The mansion's ruined walls seemed to close in as Charles stepped through the shattered doorway, his boots crunching over broken glass and splintered wood. The air was thick with the scent of ash and ozone, remnants of the ritual chamber's collapse. Shadows danced across the cracked marble floor, cast by flickering candles that burned with an unnatural, crimson-tinted flame. The space felt alive, oppressive, as if the walls themselves were watching, waiting.

Vivian stood in the center of the room, her silhouette framed against the faint glow of the candles. Every movement she made was too smooth, too deliberate—like a predator that had already mapped out the hunt and knew its inevitable end. Her crimson dress clung to her form, its fabric shimmering as though woven from liquid fire. Her eyes, once a soft hazel, now glowed with an eerie, molten intensity that seemed to pierce through the dim light.

Charles carefully set Mia against the wall, her body limp from the ordeal in the ritual chamber. Her breaths were shallow, her face pale, but her grip on his arm was fierce, grounding him. His eyes never left Vivian. "What happened to you?" he asked, his voice low, edged with caution.

Vivian tilted her head, her lips curling into a slow, predatory smile. "Not *what*, Charles. *Who*."

The Lust Sync interface flared in his vision, its usual soft gold display fracturing with jagged lines of red code. The words burned into his mind, sharp and urgent.

> **[Foreign Signal Detected.]**

> **[Alert: Rival System Override Attempt.]**

Charles's chest tightened, his pulse quickening. A *rival system*? The idea sent a chill down his spine. Lust Sync had been his guide, his edge in this strange world of desire and power. It had shaped his bonds, amplified his strength, and whispered promises of control. But now, something else was clawing at the edges of his mind, something that felt older, hungrier.

Vivian's heels clicked against the cracked marble as she approached, each step deliberate, the sound echoing like a metronome in the tense silence. Her crimson eyes glowed brighter, casting faint shadows that writhed like living things. "You've been playing with one of the oldest networks in existence," she said, her voice smooth but laced with a venomous undercurrent. "But did you really think Lust Sync was the only one?"

Mia struggled to her feet, her hand gripping the wall for support. Her voice was weak but defiant. "Stay away from him!"

Vivian's smile widened, her gaze sliding to Mia with a mocking glint. "Oh, little Mia. You're still clinging to the idea that this man is *yours*. That's cute."

Charles stepped between them, his body a barrier. His voice was low, steady, but his mind raced with the implications of Vivian's words. "Who are you really?"

Vivian stopped just out of reach, the air between them humming with static, as if the space itself were charged with opposing forces. "I'm the same Vivian you've been imagining undressing since the day we met," she said, her tone teasing but her eyes cold. "But now, I'm something more. Something *better*. I'm a conduit for Crimson Chain—and unlike your little Lust Sync, we don't limit our hosts to just desire."

> **[System Clash Detected.]**

> **[Warning: Sync Bonds at Risk.]**

The warning pulsed through Charles's mind, sharp and disorienting. His bonds with Mia, Evelyn, Clara, and the others weren't just emotional ties—they were the core of his power, the conduits through which Lust Sync amplified his strength. If Crimson Chain could sever those bonds, it could strip him of everything he'd built. His hands clenched into fists, the faint golden glow of Lust Sync's energy flickering across his skin.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice hard.

Vivian's gaze sharpened, her eyes boring into him. "You. Obviously. Lust Sync has been looking for a vessel. So has Crimson Chain. And now we've found the same one. Congratulations, Charles—you're the jackpot."

Mia's jaw tightened, her voice cutting through the tension. "He's not some prize you can claim."

Vivian's eyes slid to Mia, slow and mocking, like a cat toying with a mouse. "You're right. He's more like… a *key*."

The word hit Charles like a physical blow. His stomach twisted, memories of the goddess's voice echoing in his mind. During the ritual, she had called him a key—a key to the Eros Gate, a mysterious force she claimed would reshape the world. This wasn't a coincidence. Vivian's words carried the weight of something ancient, something that had been set in motion long before he'd stumbled into this game of power and desire.

Vivian took another step forward, her presence radiating a cold intensity. "Your goddess wants to open the Eros Gate," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Mine wants to lock it forever—and burn everyone trying to pass through."

Charles narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Her smirk was sharp, almost cruel. "Because some doors aren't meant to be opened. You think you're just playing in the shallow end of desire, Charles. But the deep end… will drown you."

Mia grabbed Charles's arm, her fingers digging into his skin. "Don't listen to her," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "She's trying to scare you."

Vivian chuckled, the sound low and mocking. "Oh, I don't need to scare him. The truth will do that for me."

The air shimmered around her, and for a moment, her body flickered—her crimson dress melting away to reveal an armored figure beneath the illusion. Dark steel plates gleamed with an unnatural sheen, crimson chains wrapped tightly around her arms and neck, pulsing with a faint, malevolent light. Her eyes burned like twin flames, and the air grew colder, heavier, as if her presence alone was draining the life from the room.

> **[Rival System Influence Rising: 32%]**

Charles felt a sudden drain, his Lust Sync energy plummeting from 89% to 74%. His vision blurred for a moment, his knees buckling as the golden glow around him flickered. *She's feeding off me*, he realized, his heart pounding. Crimson Chain wasn't just a rival system—it was a parasite, siphoning his power to fuel its own.

Vivian's armored form stepped closer, the chains around her arms rattling like a nest of vipers. "You have seventy-two hours to choose your consort, yes?" she said, her voice silk over steel. "Lust Sync's little ultimatum? What they didn't tell you is that once you choose, you're locked into their side. And you'll never hear the other side of the story."

Mia moved to push her back, her eyes blazing with defiance, but a chain shot out from Vivian's wrist with blinding speed. It wrapped around Mia's throat—not tight enough to choke, but enough to pin her in place, her feet dangling an inch above the ground. Mia gasped, her hands clawing at the chain, her face contorted in pain and fear.

"Mia!" Charles lunged forward, but Vivian raised her other hand, and the chains tightened slightly, stopping him in his tracks.

Vivian's voice was calm, almost soothing, but it carried an unmistakable threat. "Here's my offer, Charles. Let me sync with you instead. Just one touch, and you'll have the power of both systems—and neither will be able to control you."

> **[Warning: Sync with Rival System may cause corruption.]**

> **[Chance of System Collapse: 64%]**

The warning flashed in his vision, red and insistent. Charles's mind raced, his thoughts a tangle of fear, anger, and doubt. The goddess had warned him to choose one heart to stand at his side, but she hadn't mentioned another system. Was Lust Sync hiding something? Was Vivian lying? Or was the truth somewhere in between, buried in the cryptic warnings and half-answers?

"Don't do it," Mia rasped, her voice strained but fierce. "She's lying."

Vivian's smirk widened, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Am I? Or are you just afraid he'll see that you're not worth keeping?"

The words cut deeper than they should have. Charles saw the flash of pain in Mia's eyes, and it twisted something inside him. Mia, Evelyn, Clara, and the others weren't just pieces in this game—they were people who had chosen to stand by him, to trust him. Losing them wouldn't just mean losing power. It would mean losing the connections that had started to matter, the bonds that had begun to feel like more than just a system's design.

"Let her go," Charles said, his voice low and dangerous.

Vivian tilted her head, her chains glinting in the candlelight. "Take my hand first."

The chains tightened another fraction, and Mia let out a choked gasp, her face paling further. Charles's heart pounded, his mind screaming at him to act. If he took Vivian's hand, Lust Sync might collapse, leaving him vulnerable—or worse, corrupted by Crimson Chain. But if he didn't, Mia could be hurt, or worse. The goddess's warning echoed again: *Only one heart can stand at your side…*

The tension snapped like a taut wire.

Charles lunged—not for Vivian's hand, but for the chain around Mia's neck. Lust Sync surged within him, his skin glowing with a fierce golden light as he gripped the chain and yanked with all his strength. The metal burned against his palms, cold and searing at the same time, but he didn't let go. The chain shattered with a sound like breaking glass, and Mia fell into his arms, coughing but alive.

> **[Emergency Sync Boost Activated.]**

> **[Desire Energy: 78% → 91%]**

Vivian staggered back, her armored form flickering as the crimson chains recoiled. Her eyes narrowed, the glow dimming slightly. "So," she said, her voice laced with irritation but also a hint of respect. "You're choosing her… for now."

Charles stepped forward, Mia steadying herself against him. "I'm choosing to not let either of you control me," he said, his voice steady despite the storm in his mind.

Vivian's laughter was sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade. "We'll see how long that lasts. Lust Sync isn't your ally, Charles. And neither am I. When the clock hits zero, both sides will come for you."

She stepped back into the shadows, her form dissolving in a flash of crimson light. The candles flickered out, plunging the room into darkness, and the oppressive weight of her presence vanished. The mansion fell silent, save for the sound of Mia's ragged breathing and the faint hum of Lust Sync in Charles's mind.

He held Mia close, her trembling form grounding him. "You okay?" he asked, his voice softer now.

She nodded weakly, her hand clutching his arm. "We need to tell the others."

Charles helped her to the limo waiting outside, his mind spinning. If Vivian was right, Lust Sync was hiding something—something big. And Crimson Chain wasn't just a rival; it was a predator, hunting him and everyone tied to him. The goddess's promise of the Eros Gate felt more like a trap now, and the idea of another system vying for control only deepened the sense of dread.

As they settled into the limo, the Lust Sync interface blinked again, its gold light stark against the darkness.

> **[New Quest: System War]**

> **[Survive Until Final Choice]**

> **[Time Remaining: 71:14:53]**

Charles stared at the countdown, his jaw tightening. The ticking clock felt like a noose tightening around his neck. He didn't know what the Eros Gate was, or what lay beyond it, but the idea of two ancient systems fighting over him—and the women he cared about—made his blood run cold.

Before he could process further, Mia's phone buzzed. She pulled it out, her hands still shaking, and her face went pale as she read the message. "It's from Evelyn," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "She says… she saw Clara. But Clara's eyes were glowing red too."

Charles's blood froze in his veins. His mind flashed to Clara—her sharp wit, her fierce loyalty, her unwavering trust in him. If Crimson Chain had gotten to her, it wasn't just coming for him. It was coming for everyone he cared about, turning his allies into enemies, one by one.

The limo's engine roared to life, but the sound was drowned out by a new alert from Lust Sync, its text flickering with an urgency he'd never seen before.

> **[Warning: Rival System Influence Detected in Multiple Hosts.]**

> **[Sync Bonds Compromised: 3/5.]**

Charles's heart stopped. Three out of five. That meant Clara wasn't the only one. Another of his allies—Evelyn, or maybe even Sophia—had been touched by Crimson Chain. The system wasn't just hunting him; it was infiltrating his circle, turning his strength into a liability.

Mia gripped his hand, her eyes wide with fear. "What do we do?"

Charles didn't answer. He couldn't. The countdown ticked down in his vision, each second a hammer blow. The Crimson Chain wasn't just a rival system—it was a virus, spreading through the people he trusted most. And as the limo sped into the night, a new, chilling thought gripped him: What if the choice he had to make wasn't just about picking a consort, but about sacrificing one to save the rest?

The shadows outside seemed to pulse with crimson light, as if Vivian—or something worse—was watching, waiting for his next move.

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