Escalation

Sweat dripped off Eros' face as he did a push-up for the umpteenth time on the desert plain. He had no idea how long he had been training, but by now, he was able to withstand the chaotic swirl of emotions and song for quite some time. Even if he exerted himself physically, Coral no longer got to him that easily. Nemesis watched his progress with a satisfied look on her face. Or she just enjoyed drooling over his muscular half-naked body. Eros didn't care whichever it was. All his focus was on surviving in the hostile environment long enough to save Coral. The mountain of hellspawn with her floating atop was all the motivation he needed.

Once he was done, Nemesis handed him a cloth and a flask with cool spring water. Eros chugged down the water and then wiped himself dry.

"You are making incredible progress," the succubus said, leading the way back into the palace. "Just a few sleep cycles ago, you were on your knees, crying."