CARNAL

XIX

STALK AND PREY

Mijako's body moved like a shadow, swift and silent as she stalked Siraj through the moonlit streets. Her breathing was slow and measured, finely controlled by the will of her Aphrodite, the infernal succubus that had burrowed her way into Mijako's mind, corrupting and controlling her thoughts.

Inside Mijako's twisted consciousness, a constant battle raged between her true self and the demonic control of the Aphrodite. The two voices clashed within her skull, locked in a struggle to overpower one another.

"You cannot resist my power," the Aphrodite cooed, its voice silky and insidious within Mijako's head. "Siraj will be mine."

"I won't give in!" Mijako fought back, trying to regain control of her body. "I won't let you have him!"

But though she screamed these words with all the mental strength she could muster, Mijako felt herself losing the battle. It was as if her willpower were gradually being ground to dust beneath the relentless vice of the Aphrodite's possession.

As they continued to pursue Siraj through the darkened cityscape, Mijako tried desperately to make sense of her surroundings. She picked out distant rooftops silhouetted against the night sky like jagged teeth while searching for any opportunity to break free from the succubus's hold.

"How does it feel," sneered the Aphrodite as it steered Mijako onto a second-story balcony overlooking Siraj's path below, "to know that your beloved is being taken away from you?"

Mijako trembled with rage as they watched Siraj pass beneath them. His hair caught in a soft breeze mingling with his familiar scent that taunted her sense of what she knew to be right.

"They're still a part of me somewhere," Mijako replied, gritting her teeth. "My body and will may be bound to your control right now, but my love for Siraj will never waver."

The Aphrodite chuckled sinisterly within Mijako's subconscious, yet there was a hint of agitation in its voice when it spoke again. "We'll see about that, dear mortal."

Meanwhile, Siraj walked on, unaware of the danger lurking above him, carried along by his own thoughts and concerns. Mijako watched him go, her heart aching with fear for him. She longed to warn him, to shout out in defiance to the succubus controlling her body.

In her desperation, she stumbled upon a power deep within: an ember of hope struggling against the darkness. Gathering these fleeting embers together like the dust at a barren altar, Mijako focused on her memories – all the moments she had shared with Siraj – and clung to them tenaciously.

With each step Siraj took, Mijako consolidated her strength inside this haven of shared love until it kindled within her a renewed resolve.

The Aphrodite laughed dismissively as it sensed Mijako's attempt to stand against its dominion once more. "Adorable," it mocked. "But you'll never win this battle."

Mijako knew that what the succubus spoke was partially true; overcoming the Aphrodite's control was easier said than done. But in spite of her fear and exhaustion, she refused to accept defeat.

Grasping onto every ounce of steadfast determination within herself, Mijako replied emphatically: "I'm willing to die trying."

Mijako's eyes narrowed as she watched Siraj from the shadows, her body tense with anticipation. Her every step was silent, each breath barely a whisper. The dark night provided the perfect cover for her hunt. She moved with the grace of a predator, never allowing her prey to know she was lurking just beyond his field of vision.

Even from a distance, Mijako could sense Siraj's presence. His scent emanated under the command of her Aphrodite, an irresistible draw that tugged insistently at her very being. She couldn't shake herself free from its grasp, even if she wanted to.