I stumbled out of Professor Scarlet's classroom in a daze, my body still tingling from the phantom touches that had tormented us throughout the lecture. The corridor seemed too bright, too loud, and every brush of fabric against my skin felt amplified tenfold. I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure.

  "That was absolutely cruel," Aria hissed once we were safely out of earshot. She leaned against the wall, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "I'm so... I can't even think straight right now."

  Isabella smoothed her uniform with practiced dignity, though I could see the slight tremor in her hands. "It was certainly an effective form of discipline."

  "Effective?" Aria groaned. "I'm practically dying here. We need to do something about this... this situation." She gestured vaguely at herself. "I say we skip the next class and go back to the dorm. Or Isabella's place. Or literally any private corner we can find."

  I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of arousal that still clouded my thoughts. "We can't. We have Professor Tiamatha's test in ten minutes."

  "Ten minutes?" Aria's eyes widened in horror. "Are you serious? I don't care about some stupid test on whatever reproductive whatever. I'm really horny right now, Lily."

  Isabella raised an eyebrow. "May I remind you that this 'punishment' that's made you so desperate is because you insisted on a round two, then three, and then four this morning? Which is precisely why we were late to class in the first place."

  Aria rolled her eyes. "Like I said before, you both could've refused me." She sighed dramatically, running her fingers through her dark hair. "But fine, I concede. We'll take the stupid test."

  I started walking toward Professor Tiamatha's classroom, hoping the movement would help me regain focus. Aria and Isabella fell into step beside me.

  "But," Aria continued, her tone suddenly brightening, "I have a demand. We're all going to the Pleasure Dome during lunch break." She pointed at me. "Even you, Lily."

  I stopped walking. "The Pleasure Dome? Aria, come on..."

  "Nope. Non-negotiable." Aria crossed her arms. "I've been trying to get you there for months."

  I sighed, feeling my resistance crumbling. It wasn't that I was opposed to intimacy—that ship had sailed long ago. Having sex in a private room with just the three of us, and occasionally Brutus or Bellas, had become comfortable, even natural. But the Pleasure Dome was an entirely different experience.

  The Pleasure Dome was exactly what its name suggested—a massive complex designed for succubi to gorge themselves on vital essence until they couldn't swallow another drop. It featured everything from massive orgies to specialised chambers for every conceivable desire. There were even baths filled with substances I didn't even dare to mention. The thought of being surrounded by dozens of succubi and their prey, all engaged in various acts of debauchery, made me uncomfortable in ways I couldn't fully articulate.

  But I knew I couldn't reject Aria forever. She'd been trying to convince me since my first week at the Academy.

  "Fine," I finally said, surprising even myself. "But we're not going to the tentacle pits or any of those weird baths. I draw the line there."

  Aria's jaw dropped. "Fine, fine," she agreed quickly, clearly shocked by my acquiescence. She turned to Isabella with disbelief in her voice. "I can't believe she actually agreed."

  "I'm doing it so you'll stop trying to drag me there every other day," I muttered, adjusting my bag on my shoulder.

  Aria's face broke into a wide, mischievous grin. "I won't have to try convincing you anymore. Once you experience it, you'll understand. You'll be begging to go back."

  "Uh-huh," I replied sceptically, "Somehow Isabella doesn't seem to need to go there every time you suggest it."

  Aria waved her hand dismissively. "Isabella doesn't count."

  Isabella's perfectly shaped eyebrows shot up. "I beg your pardon?" she said, her voice taking on a tone of mock offence.

  "You know what I mean," Aria laughed, nudging Isabella with her elbow. "You've been there enough times to know what it's like. Lily's still a Pleasure Dome virgin."

  "A distinction I was perfectly content with," I grumbled as we approached Professor Tiamatha's classroom.

  The hallway was already filling with students preparing for the test. Many looked nervous, frantically reviewing notes or quizzing each other. Under normal circumstances, I might have felt a twinge of anxiety myself, but Professor Scarlet's "punishment" had left me with other concerns.

  "Do you think Professor Tiamatha would notice if we slipped out right after turning in our tests?" Aria whispered as we took our seats.

  Isabella gave her a withering look. "Given that she notices every minute detail of everyone's anatomy? Yes, I believe she would notice."

  "Besides," I added, pulling out my pen, "the test is supposed to be comprehensive. We'll need the full period."

  Aria slumped in her seat. "Fine. But the second this is over, we're heading straight to the Pleasure Dome. I've been wanting to show you the Crimson Chamber for ages, Lily."

  "What's the Crimson Chamber?" I asked, immediately regretting the question.

  Aria's eyes lit up. "It's this amazing room where they—"

  "Perhaps this conversation could wait until after the test?" Isabella interrupted, nodding toward Professor Tiamatha, who had just entered the classroom.

  Professor Tiamatha strode to the front of the room, her lab coat unbuttoned as usual, revealing lacy undergarments that left little to the imagination. Her wild red curls bounced with each step, and the tiny golden bells on her horns chimed softly.

  "Good morning, my eager students," she purred, her green eyes scanning the room. "I hope you're all prepared to demonstrate your knowledge."

  She began distributing test papers, leaning unnecessarily close to each student as she did so. When she reached our row, she paused, looking at each of us with a knowing smile.

  "You three look particularly... stimulated today," she observed, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Professor Scarlet's special attention, perhaps? Her methods are quite effective, aren't they?"

  I felt my cheeks flush. "We're ready for the test, Professor," I said, trying to sound confident.

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  "I'm sure you are, Miss Nightstar." She placed the papers on our desks and moved on.

  I looked down at the test, forcing myself to focus on the questions. The first section asked us to match various species with their compatible mating partners and explain the physiological mechanisms that made such pairings possible.

  Beside me, Aria was already scribbling furiously, though whether from actual knowledge or desperation to finish quickly, I couldn't tell. Isabella, on my other side, worked with methodical precision, her elegant handwriting filling the page.

  I took a deep breath and began writing, trying to ignore the lingering effects of Professor Scarlet's punishment and the looming visit to the Pleasure Dome. One challenge at a time, I told myself. First the test, then... whatever awaited us at lunch.

  * * *

  I closed my test booklet with a sigh of relief. Despite the lingering haze of arousal from Professor Scarlet's "educational discipline," I'd managed to focus enough to complete all the questions. Cross-species reproductive compatibility wasn't exactly the most challenging subject for someone with an engineering background—it was mostly anatomy and biological systems analysis when you got down to it.

  "That wasn't so bad," I said, turning to Isabella who was meticulously reviewing her answers one final time.

  "Speak for yourself," Aria groaned, dramatically dropping her pen. "I swear Tiamatha made this harder than the study guide suggested. Who cares about the exact chemical composition of Arachne's mating fluids?"

  "It was literally on page forty-three of the textbook," Isabella replied without looking up.

  "Well, I didn't read page forty-three, did I?" Aria huffed.

  Professor Tiamatha called time, and with a wave of her hand, all our test papers floated up from our desks and stacked themselves neatly on hers. "Enjoy your lunch break, students," she said with a knowing smile in our direction. "I hope some of you find... relief from your academic stresses."

  The moment we stepped into the hallway, Aria grabbed my arm with surprising strength. "Pleasure Dome. Now. You promised."

  "Wait, I—" I started, suddenly remembering exactly what I'd agreed to earlier. The test had temporarily pushed it from my mind, but now the reality came crashing back. "Maybe we should just head back to the dorms? I could use a nap before afternoon classes."

  "A nap?" Aria's eyes widened in disbelief. "After what Scarlet did to us? No way. You need proper relief, and so do I."

  "We have Bellas waiting at the dorm," I countered, trying to sound reasonable. "He can help with... that."

  "Bellas is lovely," Aria said, already pulling me down the hallway, "but he's not a Pleasure Dome. You promised, Lily. No backing out now."

  I looked desperately at Isabella, hoping for support, but she merely watched us with amused detachment, her lips curved in a subtle smile.

  "Isabella?" I pleaded. "A little help?"

  "You did promise," she replied, falling into step beside us. "And I find myself curious to see your first reaction to the Dome. It's something of a rite of passage for young succubi."

  "Traitor," I muttered.

  Aria's grip on my arm tightened as she practically dragged me toward the Academy's main entrance. "You'll thank me later. The Crimson Chamber will blow your mind."

  "I still don't know what that is, and I'm not sure I want to," I said, making one last attempt to dig in my heels.

  "It's where they have these special feeders who—"

  "Aria, please," I interrupted, "I really don't think—"

  "Excuse me!"

  We all turned at the sound of the voice. Nyx was hurrying toward us, her midnight-blue hair bouncing with each step, a stack of books clutched to her chest.

  "Isabella," she called, slightly out of breath. "I received your message. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me."

  Isabella nodded gracefully. "Of course. Lily mentioned your research interests."

  I stared at Isabella in surprise. I hadn't realised she'd already contacted Nyx.

  Aria's grip on my arm loosened slightly. "What's this about?"

  "Research," Nyx said, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. "I've been studying interdimensional physics, particularly as it relates to the Ninth Circle's unique properties."

  "Fascinating," Aria replied, not bothering to hide her lack of interest. She tugged at my arm again. "We were just heading to the Pleasure Dome. We can talk about research later."

  "The Pleasure Dome?" Nyx's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, I see. I didn't mean to interrupt."

  "You're not interrupting," I said quickly, perhaps too eagerly. "In fact, maybe we should discuss your research now? It sounds important."

  Isabella's lips twitched with barely suppressed amusement. "Perhaps we could combine the two? The Pleasure Dome has private lounges where we could talk while... enjoying the amenities."

  My heart sank. So much for that escape plan.

  Nyx adjusted her glasses, looking uncertain. "I wouldn't want to impose on your... recreational time."

  "Nonsense," Isabella said smoothly. "I'm quite interested in hearing more about your research before potentially involving my mother in arranging access to the Ninth Circle. The Dome provides a relaxed atmosphere for such discussions."

  "Well, if you're sure..." Nyx glanced at me, then at Aria, who was practically vibrating with impatience.

  "It's settled then," Aria announced triumphantly. "Pleasure Dome with a side of boring research talk."

  As we made our way across the Academy grounds toward the glittering dome in the distance, I resigned myself to my fate. At least Nyx's presence might provide some distraction from whatever Aria had planned.

  "So," I said to Nyx, deliberately slowing my pace to fall behind Aria, who was now practically skipping ahead, "tell me more about your interest in the Ninth Circle."

  Nyx's face lit up. "It's absolutely fascinating from a theoretical perspective. The Ninth Circle defies conventional physics in ways that no other realm does. Even the other circles of Hell maintain some semblance of physical constants, but Chaos—" she lowered her voice reverently, "—Chaos rewrites the rules entirely."

  "And what exactly are you hoping to study there?" I asked, genuinely curious despite my ulterior motives for the conversation.

  "The boundary interfaces," she replied eagerly. "The points where reality shifts from one state to another. I believe they hold the key to understanding cross-dimensional travel without traditional portal magic."

  "That sounds... advanced," I said carefully.

  "It is!" Nyx clutched her books tighter. "Most scholars focus on the stable regions of Chaos, but I'm more interested in the transition zones. The mathematics are extraordinarily complex—non-Euclidean geometries layered with temporal distortion factors."

  Isabella, who had been walking silently beside us, raised an eyebrow. "And what practical applications might such research have?"

  Nyx hesitated. "Well, theoretically, if one could map these transition points accurately, it might be possible to create pathways between realms that don't require traditional gate magic. More efficient travel, essentially. Potentially even bypass dimensional restrictions all together."

  I noticed Isabella's subtle shift in posture—a slight straightening of her spine that indicated increased interest. "I see. And is this purely academic curiosity, or do you have specific realms in mind?"

  "Oh, purely academic," Nyx assured her quickly. "Though I admit I'm particularly interested in the mortal realm connections."

  Ahead of us, the Pleasure Dome loomed larger. It was an enormous structure of obsidian and crystal, pulsing with subtle lights that seemed to call to something primal within me. Despite my reluctance, I felt a pull toward it that was difficult to ignore.

  "We're here!" Aria announced unnecessarily, spinning around to face us. Her eyes narrowed when she saw how engrossed we were in conversation. "Seriously? You're talking about research right now? We're at the Pleasure Dome!"

  "We can continue inside," Isabella said diplomatically. "I believe you mentioned private lounges?"

  Aria rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine. But Lily still gets the full tour."

  I swallowed hard as we approached the ornate entrance. Two tall, impossibly beautiful incubi stood guard, their muscular bodies barely covered by strategically placed leather straps. They bowed slightly as we approached.

  "Welcome to the Pleasure Dome," one said, his voice like velvet. "How may we serve you today?"

  Aria stepped forward confidently. "One pureblood and three common succubi. We'd like access to the Crimson Chamber and a private lounge afterward."

  The guards' eyes flicked over our group, lingering slightly longer on Isabella and, to my discomfort, me. I realised with a start that they were trying to identify which one of us was the pureblood Aria had mentioned.

  "Of course," the second guard said, opening the massive doors. "The Crimson Chamber awaits your pleasure. Afterwards, Lounge Seven will be prepared for your private use."

  As we stepped inside, I was immediately overwhelmed by the sensory experience. The air was thick with perfumes and pheromones, the lighting a soft red glow that made everything seem dreamlike. Music pulsed through the space, not just audible but somehow tangible, vibrating through my body.

  "Still want to go back to the dorms?" Aria whispered, grinning at my wide-eyed expression.

  Before I could answer, Nyx leaned closer to Isabella. "Thank you again for considering my request. I've prepared extensive notes on my research methodology if you'd like to review them."

  Isabella nodded, but her attention was clearly divided, her eyes scanning the opulent interior of the Dome. "We'll discuss it in detail after Aria has shown Lily the... attractions."

  I shot Isabella a pleading look, but she merely smiled, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Consider it educational," she said softly. "After all, we are still students."