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

The heavy wooden door creaked open, revealing a sight that made Aria's breath catch in her throat.

Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched out before her, disappearing into the shadows of the cavernous room. The air was thick with the musty scent of old parchment and leather bindings, a smell that spoke of secrets long buried.

Lady Belstadt swept into the room, her black robes billowing behind her like wings of darkness.

"Welcome, Your Highness, to the true heart of Syux's history."

Aria stepped inside, her heels clicking against the stone floor. The sound echoed in the vast space, making her feel small and insignificant.

"What is this place?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The lady's violet eyes gleamed in the flickering candlelight.

"This, my dear, is where we keep the real history of our city. The truths too dangerous to be left in the hands of the masses." She ran a pale finger along the spine of a nearby book. "Even kings of the past were unaware of its existence."

Aria's mind raced, trying to process what she was seeing.

[A secret library? Hidden truths? What in the seven hells is going on here?]

"I don't understand," Aria said, her brow furrowing. "Why keep all of this hidden? Surely the people have a right to know their own history."

Lady Belstadt's laugh was like ice cracking.

"Oh, you sweet summer child. If only it were that simple." She plucked a heavy tome from a nearby shelf, its cover worn and faded with age. "Tell me, Your Highness, what do you know about the early days of Syux? About the relationship between humans and nim?"

Aria frowned, recalling her lessons.

"The nim have always been under our control. Humans have ruled Syux since its founding, with the nim living as second-class citizens."

"Wrong," Lady Belstadt said, her voice sharp enough to cut. She opened the book, revealing pages filled with script Aria didn't recognize. "That, my dear, is the sanitized version of history fed to the masses. The truth is far more... complicated."

She began to read, her voice taking on a hypnotic quality that sent shivers down Aria's spine.

"In the beginning, it was not humans who ruled, but the nim. Their pheromones clouded the minds of all around them, bending humans, darians, and kitsune alike to their will."

Aria's eyes widened.

"What? But that's impossible. The nim can't-"

"Can't use magic?" Lady Belstadt interrupted, arching an eyebrow. "Can't influence others with their very presence? Oh, Your Highness, those are lies carefully crafted over centuries. Melisa Blackflame is not an anomaly. She is merely the first in a little while to break free of the constraints we placed upon her kind."

Aria's head spun. She gripped the edge of a nearby table for support, the wood smooth and cool beneath her fingers.

"I don't... This can't be true. If the nim were so powerful, how did humans ever come to power?"

Lady Belstadt's smile was a thing of razors and shadows.

"Ah, now that is where our story truly begins." She turned a page, the parchment crackling beneath her touch. "Over time, humans, darians, and kitsune began to realize the extent of the nim's influence. They formed secret organizations, dedicated to breaking free from the nim's control and reclaiming their autonomy."

As Lady Belstadt spoke, Aria could almost see the scenes playing out before her. Clandestine meetings in dark alleys, whispered plans passed from ear to ear, the slow buildup of resistance against an unseen oppressor.

"These groups worked tirelessly," Lady Belstadt continued, her voice rising and falling like waves on a stormy sea. "They hunted the most powerful of nim down, before they could use their pheromones and their magic."

Aria found herself leaning in, captivated despite her disbelief.

"What happened then?"

Lady Belstadt's eyes glittered with an almost feverish light.

"A revolution, Your Highness. Slowly. A war fought not with swords and spells, but with secrets and subterfuge. The nim's power was broken, their ability to use magic suppressed through law first, and then through lies and deceit after."

She snapped the book shut, the sound echoing like a thunderclap in the quiet library.

"And so, the world as we know it came to be. Humans ascended to power, with the nim relegated to the fringes of society. A necessary evil, to prevent them from ever regaining their former strength."

Aria's mind whirled, trying to reconcile this new information with everything she'd ever known.

"But... if this is true, why keep it secret? Why not tell everyone the truth?"

Lady Belstadt's laugh was bitter and cold.

"Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if this knowledge became public? The panic, the witch hunts, the potential for the nim to use that fear to their advantage?" She shook her head. "No, it's far safer to keep the masses ignorant. To let them believe in a simpler, sanitized version of history."

Aria paced the length of a bookshelf, her fingers trailing along the spines of ancient tomes. Each one, she realized, probably contained more hidden truths, more revelations that could shake the very foundations of their society.

"You said these organizations persisted," Aria said slowly, a dawning realization making her blood run cold. "Are you saying... Are you saying they still exist today?"

Lady Belstadt's smile was a thing of terrible beauty.

"Very good, Your Highness. Yes, some of these groups continue their work even now, ever vigilant against the nim threat."

Aria's heart pounded in her chest, a rhythmic drumbeat of fear and anticipation.

"Like who?"

"Oh, I think you can guess," Lady Belstadt purred. "A group that works from the shadows, dedicated to maintaining the delicate balance of power in Syux. A group often misunderstood, painted as villains by those who don't know the truth."

The realization hit Aria like a physical blow.

"The Shadow Mages," she whispered, the words tasting like ash on her tongue.

Lady Belstadt nodded, her violet eyes blazing with triumph.

"Precisely. The Shadow Mages aren't the evil organization you've been led to believe, Your Highness. They exist to handle an existential threat, to protect humanity from a danger most don't even know exists."

Aria felt as though the floor was tilting beneath her feet. Everything she thought she knew, every certainty she'd held dear, was crumbling around her.

"This... this is insane. I can't believe-"

"Oh, but you must," Lady Belstadt interrupted. "Because, my dear Aria, there's one more truth you need to know." She leaned in close, her breath ghosting across Aria's ear as she whispered:

"Your mother, Queen Melara, was one of us."

---

{Armia}

The garden basked in the warm glow of the setting sun.

Armia sat hunched on a bench, her golden scales glinting in the fading light. Her clawed hands clenched and unclenched rhythmically.

[Darien, you idiot,] she thought, a lump forming in her throat. [Why'd you have to go and die on me?]

She was conflicted.

On one hand, she wanted nothing more than to find the nearest Shadow Mage and wring their neck. On the other...

[What would a Lady do in this situation?]

Immediately, her mind told her "sit down and wait for others to handle it".

And that didn't sit right with her at all.

Soft footsteps pulled Armia from her brooding. She looked up to see Margaret approaching, a steaming cup of tea in each hand. The nim woman's purple skin contrasted beautifully with the lush greenery around them.

"Mind if I join you?" Margaret asked, her voice as gentle as a summer breeze.

Armia shrugged, shifting over to make room on the bench.

"It's your garden."

Margaret giggled.

"Technically, it's our lady Javir's garden, don't forget."

"You might need to remind Javir of that."

Again, Margaret chuckled before offering Armia one of those cups.

The tea's heat seeped through the porcelain, warming Armia's palms. She inhaled deeply, the aromatic steam filling her nostrils.

"How are you holding up, dear?" Margaret asked, blowing gently on her own tea.

Armia grunted, her massive tail twitching irritably.

"Fine."

"Mhmm," Margaret hummed, one eyebrow arching skeptically. "And I'm the Queen of Syux."

The corner of Armia's mouth twitched upward, almost against her will.

"You'd make a better queen than the last one, that's for sure."

Margaret's laughter rang out, clear and bright in the quiet garden.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think the crown would clash horribly with my horns."

Armia snickered.

For a moment, they sat in companionable silence, sipping their tea and watching the play of light and shadow across the garden. A cool breeze rustled through the leaves, carrying with it the sweet scent of roses and freshly cut grass.

"You know," Margaret said finally, her voice soft but firm, "those responsible will face justice. It may not be today or tomorrow, but it will happen."

Armia sighed.

"Will they? Because from where I'm sitting, it seems like our little group are the only ones actually doing anything." She set her empty cup down, the porcelain clinking against the stone bench. "Everyone else in the entire city is just... going about their lives like nothing's wrong. Like there isn't some shadowy organization out there picking people off one by one."

[... And I was one of them, before I met Melisa.]

Margaret reached out, her hand warm and comforting on Armia's arm.

"I know it feels that way now, dear. But you're not alone in this. We're all here for you. Melisa, Javir, Raven, Isabella... even me, though I'm not much use in a fight."

Armia snorted.

"Don't sell yourself short. If a fight broke down right now, you'd for sure make for a good distraction."

"Really?" Margaret smiled. "I guess I could just flash 'em." Margaret pushed her chest out, making her massive boobs bounce. "These babies have their uses, you know?"

JIGGLE JIGGLE

Armia cackled. Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

"You could," Armia replied with a smile, looking away.

[The gods know you Blackflames sure are distracting enough.]

Margaret's eyes lit up, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

"Oh! Speaking of fighting, did you know Melisa promised to start teaching me magic?"

Armia blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic.

"She did?"

Margaret nodded enthusiastically, standing up and waving her hands in what was probably meant to be a mystical gesture.

"Oh yes! But, well..." she trailed off, her ears drooping slightly. "She's been so busy lately, what with all the... recent events and her training with Zephyra... So, I was thinking..."

Gravity tried its hardest to pull Armia's eyes downward but she tried not to let it happen.

[Is it just me or is Margaret hunching over to let me peek at her tits?]

Armia raised an eyebrow, already seeing where this was going.

"Let me guess. You want me to start your magical lessons instead?"

Margaret's eyes widened, her tail swishing hopefully behind her.

"Would you? Oh, Armia, that would be wonderful!"

The earnestness in Margaret's voice tugged at something in Armia's chest, melting away a bit of the ice that had formed around her heart.

For the first time in days, she felt a genuine smile spread across her face.

"Alright," she said, pushing herself to her feet. "I suppose I could show you a thing or two. But don't expect any miracles, okay? I'm not even half the mage Isabella and Melisa are."

Margaret clapped her hands together, making those delicious titties push in.

"Oh, thank you, thank you! When can we start? Now? Is now good?"

Armia chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

"Now works. But let's start with something simple, okay? Nothing too crazy."

Margaret grinned in a way that made her look decades younger.

"Sure. Let's do it."

She hopped with joy and her boobs bounced and jiggled again.

[... Distracting.]