get to the bottom of the mystery and then fulfill his destiny.

Lilith continued wandering around the inn. She had explored it all by now. Most of her clones, and perhaps even the original Lilith, had given up their search to... flirt with each other. She had only one room left to explore, what could potentially have been a closet. She was already afraid she'd open the door and find several of themselves making out, so she opened it anyway.

What she found was a staircase leading down, much deeper than was reasonable for a semi-interrupted space.

Lilith: I think I found something!

She turned to point to the passage, but... all the dozens of clones nearby were too busy flirting to notice her... Seeing so many hot clones flirting with each other, kissing, and letting go made her hesitate... did she really want to find out the source of all this? Did she really want to interrupt him?... She hesitantly turned and began to descend the stairs, leaving the voices of the clones in her wake.

The staircase was long, and the walls slowly changed from rough stone to ancient walls with designs carved into them.

Designs depicting men and women bowing to a goddess on a throne, who was distributing gifts, blessing couples, and then... very explicit stuff.

She reached the end of the staircase, and a large colonnaded room opened up before her. A temple, an ancient and forgotten one.

She stepped forward; it was empty. At the end of the temple was a throne, no goddess sitting upon it.

No clue, all a waste of time. She turned toward the exit, her thoughts stopped at her clones. Maybe... it would have been better if... she had found someone still single, and...

???: It's wonderful to meet your soulmate, right?

Lilith spun around; a female figure was sitting on the throne. She was made of light, and she couldn't quite identify her appearance, but she would surely be an incredibly beautiful woman.

Lilith: Who are you? Are you responsible for what's happening?

???: I am an ancient goddess of love. In the past, people came to me to summon their soulmate. The tavern above served to hide the temple from the forces that would seek its destruction.

Once inside, the temple would summon a person suited to your heart, so that you could meet and your love would blossom.

Lilith:.... then why.... is the tavern full of my clones?

???: I was surprised too. It seems your heart has always longed for someone who understood and resembled you completely and deeply... beyond being vanity, the temple recognized that you were your soulmate and arranged for the two of you to meet. Your stubbornness in rejecting you led... new soulmates to appear. Most of you finally understood, yes, and let your feelings carry you away. They are now free to leave whenever they want with their lovers, to build their new life together.

Lilith: This... is absurd!

???: And yet you've seen it, right? The passion ignited in other yous and their feelings and desires, and yet you came here running away from your heart's desires, here at the center of everything.

Lilith: Why are you doing all this?

???: Wrong question, young priestess. There's no real reason. Love is like this, wonderful but at the same time selfish, it doesn't listen to reason or seek meaning. Unfortunately, you can't stay here forever, which means the temple will try to find new soulmates until you accept at least one, until every version of you wandering around here does the same, even now.

Suddenly, the goddess becomes more dazzling, blinding her. When she opens her eyes again, the temple, immersed in shadows, is now brightly lit, and she is no longer alone. Hundreds of clones have materialized inside, along with laid tables and decorations, as if the temple had never been abandoned and a celebration was underway.

All the other Liliths stared at her and then approached her.

Lilith2: so... we exist to complete each other.

lillith3: to be... yours.

lillith4: you, to be ours.

lilith5: soulmates destined for love.

lillith6: and everything that comes with it.

Several hands caressed her, all the new clones were focused on her.

Lillith7: Now you understand, we love you, we love each other.

Lillith8: All of them.

Lillith was overwhelmed, surrounded, and... she was fine with it. She leaned forward and kissed one of her clones, then another, and then another.

Her clothes were stripped off by the clones, and then they were all over her, so many hands, so many lips pressed against her body, she enjoyed them all, they enjoyed her, it was right this way.

The Liliths, too far away to touch her, began to seek out other partners among themselves, and soon the temple transformed into a huge orgy.