Ruler of Heat: One Man, A Thousand Thirsts-Chapter 29: The Palace That Hums [18+]

"You sent for me."

"I did," she said. "Because I know what walks westward... and I know how to kill it."

She rose.

Every movement was music.

"But information has a cost."

He crossed his arms. "What kind of cost?"

Nysha stepped closer, running a finger across the air just in front of his chest. Not touching. Yet it felt like heat.

"Your body is famous," she said softly. "But I want your soul."

[System Alert: Emotional Contract Proposed – Risk: Moderate | Consent Required]

Thalia's flame spiked. "You're not taking anything from him."

Nysha smiled. "No. I'm offering him something he's never had."

Rivan raised a brow.

"And what's that?"

"Pleasure with no purpose."

The palace pulsed.

Not with light.

With rhythm.

The walls hummed a low, sensuous beat that vibrated through the floor like a distant moan. As Nysha circled Rivan, the air grew heavy, scented with spice and something darker—temptation made tangible.

Thalia's grip tightened around her flame charm. Ceyra and Kaela waited outside, but they could feel the pull even through the stone.

[System Alert: Sensory Manipulation Detected – Flame Thread Exposure Risk: Minimal under Anchor Bonding]

Nysha's voice slithered across the room. "Your next sibling isn't bound by lust like Alpha. He doesn't seduce. He devours emotion. Grief, shame, guilt—he harvests broken hearts."

Rivan's eyes narrowed. "And you know how to stop him?"

She nodded slowly. "But the knowledge is locked in the Mindbed—a sanctum no one can enter alone."

He raised a brow. "So what, we take a nap together?"

She laughed, low and rich. "This is no sleep, Flameborn. This is surrender. You must let go of all control for one night. Give me your flame... willingly."

Thalia stepped forward. "You're asking for his core. That's not a price. That's a trap."

Nysha met her gaze, unblinking.

"And yet, he's still listening."

Rivan didn't flinch.

"Because if you're lying, I burn you where you stand."

She smiled.

"If I'm lying, you won't wake up."

Later, in private chambers layered with silk and starlight, Rivan sat across from Nysha.

They said nothing.

The room hummed louder now, drawing a breath with every heartbeat.

Nysha reached out her hand.

He placed his into hers.

[System Update: Ritual Initiation Approved – Emotional Core Surrender: Pending]

"You will see your past," she whispered. "Not what was done to you—but what you feared you'd become."

Rivan exhaled.

"Let's see if you can handle it."

[Surrender Confirmed. Mindbed Activated.]

And the world melted around them.

The Mindbed wasn't a place.

It was a feeling.

Rivan drifted in a sea of velvet smoke. The air smelled like warm skin and salt. Shapes danced around him—familiar, yet warped.

Then, from the haze, a figure stepped forward.

Himself.

But different.

This Rivan wore obsidian armor, his eyes glowing violet. Flame coiled at his feet, but it didn't dance—it hissed. Twisted. Hungry.

The darker version smiled. "So this is what she wanted you to see."

[System Alert: Emotional Echo Generated – Subject: Alternate Thread Path | Outcome: Corrupted Sovereign]

The corrupted Rivan circled.

"You gave them pleasure. I took obedience."

"You bonded. I branded."

"You saved Thalia."

He turned, smirking.

"I let her burn."

Rivan's fists clenched.

"You're not me."

"I'm what you'd become," the echo said, "if you ever decide love is weakness."

The Mindbed shifted.

Now a battlefield.

Broken bodies of women he'd loved. Kaela. Saelra. Ceyra. Even Veyla.

Thalia knelt among them, her eyes hollow.

"You promised," she whispered. "That I wouldn't burn alone."

[System Stress Warning: Heart Thread Stability Dropping – Intervention Recommended]

The corrupted Rivan laughed.

"You can't protect everyone, brother. So maybe stop pretending you're more than just a fire with a name."

Rivan roared.

His LustCore ignited.

Light exploded outward.

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And the battlefield shattered.

He gasped awake.

Nysha knelt beside him, eyes wide with awe.

"You did it," she breathed.

He sat up slowly. "What did I do?"

"You survived surrender," she said. "And you chose mercy over mastery."

[System Update: Emotional Bond Acquired – Nysha | Core Insight Unlocked – Thread of Self-Control]

She leaned in, her lips brushing his ear.

"Now I'll tell you where your next sibling waits."

And Rivan's flame burned steady.

Nysha rolled out a scroll across the silk-covered floor.

The map shimmered—ink that glowed only under LustCore resonance. As Rivan leaned closer, the runes aligned, revealing a temple buried beneath the Gray Dunes.

"A forgotten ruin," Nysha said. "Buried in grief. Your brother sleeps there, feeding on sadness."

[System Update: Target Identified – Echo Subject: 'Mourner' | Location: Temple of Withered Oaths | Threat Level: High Emotional Drain]

Rivan traced the lines.

"Why are you helping me?"

Nysha's smile faded.

"Because he fed on my sister. Turned her into silence. And I couldn't stop him."

Her voice trembled, just for a second.

"I seduce. I bind. I lead. But I couldn't save her. Maybe... you can."

He looked up.

And saw it.

Not the Matron.

The sister.

[System Recognition: Emotional Core Stabilized – Nysha Fully Aligned | Thread Class: Empathic Flameweaver]

Rivan reached for her hand.

No seduction.

Just understanding.

"We're not done, are we?"

Nysha shook her head.

"One night may earn you the map. But the next journey? You'll need more than your squad."

[New Sub-Quest Unlocked: Flames for the Forgotten | Companion Offer: Nysha Available – Accept?]

Rivan exhaled.

"I'll need everyone."

Nysha leaned in, brushing her lips softly to his cheek.

"Then I'll walk beside you until the flame dies."

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Next Chapter (30): The Night That Burned Back [18+]

On the road to the Withered Oaths Temple, the squad stops at a village haunted by memories—and Rivan must help a woman whose thread is already severed.

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