Kael arrived at Sienna Thorne's private research chamber, the cold, possessive brand of Lysandra's Mana Domain infusion still pulsing faintly beneath his skin. Sienna was waiting, clad in sterile gear, but the meticulous professionalism in her eyes was tainted by the chaotic memory of their last encounter. She was fighting her own desire with every fiber of her intellect.
"Remove your outer tunic, Varis. We are isolating your Core's emanations," she ordered, her voice clipped and professional. "This chamber is shielded against external Mana Domain interference—even Lysandra's influence will be negligible here. We focus purely on your Apex Core."
Kael shed his tunic, the sight of his newly defined physique causing a visible tremor in Sienna's hands as she adjusted the sensors. He was placed on a cold crystal slab, and elaborate, shimmering runic arrays were positioned inches from his body. Sienna's proximity was agonizingly close, yet every touch was clinical, masked by the lie of science.
"You have a strange resonance now," Sienna muttered, peering into a holographic display showing his internal energy flows. "It's not just powerful; it's… consuming. It forces the surrounding mana into a sympathetic resonance, essentially converting external power sources into a singular, irresistible desire."
As she leaned in to adjust a sensor near his hip, her forced detachment crumbled. Her fingers, intended to be precise, lingered. The heat of Kael's aura was too much. Her breath hitched, and she instinctively dropped her head, pressing her forehead against his shoulder.
"Twenty hours wasn't enough," she whispered, her voice husky and defeated. "I need more data. Deeper access." The scientist was gone; only the obsessed woman remained. She wasn't just studying him; she was trying to absorb him.
Kael used his control—the first time he truly exercised it—to gently lift her chin. "The bargain was for the code, Sienna. I delivered. The data is yours, but you must keep your composure. You're a scientist."
"A scientist dedicated to the most compelling variable in the Arcana Institute," she countered, her eyes blazing with an almost terrifying blend of lust and intellectual obsession. "I can't stop, Kael. This Core… it's a drug, and I need the analysis to justify my addiction." She was no longer trying to hide the truth. She was completely trapped by her need for him.
Sienna quickly retreated, regaining her footing but losing the war for her emotions. She pulled out the Affinity Amplifier Crystal, now neatly slotted into a stabilizing base. "Here is the crystal. It's calibrated to accept your chaotic signature. Use it. But know this: you are still scheduled for analysis tomorrow. And the day after. I need to possess the data, Kael. If I can't have your full attention yet, I will settle for understanding every molecule of your being."
With the Crystal secured, Kael left the chamber, leaving Sienna alone amidst her shattered composure and humming equipment, her obsession now a consuming fire.