CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36 – THE VAULT AWAKENS

Recap

Jemil signed the Golden Contract—but twisted it with his own chaotic loopholes, gaining the title of Chainbreaker. The Vault itself stirred in anger, golden chains splitting the chamber open to reveal a monstrous abyss. Now, something is rising from the depths...

Main Story

The chamber’s silence broke like glass.

Chains didn’t just rattle—they sang. The metallic vibrations crawled across the walls, echoing into the abyss below, until the whole room trembled like the heartbeat of some buried titan.

And then it rose.

At first, Jemil thought it was just a shifting mass of gold and steel—a coiling serpent woven from links the size of trees, each one glowing faintly with runes. The chains moved like they were alive, slithering and twisting, pulling a hulking shape upward from the pit.

But as more of it emerged, the serpent reformed into something else.

The shape of a woman.

Tall. Inhumanly tall. Her body was sculpted from molten gold, soft curves gleaming like polished metal under a divine spotlight. Chains wrapped around her like ribbons, slinking across her chest, waist, and thighs in ways that made Nyssa sputter and Kaelina avert her eyes with a scowl.

Her hair wasn’t hair at all—it was a waterfall of locks, every strand a golden chain swaying hypnotically as if underwater. Her eyes burned like padlocks waiting to snap shut, irises shaped like keyholes. And when she smiled, it wasn’t warm. It was hunger masquerading as seduction.

The stranger who had guided Jemil here dropped to his knees, forehead pressed against the golden floor. His voice cracked with ecstasy and terror.

"Behold... the Mistress of Shackles. The Vault’s will made flesh."

The golden woman raised a delicate hand. The chains binding her body writhed, uncoiling like serpents, slapping against the floor with a deafening CRACK.

She tilted her head, studying Jemil. "So. You are the one who dares call himself Chainbreaker. How amusing... You broke one contract, and already you think yourself free?"

Jemil swallowed, his mouth dry. But his tongue never failed him.

"Lady, I don’t know what’s scarier—your aura or the fact that you’re dressed like my search history."

Nyssa doubled over with laughter. "Pfft—Master! Not here, not now!"

Kaelina ground her teeth. "Focus, idiot!" But her ears were red.

The Mistress didn’t even blink. Her smile widened, baring teeth far too sharp for a human mouth. "Flattery will not save you."

Without warning, her chains lashed forward.

They didn’t move like whips—they hunted. Serpentine links slithered across the ground, weaving around Kaelina’s defenses and striking straight for Jemil’s throat.

CLANG!

Kaelina’s blade intercepted one, sparks showering as steel bit against golden runes. But when she cut through, the link simply split—and then regenerated, reforming with a sinister chime.

"She cannot be destroyed," Kaelina hissed through clenched teeth. "She is the Vault!"

Lyra snarled, flames bursting around her. "Then let’s make her burn anyway!"

She charged, fire wings spreading wide, sword ablaze. For a moment, Jemil thought she might actually land the hit—until a chain looped around her waist mid-flight and yanked her from the air.

"Lyra!" Jemil shouted.

The Mistress pulled Lyra close, examining her like one might inspect a particularly pretty jewel. Her lips curled in cruel amusement.

"Fiery... passionate... loud. A perfect chain to break."

Before anyone could react, the golden woman pressed her lips against Lyra’s cheek. It wasn’t affection—it was domination. Lyra screamed, her flames sputtering out like candles drowned in water. Her body went limp, eyes rolling back.

"Stop it!" Jemil roared, charging forward without thinking.

But another chain whipped out, coiling around his wrist. He stumbled, nearly dragged to the floor.

The Mistress purred. "So protective. So desperate. You mortals cling so tightly to your attachments... yet all attachments are just chains."

Nyssa’s nine tails flared, glowing bright as she stomped forward. "Oh, no you don’t! Nobody gets to molest my Master’s wives except me!"

She flicked her wrist. Dozens of illusions spilled across the battlefield, multiplying her form. Suddenly, the Mistress was surrounded by a hundred Nyssas, all of them smirking, posing, sticking out their tongues, even making lewd gestures.

The Mistress frowned. "Childish tricks."

The chains lashed outward, striking through one illusion after another. But Nyssa giggled. "Oh, come on, guess which one’s real! You’re not the only one who can play dress-up."

The chaos was enough. Jemil dove forward, grabbed Lyra’s hand, and pulled her free from the chain’s grasp. Her body was weak, but her flames flickered back to life as he held her close.

"Don’t touch what’s mine," Jemil spat, surprising even himself with the venom in his tone.

Kaelina froze at his words, her heart skipping. That claim—that intensity—it reminded her of a vow, a chain, a promise once whispered in another lifetime. She gripped her sword tighter, eyes shadowed.

But the Mistress only laughed. "Mine? Oh, sweet mortal... everything belongs to me in the end. Even you."

Dozens of chains erupted at once, spiraling like drills. Jemil had no time to react.

CLANG!

Kaelina intercepted, her sword locking against the chains with a screech of metal. Her entire body shook from the pressure. Sparks blinded her vision, sweat pouring down her temple.

"Move, idiot!" she barked. "If you die here, I’ll—"

She cut herself off, the words strangled in her throat.

Jemil stepped beside her, his hand brushing hers on the hilt. "Then let’s not die."

Their eyes met—his steady, hers trembling. Together, they pushed.

A surge of energy burst between them, his chaotic will mixing with her suppressed vow. The chains recoiled, shattering into fragments of golden light. For the first time, the Mistress’s smile faltered.

"Well now..." she whispered. "Perhaps this will be entertaining."

The chamber groaned again. From the abyss below, more shapes stirred.

Figures rose—monstrous beasts draped in chains. Winged horrors with padlocked mouths. Quadrupeds whose limbs were bound together yet still crawled. All of them glowing faintly with the Vault’s cursed sigils.

"Minions," Lyra growled, staggering to her feet. Flames reignited across her shoulders.

"Trash mobs," Jemil corrected, smirking. "We just pulled the whole dungeon."

Nyssa’s illusions multiplied again, now mimicking Jemil too—dozens of him running in circles, some screaming, some flexing, some blowing kisses. "See? He’s not even scared."

Kaelina, though, kept her eyes locked on the Mistress. Her grip on her blade trembled—not from fear, but from the pressure building in her chest. The vow she had buried for so long pulsed like a chain tightening.

She whispered to herself. "If it means keeping him alive... then I’ll break it."

Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 37: Shackles of Desire

The Vault’s chamber becomes a battlefield of chaos. Chains lash from every direction, dragging monstrous minions into the fray while the Mistress of Shackles watches with a predator’s smile.

Lyra’s flames burn hotter than ever, Nyssa’s illusions twist reality into madness, and Kaelina’s sword clashes against bindings no mortal steel should ever cut. But no matter how hard they fight, the Mistress is always one step ahead—her golden chains tugging at not just their bodies, but at their hearts, their vows, their desires.

And Jemil? He begins to realize the truth: this isn’t just another floor boss. The Mistress wants more than victory. She wants to bind him—to test if the "Chainbreaker" can resist the seduction of eternal shackles... or willingly surrender to them.

The line between battle and temptation blurs, and every strike pulls them closer to a breaking point.

Call to Action

🔥 The Mistress has entered the battlefield, and she’s not just fighting—she’s tempting. Will Jemil and his wives break her chains, or will she unravel the vows they’ve only just begun to restore?

👉 Keep reading to witness the clash of freedom versus bondage in Chapter 37: Shackles of Desire!