Absolute darkness— not a single speck of light. All she could hear was the squelching wriggle of some substance. Her entire body was tightly bound in cold, sticky matter.

Anyone with claustrophobia would snap here. Even Freya couldn’t withstand this void.

Three centuries sealed in blackness had hardened her—but this was nothing like before.

It wasn’t just pitch black. Something kept slithering into her body from the dark.

She dared not open her mouth to breathe, terrified it would crawl in through her lips. She tried to cover herself, but her arms were pinned tight.

She felt like a sausage squeezed inside its casing—unable to twitch even a finger.

“How’s it going, my dear daughter? Isn’t Mommy’s belly nice and cozy?”

Freya was inside Morningstar. As the embodiment of worldly evil, Morningstar’s womb held only endless darkness and corruption.

Morningstar cradled her belly, feeling Freya’s shape squirm within.

“Hmph!”

Freya stayed silent, jaw clenched. She forced herself calm, resisting the abyss.

“Even silent, you still reek of fear~ So delicious. I’ve never tasted anything this exquisite. Thank you for showing me this body’s pleasure.”

Morningstar savored it—the feast of another’s terror, the thrill of struggle within her. It surpassed every joy she’d known. She craved more: more screams, more pleas, more souls writhing in dread inside her…

Just imagining it sent a shiver through her. *So… magnificent.*

“Don’t think it’s over. Darkness has swallowed you—but not yet invaded. Closing your mouth won’t stop me. There are… other ways in.”

Sensing Freya’s posture, Morningstar guided the black substance inward. First target:

Her ears.

Though blind, Freya felt a cold dread inch into her ear—like a wriggling worm burrowing deep.

Her body trembled with unknown horror.

“W-what is this!?” she screamed inwardly. She felt it pierce her eardrum… sliding deeper…

“No matter what you do! I will never… surrender!”

But willpower shattered the moment it touched her mind.

“Aaaaah! M-my brain—it’s inside my brain! Ugh… ahhh! Evil… darkness… my… thoughts… torn apart! Nnnnnggggghhhhh!!!!”

In an instant, Freya broke. Her mind, defenseless against absolute corruption, was utterly stained.

Her body convulsed like a seizure inside Morningstar—then stilled.

As darkness sank deeper, resistance vanished. The shadow within her answered.

Pain faded. Bliss flooded in. One thought remained: *Become one with darkness. Stay like this… forever.*

“So… happy… want to surrender… ngh… I lose… Please… make me darkness… I’ll serve the Master of Darkness… forever…”

Less than minutes passed. Freya surrendered. This was exactly what the Dragoness had longed for Morningstar to do. Corrupting the Holy Maiden? Effortless.

But Morningstar halted. She withdrew the darkness from Freya—taking even traces that had already taken root.

A hollow void crashed over Freya. Her mind cleared… yet she couldn’t beg the Dark Sorceress to corrupt her again.

“That’s enough, little one~ You lost.”

Morningstar smiled faintly. Black ooze swirled on her belly. A human-shaped form emerged. As it receded, Freya lay gasping on the ground.

“Huff… hah… Why… why not turn me like the Dragoness? You could’ve…”

The Dark Dragon was once a being of light—until the Dark Sorceress corrupted her into a loyal servant. Freya expected the same fate. But Morningstar refused.

“Because~” Morningstar stepped close, stroking Freya’s cheek. “If all my servants obeyed blindly? So boring. Keeping someone who *hates* me nearby… teasing her… far more fun. Want to be my dark servant? Hehe… I *could*~"

She trailed a finger down Freya’s arm. “But only if you *beg* me. Beg to become darkness.”

Darkness purged, mind clear—but the memory burned deep.

That bliss. That power. Body and soul still *ached* for it.

*No.* Freya clenched her fists. *I am the Holy Maiden of the Divine Clan. I will not shame my people.*

Forced corruption? She’d accept weakness. But *begging* for darkness while sane? An insult to her very soul.

She would never yield.

“Yes! *That* look—so resolute.” Morningstar’s eyes gleamed. “If you’d surrendered quietly, my fun would’ve ended. This? Perfect. This is what a Holy Maiden *should* be. So don’t surrender too easily, alright~?"

Only resistance brought Morningstar joy. Surrender meant boredom… and a new toy.

“You already resemble the legendary Dark Sorceress. Has your humanity been utterly erased? Sigh… what a pitiful soul.”