Reya found the text in a forbidden archive.
"Ether Stabilization Through Shared Submission."
It required full emotional surrender. Not Kael's. Theirs.
Each girl had to let him inside their Ether core—not just physically. Spiritually. Bond deeper than ritual. Deeper than blood.
No hiding. No pride.
If they failed, Kael would die.
They agreed anyway.
That night, the chamber glowed like a sun. Five women circled him. One by one, they undressed—not to seduce, but to bare themselves.
They touched him. Kissed him. Whispered truths into his skin.
Pain. Love. Lust. Envy. Regret.
The Ether cracked.
And reforged.