Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 61: The Corruption- Part 3

A wave of dizziness crashed over Auriel, and her body swayed as if she were standing on unstable ground.

The dark magic she had absorbed writhed within her like a living entity, clinging to her divine essence and seeping into the core of her being.

She felt hot and cold at the same time—her skin burned as if fire licked at her, yet beneath the surface, a chilling frost spread through her veins.

Her breaths came out ragged, and her limbs felt heavy, as if an unseen force was trying to drag her down.

The gods stood frozen around her, their expressions shifting from concern to uncertainty. No one dared approach her.

Auriel clenched her fists, trying to steady herself. She had known the risk of absorbing the dark magic, but she hadn’t expected it to take such an immediate toll on her body.

It was as if something vile had latched onto her soul, and it was devouring her from the inside.

"She’s losing control."

One of the gods murmured.

The Chief God narrowed her golden eyes.

"If this continues, I will have to step in myself."

Auriel grit her teeth, trying to push through the discomfort, but every passing second made her feel weaker. The divine energy she had always wielded so effortlessly now flickered like a dying flame.

Then, a soft chuckle echoed through the air. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Oh my, how tragic. And here I thought Auriel was stronger than this."

The familiar voice sent a ripple of unease through the gathered gods. They turned to see Goddess Shanti stepping forward, the specks of starlight on her form twinkling with amusement.

"Goddess Shanti, stand down,"

The Chief God commanded, her voice laced with warning.

But Shanti ignored her. Instead, she strode up to Auriel, unfazed by the dark aura swirling around her.

"I think it’s about time someone helped our dear Auriel, don’t you agree? I mean, you all are just standing around doing nothing. How heartless."

Shanti said, tilting her head playfully.

Auriel barely had the strength to glare at her.

"I don’t... need your help."

Shanti let out a low laugh.

"Oh, but you do, little star. If this continues, you’ll collapse. And we wouldn’t want that, would we?"

She reached out, her dark fingers brushing against Auriel’s cheek. The instant their skin made contact, a soothing yet unfamiliar sensation spread through Auriel’s body.

The dark magic within her stirred violently, as if recognizing another presence. But instead of reacting with hostility, it settled, as if it had found something—or someone—it recognized.

Shanti’s eyes glowed softly as she whispered.

"See? I’m the best one to take care of you right now."

Auriel gasped, suddenly feeling a pull toward the void-like goddess. Shanti was absorbing some of the excess dark magic from her, stabilizing her condition—though it was unclear what she was doing with the power she took.

But before Auriel could react, a strong presence pressed forward.

"Enough."

The Chief God’s voice echoed through the sacred chamber, filled with undeniable authority.

She stepped toward them, her expression firm.

"Auriel will not be left in your hands, Shanti. I will take responsibility for her myself."

For the first time, Shanti’s smirk faltered.

"Oh? That’s quite the claim, Chief God. And here I thought you wanted to keep your distance from dark magic."

The Chief God’s expression didn’t change.

"You will not interfere."

Shanti held Auriel’s gaze for a moment longer, as if debating her next move. Then, with a soft sigh, she released her grip on the weakened goddess and stepped back.

"Fine, fine. I suppose I should let the almighty Chief God handle it."

She said lazily, though the glint in her eyes suggested amusement rather than obedience.

The Chief God gestured, and in an instant, a radiant golden barrier enveloped Auriel. The dark magic within her twisted and struggled, but under the Chief God’s influence, it remained contained.

"You are coming with me."

The Chief God stated.

Before anyone could react, she placed a hand on Auriel’s shoulder and, with a burst of divine energy, the two vanished—leaving behind the dumbfounded gods.

Shanti chuckled to herself.

"Well, that was interesting."

The gods murmured among themselves, unsure of what had just transpired. But one thing was certain—whatever happened next would determine the fate of their world.

As for Auriel? She had no recollection of what was happening. She just knew she needed help and she needed it fast.

______

Carol paced back and forth in the chamber, her expression troubled. The candlelight flickered, casting long shadows against the stone walls. Across from her, Priestess Lilith stood with arms crossed, her face unreadable.

"So, it’s confirmed?"

Carol finally asked, her voice tense.

Lilith nodded.

"Yes. The scouts have uncovered more evidence of dark magic lingering in areas near the temple. It’s subtle, but it’s spreading. Whatever is happening, it’s not over yet."

Carol exhaled sharply, rubbing her temple.

"This is bad. If this continues, the temple could become tainted."

"That’s why we have to act. We need to keep this quiet, at least for now. If Goddess Auriel learns of this in her current condition, it will only burden her further"

Lilith said firmly.

Carol hesitated before nodding.

"I agree. She has already taken too much on her shoulders. We must handle this ourselves."

"But for how long? You and I both know that secrets like these don’t stay hidden forever. Eventually, she will find out"

Lilith asked, her gaze sharp.

Carol’s expression darkened.

"I know. But until then, we do what we must. The last thing we need is to worry her more."

A heavy silence settled between them. Both priestesses understood the weight of their decision, yet neither was willing to back down.

Lilith finally sighed.

"Fine. We’ll keep this between us for now. But if things escalate, we tell her. No matter what."

Carol nodded.

"Agreed."

Despite their resolution, an unspoken fear lingered between them.

Something was coming.

And when the truth finally surfaced, they could only hope that Goddess Auriel would forgive them for keeping her in the dark.

_____

Next Chapter will have r18 content. If you don’t want to read, then skip it...

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