The next day, Ian left Rulmose behind, boarding the Elysian Line to Ial Themar. It was his first time visiting the city, he did pass through it briefly but went directly went to Rulmose without stopping. Myrra was training with Axilya, which meant she was in good hands. That gave him the time he needed to take care of his own matters.
His destination lay beyond the grandeur of Ial Themar's main districts, away from the towering spires and cascading waterways. Instead, he made his way toward a long-abandoned research facility, once owned by an old researcher who had disappeared years ago.
Ian had asked Enira to acquire it for him. He didn't have the funds to buy it outright, but with her help, the deal had gone through.
When he arrived, she was already there, standing near the entrance. She looked as she always did, calm, composed, her black braid resting over her shoulder. The distant hum of the city's energy still reached this place, but here, at the edges of Ial Themar, everything felt quieter.
Ian stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him with a quiet hiss. The air was stale, the facility long abandoned, but the power still ran, Enira had made sure of that. She stood near an old console, arms crossed, watching him with her usual calm expression.
"You got it running," Ian noted, glancing around. The machines were old, some covered in dust, but operational. It wasn't much, but it would serve his purpose.
Enira shrugged. "The basics, at least. Enough for what you need."
Ian exhaled. He wasn't the type to be overly grateful, but he was relieved. "Good. Thanks."
Ian continued. "Lie down. Let's get this over with."
Enira sighed, then lay down on the examination table, arms resting at her sides. The facility was old, the lighting dim, and the air carried the faint scent of dust and metal. She closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly.
Ian stood beside her, adjusting his Mindbloom. He wasn't here to experiment blindly, he had a purpose. "I'll be quick," he said, more to himself than to her.
She hummed in acknowledgment but said nothing more.
With his Mindbloom fully activated, his vision shifted. The layers of her body unfolded before him, like an intricate system of pathways. He focused, filtering through what was unnecessary, searching for anything abnormal.
And then, there it was.
A viscous golden fluid, clinging to her spine. It wasn't just there, it moved, pulsing in an unnatural rhythm. The way it shimmered wasn't like any biological material Ian had seen before. It distorted faintly, its edges shifting, almost as if reality itself wavered around it.
It was eerie. Unnatural. And completely unfamiliar.
From Enira, Ian learned that the Quiet Testament had injected this into her. It was still there, and it was painful.
Without hesitation, he inserted the extraction needle, guiding it with precision. A drop of the golden fluid separated from the mass and traveled up the thin tube. The moment it left her body, Enira stiffened, a sharp gasp escaping her lips. Her fingers dug into the table as pain wracked through her.
Ian acted instantly. He lifted his hand, the ring on his finger pulsing as he pointed it just above her forehead. A soft glow spread from it, bathing her in a calming energy. Her breath, ragged and uneven, began to slow. The tension in her limbs gradually eased.
Well, this was one of the things Zephar Petals could do.
After that night, the night he had controlled Enira and Eryndor, it had gone dormant. Weeks later, it had stirred again. Since then, Ian had been… communicating with it. Communication was a strong word, though. Zephar Petals didn't seem to know anything. It only recalled fragments, abilities that surfaced unpredictably, awakening bit by bit. And then there was that voice. The one that had told it Ian was its parent.
Like... what? When did that happen?
But, well… its abilities were ridiculously useful. And Zephar Petals acted very much like a newborn that had just learned to speak. So he just let it be.
After some time, Enira stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. Ian, still focused on the vial of golden liquid, barely reacted.
She exhaled, shifting slightly. "That was unpleasant."
Ian didn't look up. "It should be okay for now."
She scoffed but said nothing.
A few more moments passed before she pushed herself upright. "I'll be leaving soon."
Ian gave a slight nod, his focus still on the viscous gold shifting eerily in the vial between his fingers.
Enira watched him for a second longer, then stood. Without another word, she left.
Ian didn't stay at the facility constantly, he returned to Rulmose as usual. With his regular schedule at the Academy, he spent time analyzing the golden liquid whenever he could.
Between his own experiments, extensive use of Mindbloom, and some reluctant consultation with Zephar Petals, he had been making progress. But what truly helped was access to the Academy's advanced facilities, specifically those in Synthetic Alchemy.
For that, he sought help from Lysian, the guy from Synthetic Alchemy he had met at the station when they first arrived. After coming up with some made-up excuse, he managed to get access to the facilities he needed. Despite his habit of showing off, Lysian was competent and, more importantly, willing to assist.
With all these resources combined, Ian had finally found a way.
So today, Ian and Enira were back at the facility in Ial Themar. He had prepared the nutrient liquid, a carefully balanced solution meant to aid the absorption process. Zephar Petals floated nearby, its glow pulsing faintly, reacting to the energy in the room.
Enira stood beside him, arms crossed. She had been doing this on her own for a while now, trying to absorb the golden fluid in her spine. It was agonizing. At first, leaving it alone hadn't seemed to matter, but over time, it had begun to punish her for neglecting it. If she didn't engage with it daily, the pain became unbearable.
But today, if this worked, she could finally take control. No longer a peripheral member, no longer limited by something she hadn't chosen.
Ian asked. "Are you sure?"
She exhaled slowly. "I'm sure."
Ian nodded. "It might hurt, but it'll work."
She met his gaze, unwavering. "I trust you."
And she meant it. She had seen how he treated Myrra and those close to him. Even now, when he technically had control over her and Eryndor, he wasn't using them like tools. That was enough.
Enira removed her clothes, stepping onto the platform in nothing but her undergarments. Her tall, lithe frame carried an effortless grace, her every movement fluid and controlled. Her black hair, usually tied back, spilled over her shoulders, stark against her fair skin. There was a natural sharpness to her features, high cheekbones, a defined jawline, and piercing dark eyes that held an intensity few could match.
She lay down on the platform without hesitation, her expression unreadable. Even now, there was no sign of nervousness, only quiet resolve.
Ian didn't speak. He had already prepared everything. Zephar Petals floated nearby, its glow pulsing faintly, reacting to the energy in the room.
Activating Mindbloom, Ian's perception sharpened, pulling apart every layer of Enira's body, her muscles, her bones, the twisted energy locked within. The golden fluid clung to her spine like some invasive parasite, thick and viscous, pulsing with a warped, eerie glow.
First, the infusion. Ian pressed his fingers against her back, tracing the vertebrae until he found the focal point where the golden substance pooled most densely. His blood essence, drawn from his own plasma, shimmered between his fingers, unlike normal blood, it carried symbols that pulsed faintly, shifting like ancient inscriptions. The Zephar Petals had theorized that his essence have properties of Mindbloom which would allow controlled integration and unrestrained absorption.
The moment the first drop touched her skin, Enira tensed. A sharp, electric jolt shot through her body as the golden substance reacted, writhing against her spine like something alive.
The process was beginning.
Zephar Petals pulsed in response, a soothing energy spreading from it dampen the pain.
Now, resonance.
Ian guided the energy flow carefully, attuning the golden substance to a frequency that matched her body. His essence served as the catalyst, a bridge between the foreign material and her bones. Slowly, the viscous gold sank deeper, merging into her vertebrae. Her spine glowed, an eerie, golden light radiating outward, illuminating the platform.
The transformation wasn't instant. It fought back, resisting. Enira's fingers dug into the surface, her teeth clenched. "Almost there," Ian muttered, keeping his focus razor-sharp.
With one final pulse, the substance fully integrated.
Enira's body slumped as the tension released, the glow dimming to a faint shimmer beneath her skin.
Ian exhaled, pressing his palm against her back one last time. "It worked."
He guided her into the prepared nutrient solution, the liquid lapping against her body, stabilizing the integration process. Zephar Petals hovered nearby, its presence ensuring her body adjusted without complications.
A few hours passed.
Enira stirred, her eyelids fluttering open as she inhaled deeply. Unlike before, there was no sharp pain, no lingering discomfort, only a strange, unfamiliar warmth coursing through her body.
Ian, who had remained by her side, immediately activated Mindbloom to examine her vitals. His perception sharpened, every detail unfolding before him. Her internal signals were stable, stronger than before. The golden substance had fully integrated into her system, no longer a foreign force but something inherent to her very being.
Yet, something else caught his attention.
There were new energy signatures within her, unfamiliar but unmistakably potent. More than just an enhancement, this was a transformation.
His gaze drifted downward, tracing the transformation with a mix of curiosity and undeniable awareness. Her body had become more voluptuous, each curve accentuated in a way that demanded attention. Her hips had flared, her waist narrowing to an almost unnatural, tantalizing contrast, the perfect balance of softness and taut definition. Before, she had carried the sharp elegance of a young woman, now, she radiated something more, an intoxicating allure, a refined and irresistible maturity.
Her chest, fuller and heavier, strained against the delicate fabric of her undergarments, the material hugging tightly, barely containing the generous swell. Each breath she took made the fit seem even more precarious, the thin straps digging into her smooth skin.
Her hair, once a dark cascade, shimmered with golden strands interwoven like threads of light. Even her pupils had changed, replaced by a luminous gold, the color almost glowing under the soft light of the facility. Her skin bore a similar shift, a subtle golden undertone now present beneath its natural hue.
Ian exhaled slowly, letting the analysis settle in his mind.
Enira, still groggy, pushed herself up slightly, blinking at him. "...How bad is it?" Her voice was husky, still adjusting from the transition.
He met her gaze. "It's not bad." He paused, tilting his head. "Just... different."
She glanced down at herself, and immediately frowned.
Enira sat up fully, taking in the changes for herself. She ran her fingers through her hair, lifting a golden strand in disbelief. Then, her gaze dropped lower, and she stiffened.
"...Different?" she echoed, her voice flat.
Ian simply nodded. "Noticeable shifts in body composition. Likely a result of full integration with the golden fluid."
Her eyes twitched, but she didn't say anything.
She moved to stand, but the moment her feet touched the platform, she hesitated. The sensation was... strange. Not uncomfortable, but undeniably foreign. Her entire body felt different, stronger, lighter, yet somehow heavier in presence.
Ian watched intently as she flexed her fingers, feeling the changes for herself. "Do you feel any pain?"
She shook her head slowly. "No… But it's like I'm..." She paused, searching for the right word. "More aware."
"That makes sense," Ian mused. "Your nervous system likely adjusted to accommodate the energy signatures I detected earlier. Enhanced sensory feedback, improved response time... possibly other latent effects we haven't identified yet."
Enira stared at him. "I'm going to need a mirror."
He gestured to the side, where a reflective panel had already materialized.
She stepped toward it, her bare feet making little noise against the platform. And then she saw herself.
For a moment, she was silent.
Then, slowly, she reached up and touched her own face. Her skin was softer, smoother, yet beneath it, she could feel an undeniable strength. Her eyes, golden and luminous, stared back at her with a depth she wasn't used to seeing.
She dragged her fingers down her neck, over her collarbone, then further, tracing the new curves of her body. "This is…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"A successful adaptation, Maybe, But I am not really sure. Perhaps the one who injected you with the golden fluid might know better." Ian supplied.