Glitched Goddess: My Skills are maxed out

Seraphine set the plate down gently on the small table beside Kana, her movements calm and deliberate, as though she were afraid to startle her.

Kana hesitated for a moment before taking the food, her guarded eyes never leaving Seraphine's face.

Despite everything, it was hard to hate her—Seraphine was treating her far too well for someone holding her captive.

The dish was unfamiliar, its aroma rich and comforting, but Kana didn't question it.

Hunger eventually won out, and she finished the entire plate without realizing how quickly the time had passed.

When she finally set the empty dish aside, her gaze drifted back to Seraphine.

"…Why are you even in this line of work? It doesn't suit you at all."

Kana asked softly, resting her chin against her palm.

Seraphine froze briefly, her lashes lowering as if she needed a moment to collect her thoughts.

Then, slowly, she lifted her gaze, her expression calm but touched with something far away.

"I needed money. I needed to run away from my old life… and this was the fastest way to earn enough without being caught."

She said at last, her voice soft, carrying a weight Kana hadn't heard before.

Her tone was matter-of-fact, but the faint tremor at the edge of her words didn't escape Kana's notice.

For the first time since her kidnapping, she saw something fragile beneath Seraphine's carefully composed exterior.

There was a flicker of nostalgia in her expression, and Kana instinctively chose not to pry further.

After a moment of silence, Kana asked carefully.

"…How long have you been doing this?"

Seraphine leaned back against the chair, folding her arms loosely in her lap as she thought.

"…Years. So many that I've stopped counting."

She said finally.

Kana frowned slightly, her brows knitting together.

"And after all those years, you still haven't earned enough to leave?"

That made Seraphine smile faintly—a soft, wistful curve of her lips.

"Kana, in our world, freedom isn't something money can buy. Once you step into this business… there's no walking away. The moment you try, someone stronger, someone more dangerous, will drag you back."

She said gently.

There was a quiet finality to her words, one that unsettled Kana more than she wanted to admit.

"…Then why promise to let me go?"

Kana asked after a long pause.

Seraphine met her gaze, and her expression softened.

"Because I want to. Once things calm down, once the situation isn't so dangerous… I'll let you leave."

She said simply.

Kana stared at her for a moment, searching for any sign of deceit, but Seraphine's face remained calm and unguarded.

The words sounded sincere, yet something about them made Kana's chest tighten with unease.

Because deep down, Seraphine knew her own nature too well. Even as she made that promise, a quiet, painful truth gnawed at her—she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep it.

The thought of releasing Kana, of watching her walk away, brought a subtle ache she couldn't fully hide.

A silence settled between them after that, heavy but not entirely uncomfortable. Seraphine eventually rose to her feet, gathering the empty plate.

______

Meanwhile, somewhere far away from the hidden room, Lysera and Irielle moved through the shadowed alleys of the city, their search for Kana growing more desperate by the hour.

"I don't like this. It's been an entire day, and we still have nothing. No tracks, no traces, nothing!"

Irielle muttered, frustration edging into her voice.

Lysera placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her before the tension could spiral further.

"Calm down. We'll find her. We just… need to think carefully."

She said firmly.

But even as she said the words, Lysera's heart was heavy with worry. Every passing moment without news chipped away at her composure.

Irielle's jaw tightened, her hands curling into fists.

"If we don't find Kana soon, I'll be forced to take drastic measures. I don't care who I have to confront or what rules I have to break."

She said sharply.

Lysera's expression darkened, but she met Irielle's gaze steadily.

"…I understand. But for now… we keep looking. We trust her. Kana's strong. She'll hold on until we reach her."

She admitted quietly.

Still, as they resumed their search, both women carried the same unspoken fear—every second they wasted was another second Kana remained in danger.

______

And somewhere in a quiet, sealed room deep within Seraphine's secret sanctuary, Kana traced her fingers along the small pendant resting against her collarbone, wondering how much longer she'd have to endure… and whether her rescuers would reach her in time.

Seraphine stood by the window, the soft lamplight spilling over her features, casting long shadows against the wall.

Kana had gone quiet again, curled up with one of the books Seraphine had brought her.

The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, but it carried a strange weight, something Seraphine could no longer ignore.

She traced her fingers along the edge of the curtain, her thoughts pulling her somewhere far away.

She had promised Kana freedom, but even as the words had left her lips earlier, she'd known they were laced with uncertainty.

The auction house wasn't a place people walked away from—not without leaving pieces of themselves behind.

Her thumb brushed absently against the faint scar on her wrist, a reminder of the first time she had tried to escape years ago.

The memory was bitter and heavy, and for a fleeting moment, her chest tightened with guilt.

'You're becoming attached. You're not supposed to be attached.'

She thought bitterly, glancing back at Kana, who was completely absorbed in the book she was reading.

Kana wasn't like the others who had passed through here. She was quiet, cautious, but unyielding in her own way.

That quiet strength drew Seraphine in despite herself, and it terrified her more than she cared to admit.

She turned away from the window, forcing herself to focus.

She couldn't afford distractions. If the master of the auction house found out she was softening, if he even suspected she intended to let Kana go…

Seraphine clenched her fists, steadying her breath. No matter what she felt, she couldn't let her emotions compromise them both.

Yet deep down, the thought lingered, haunting her with quiet inevitability—if the time came, would she truly be able to watch Kana walk away?