The Aethelgard Forge was not a single location, but a dimensional workshop anchored in a pocket of stabilized reality where the laws of physics were more… malleable. It was a place of stark white alloy, shimmering energy fields, and a constant, low hum of power.
They were met by Technocrat Arcturus, the lead researcher—a being who seemed more machine than man, with crystal lenses for eyes and a voice that buzzed.
"Welcome. Your cooperation will advance the war effort immeasurably. We will begin with baseline mapping."
The tests were invasive. They scanned Echo's blood down to the quantum level while he used his abilities on designated targets—first inanimate fluid sacks, then captured Tier 3 Corrupted. They measured the energy output of his bonds, the resonance frequency between him and each of his mates.
Leyla hated it, her tail lashing as she was poked and prodded. Mira endured it with quiet stoicism, using the time to subtly map the Forge's spatial architecture. Ryn was fascinated, engaging the technicians in debates about energy theory, secretly gathering data on their systems.
Echo used Kassius's cloaking protocol. When he commanded blood, he let them see only the surface ripple, not the deep current. When his bonds flared, he dampened the output. He presented himself as powerful, but understandable. A weapon, not a mystery.
Between tests, they were confined to a comfortable but monitored suite. It was here, under the watchful eyes of hidden sensors, that they began their true work.
They couldn't speak openly. So they spoke through touch. Through the bond.
That first night, Echo drew them into a tight circle on the large resting platform. He didn't speak. He opened his bond, not to give energy, but to share intent. He let them feel his resolve, his need to grow stronger with them, hidden from the watchers. He projected Kassius's teachings about the Vitalis Core, about using the power of their union.
They understood.
What followed was not just intimacy. It was alchemy.
With every kiss, every touch, every shared wave of pleasure, they consciously channeled the energy. Not just emotional energy, but the very spark of life that their bonded souls generated when they intertwined. Echo's bloodline acted as a conductor, drawing that pristine, potent vitality into himself, not to consume it, but to weave it.
Leyla's fierce passion became a thread of silver fire. Mira's deep, flowing connection became a thread of blue stability. Ryn's sharp, resilient spark became a thread of golden light. And Echo's own crimson sovereignty was the loom.
Under the guise of rest and recreation, they worked. They made love slowly, deliberately, their bodies moving in a rhythm that was as much ritual as release. The bond between them thickened, deepened, becoming more than a connection—it became a circuit.
[ Concealed Progression Detected ]
[ Sanguis Imperator – Vitalis Core Formation: 5% ]
[ Bond Tier Advancement: All bonds now Level 4. Shared sensory link enhanced. ]
[ New Abilities Concealed from Scan: Life-Sense (passive), Vital Theft (dormant). ]
They were building a secret engine of power within Echo's soul, using the love and trust their overseers dismissed as a weakness.
And the Forge, for all its scanners, saw only a predictable, slight increase in bond-sync metrics. They saw the tree, but not the roots reaching into the deep, dark earth.