Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

***

Daria silently walked by Arleen's side not out of shame or a compulsion to appear subdued but rather because a lot was going through her mind. Particularly, the branded Seal that now rested atop her left breast and pulsed almost like a second heartbeat.

Daria did not hate the feeling because every pulse it gave off, granted her a feeling of connection to Evian. As though she only needed to reach out slightly and she would be by his side… Feeling what he felt— Experiencing what he experienced.

"You must have a lot of your mind," Arleen said eventually, breaking through the serenity Daria was beginning to toss herself into.

"Hmm?" Daria let out, not at all sure she had heard what Arleen had said.

Arleen took in a breath,

"It's alright. It has been a long night. You should get some rest," she said.

Daria bowed to her,

"Thank you," she said in gratitude before looking up and watching as the Priestess climbed a set of stairs that took her to her assigned quarters in the Santorum.

Daria turned around after that and walked away. A quarter of an hour of brisk walking later, she exited the Sanctorum through the closest exit to her, and with a simple seal, she conjured a movement circle that took off towards her home in Sacrosanct.

As she journeyed, Daria's brows could not help but furrow. It was many years ago but she could still remember how she had wandered these streets after her family's properties had been repossessed following the joint death of her parents during an Expedition.

The two had died in each other's arms and Daria could still remember how it had been hailed as Romantic because the two had refused to be away from each other even in death.

How stupid.

She wasn't even a teen and the same ones who praised her parent's sacrifice took all they had and left her to fend for herself. At such a tender age, Daria learned the reality that the Arcane Faith was actually a cover for many to perform their evil deeds under the guise of 'Spiritual Guidance'.

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She even found it ironic that it was that very Faith that she accepted when it offered her help in the form of Arcane recruiters who said,

"A daughter of Two brave Arcanists who gave their lives for the glorious Arcane Path, you must be gifted. Come with us, Child."

Daria remembered how she shivered with those hands stretched towards her. She remembered how she knew exactly what the self-important looks in those eyes meant— She knew even then how she was only a pity case for the bunch but she accepted the hand stretched to her. Gripped the one hope she had to forgo this life of struggle.

Years passed for her in service of the Church and then she met Arleen Lorient. Theirs was a strained relationship. At the time, at least.

Thinking back to it, Daria could not help but smile.

In preparation for her eventual goal of becoming a Cardinal, Arleen was beseeched to choose a young Arcanist to mentor on the Arcane Path. It was a tradition, and considering she had, at that point, reached a dead end in other criteria (Her Spiritual Circle most notably), Arleen reluctantly decided to make a selection and Daria was the 'lucky' one.

A lot happened in her years with Arleen. On a sad note, she had her unfortunate but -fortunately- short marriage that ended in 'Tragedy' and on a happier note, thanks to Arleen's backing, she recovered at least one thing from her childhood;

The home she had lived in as a Child.

The one she now had to return to after long nights such as the one she just had.

Back within the walls and now that her perception was no longer hampered by long nights spent on the streets, Daria found it easier to bring to mind her time with her late parents within this home.

She still felt it was irresponsible of them both to head out to war at the same time when they had a child to care for but she was able to understand that, at the very least, they had done well by her up until then.

Anyway, Daria found her way to her room, took off her gown until she was only in underwear, and with her breasts heaving with every breath she took, she pushed all other thoughts to the side to focus instead on an important event of the day… Her entry into Evian's Wraithic family.

Daria saw this as an opportunity.

An opportunity to break free of the strictly laid-out path she was already on. She brought her Cultivation technique to the forefront of her mind but it didn't take long for her to feel a disparity— A divide.

And then, she was drawn deep into her mind where Evian's Seal awaited her and then spat out a scroll that imprinted all of its information into her mind and fueled her with new understanding.

"The Decadent and Pure Revolution Art? Come on, Evian, you can do better than that for a name," she mumbled with a chuckle but her body exuded gratitude.

There he was again. Providing her with just what she needed when she needed it.

From that moment on, and till the next morning, Daria used the Decadent and Pure Revolution Art, enduring the pain it caused her, and surrendering as it pulled her towards the level of Decadent Excellence Evian was currently at.

By daybreak, Daria's cultivation had moved from the first step of the Fifth circle to the Third step and even that was considered slow because an increase in Cultivation was the least she was worried about. More importantly, she sought the enlightenment of Circles far above hers through Soul Enhancement.

If she could achieve their level of enlightenment while still being about two circles below, Daria believed that she would not be subjected to a dead end by rather have a new path opened to her.

She tried out her theory by transferring the resulting repelling force of the collision between Spiritual and Eldritch energies toward her Soul, damaging it and shredding her body with a metaphysical pain that made her feel like her entire existence was approaching a demise.

However, before that demise came to be, her Spiritual Energy as well as Evian's Eldritch energy swarmed the damage, repairing it, before colliding, damaging it, and starting the process all over again.

It was a painful process that always ended with a minuscule improvement of Daria's Soul. Daria believed strongly that repeating this was the key to her goal and that was why she kept at it even as the sun began to rise.

Unknown to the Witch though, every time the Spiritual and Eldritch energies came together to mend her damaged soul, they were morphing it. Transforming it in a manner not even she could have possibly predicted.

***

–Aren Vorden's Private Study–

Evian pulled himself free of Aren's body. The Priestess was finally, truly spent and would not be coming to for many hours to come and he hurried to make good use of that. Alas, he knew not to underestimate the ability of an Arcane Priestess to perceive things that were out of the ordinary so he went through a closed door into a bath connected to the study and for Aren's private use.

Evian dipped himself into the water and after a minute of relaxation, he brought the memory of every spell he had ever purchased from the Decadent Store to mind.

Now that he was a Wraith Prince, it was about time to upgrade his most recently bought spells, including Wraithic Phasing and the very thought of it ached him.

The Reason Evian had forked out so many Soul Points to purchase the last set of upgradable spells was that, although the Decadent Store had nothing that could guide him to create his own spells, every Spell he now had was composed of Wraithic symbols, all of which he was required to understand before he could use the said spell.

Evian believed that he could use those symbols from all those spells to create a Compendium of sorts for himself and use that for his unique spell creations. Freeing him from the obligation of purchasing from the Store.

There could even be more applications to this but that was a matter for later if this idea at all proved successful.

It was at that point that Evian received a call from his Communication Talisman. He pulled it out of his Spatial Ring and a familiar voice sounded from it immediately,

"Are you alone?" Astrid asked.

Evian smiled,

"Good morning to you too," he said, "And yes, I am."

"Good. You are aware that your ticket to Sacrosanct was based on mutual benefits, are you not?" Astrid asked.

"I AM aware," Evian said with a shrug, "What do you want?"

"The Arcane Church for millennia has been in possession of a Holy Spring 'built' over Divine Spiritual veins. I use 'Divine' lightly because, as powerful as the veins are, they are not godly.

Nevertheless, the veins produce a drop of the Holy water every year and are only used for Special baptisms when certain people are called to office.

I need you to find out where the Spring is, empty it, and bring the Holy water back to me."