn't help but empathize with the girl as he wondered how he would hold up in her situation.

Shaking himself free from his thoughts, he uttered some last words as he went to leave, "Anyway, I suggest you sleep on it a little.

Right now, the darkness is scarier because you have only just been freed from it, and it's not a good idea to make any life-changing decision. I won't lock you in here, so you can sleep in your room."

Before he could step foot on the stairs, however, he heard Emily call out to him, "Wait! I… Just don't tell Emma, all right? Let her believe the purification took care of everything. At least for now…"

Erik nodded, "Don't worry. I had intended the same thing."

So Erik left the basement, leaving Emily alone with her thoughts. At the same time, Elora once again scolded him for his 'bleeding heart'. Erik just smiled helplessly and wondered if he and Elora would ever see eye to eye on this kind of thing.

Afterward, it didn't take long before Emily left the basement searching for the woman she once knew as Olivia, wanting to determine the truth of her identity and perhaps talk all this through with her.

After all, they used to be each other's confidants.

******

Meanwhile, in Emma's room, Erik had decided to check up on her and make sure her magically induced sleep turned into a regular one so that she would actually be able to rest a little.

He woke her up and told her she fell asleep in her sister's arms due to exhaustion. After convincing a reluctant Emma that it was better to wait until the next day to continue catching up with her big sister, Emma requested to be tied up again.

Erik naturally did so happily and went to lie down next to Emma, this time intending to actually sleep.

While he needed very little rest, he did need at least a little. While there had been a few hours of unconsciousness after he basically fainted following the infusion of the winter wolf bloodline, that could hardly be considered sleep.

And with the days he had lately, he could feel exhaustion starting to creep in.

Naturally, Elora took the initiative to draw some sigils around the room for protection, since they couldn't exactly trust either Emily or Seraphina.

When everything was prepared for a good night's rest, Erik drifted off to sleep with two beautiful women in his arms, as Elora had decided to join him.

*******

Unfortunately, a good night's rest was not yet in his cards.

Instead of the blissful dreamland he was used to, he opened his eyes to find himself floating in a white void.

His first reaction was naturally jumping up and preparing for a fight. Still, nothing happened, as the void remained as empty as before.

He instinctively reached out to Elora, but although he could still feel his connection with her, there was no reaction from the woman, causing him some anxiety as this was the first time he couldn't talk to his partner in seven years.

He wondered suspiciously what was happening and felt angry at being toyed with like this. He opened his mouth to yell, "Whoever is doing this, just come out and tell me what you want!"

Although he couldn't be sure, he suspected that this had something to do with everything else that had happened to him so far. While he had little intention of giving in to whatever demands some strange entity might make of him, he could at least listen to what this was all about.

Suddenly, he heard a man's deep voice droning through the white void, "You…plans…audumla…revenge…"

Erik frowned as he had no idea what this voice was trying to say, a sentiment he was happy to voice out loud, "What the hell are you talking about?"

A response came, "Communication…hard…recovering…resisting…no time…."

Erik got a little impatient now and frowned. He realized he was dealing with something likely more powerful than him. Still, he wouldn't just bow down to a disembodied voice that couldn't even talk properly.

"If you can't communicate properly, why call me here?"

It was silent for a moment, then a response came, "Show…past…"

Suddenly, the environment changed, and several scenes played before Erik's eyes.