The Lockdown Chamber had gone silent. Not in absence of sound, but in anticipation—every sigil, every pulse, every golden current waiting for the next surge. Sandra stood at the center, feeling the latent energy from Stage Three flowing through her like a living tide. Each heartbeat carried a vibration she could now sense, each breath expanding awareness far beyond her physical body. Stage Four—the fertility stage—was initiating.
Lyra's voice broke the quiet, low and urgent. "Sandra… your body is about to complete the Primordial integration. Stage Four cannot be delayed."
Tristan stepped closer, silver eyes sharp, scanning her form with protective intensity. "Are you ready?"
Sandra shook her head slightly, unsure if she could ever truly be ready. "I… I think so. I have to be."
Sebastian mirrored her movement, tail flicking, golden eyes narrowed, energy taut like a drawn bow. "We're with you. Every second. Every pulse."
The golden currents around Sandra began to coil tighter, wrapping her in a radiant lattice that pulsed with a rhythm synchronized to her own heartbeat. But now, the pulse carried more than reflex or instinct—it carried creation. Her abdomen pulsed faintly, almost imperceptibly, signaling the biological awakening that had been quietly gestating since Stage Three.
Lyra's eyes were wide, her voice hushed with reverence. "Stage Four is not merely evolution—it is the literal manifestation of your lineage. The Council would kill to erase what is happening now. Every faction, every Null Fang, every heir… they will converge. And all will feel your resonance."
Sandra's pulse quickened. The golden lattice pulsed outward like the beating of a second heart, brushing the walls of the chamber, testing the edges of the Lockdown Barrier. Her body seemed to expand, energy spiraling up her spine, radiating into her limbs. She could feel Tristan and Sebastian—not just next to her, but woven into the lattice itself, their instincts and presence amplifying her control.
A sudden tremor shook the chamber, faint but undeniable. Stage Four had triggered a sensory echo—her body registering threats before they physically manifested.
Tristan's claws extended instinctively, a low growl escaping his throat. "Someone's here. Council units… at least six."
Sebastian's stance sharpened, tail coiled, ready to strike. "Not just scouts. Full engagement. And they'll be carrying resonance disruptors."
Sandra inhaled sharply. The lattice of energy responded instantly, rippling like water. Her mind, body, and instincts merged into a singular focus. Stage Four had opened pathways she had never consciously navigated: anticipatory reflexes, reproductive alignment, energy modulation—all integrated into her physical and mental framework. She could feel each Council unit's approach before even hearing them.
Lyra's voice cut through the intensity. "You must stabilize your resonance. The triad bond is critical—Tristan, Sebastian, anchor her fully. Let her instincts guide the energy."
Tristan moved forward, hand extended but not touching, energy intertwining with Sandra's. Sebastian mirrored him, coiling his presence around her, protective and reactive. Together, they formed a living circuit, channeling the Stage Four energy safely, preventing overload, keeping Sandra's pulse from spiraling beyond control.
The chamber walls flared violently as Council suppression units breached the East Wing's outer defenses. Energy disruptors flared in the distance, shimmering waves moving toward the Lockdown Chamber. The golden lattice reacted instantly, coiling, deflecting, and neutralizing each pulse before it reached Sandra. Her body anticipated the attacks, guided by Stage Four reflexes and triad synergy.
One unit managed to breach the immediate perimeter. Sandra's vision sharpened—every micro-movement of the intruder, every breath, every slight shift in posture, registered and responded to her awareness before conscious thought could act.
Tristan moved like liquid silver, intercepting with precise strikes, while Sebastian's unpredictability and instinctive flares blocked alternative vectors. Sandra's own energy lashed out in controlled arcs, shimmering, tangible extensions of her body. Every motion, every breath, every pulse was synchronized with the triad, forming a defensive web impossible to penetrate.
Lyra's voice was calm but urgent. "Stage Four amplifies fertility—but it also amplifies danger. The Council will detect potential heirs within your energy signature. You must maintain control or they will escalate."
Sandra's pulse carried the latent power of creation itself, a force the Council could not measure directly. Her abdominal energy shifted subtly, signaling the Primordial lineage's next stage: reproductive alignment. Stage Four was more than power—it was survival coded into biology. Every strike of her energy lattice carried instinctive protection, every defensive motion a warning that the heir could not be harmed without consequence.
Tristan's eyes locked on hers, silver and sharp. "Focus on us. Our presence is your anchor. You can direct the lattice, but the triad bond stabilizes it."
Sebastian's voice, low and resonant, joined the sync: "You are not alone. We are your defense, your shield. Let it flow."
Sandra exhaled, golden currents coiling tighter, flowing downward, merging with Stage Four's biological signals. Her abdomen pulsed with controlled power, the energy of creation harmonizing with defensive instinct. She felt a subtle stirring—not physical, not emotional, but an alignment of her very essence. Stage Four was no longer a surge—it was integration.
The Council units pressed forward, disruptor waves shattering the corridor barriers, but the Lockdown Chamber responded. Sigils flared brighter, energy weaving into physical manifestations that blocked every intrusion. Stage Four had created reactive constructs—living, instinct-driven energy forms that acted as extensions of Sandra and the triad bond.
Tristan struck with precision, each blow amplified by Sandra's Stage Four currents. Sebastian moved unpredictably, redirecting intruders into traps laid by the resonance itself. Sandra's golden lattice reached outward, tangling with the intruders' resonance disruptors, neutralizing, absorbing, and converting the energy back into her defensive web.
Lyra's voice rose over the chaos. "Control the amplification! Let Stage Four be your instrument, not your master!"
Sandra's breath hitched as she directed the energy outward, golden threads lashing like living snakes, wrapping intruders in their own destabilized resonance. Her triad bond amplified every movement; Tristan's precision, Sebastian's unpredictability, her own instincts, all fused into one unstoppable force.
The first wave of intruders fell back, staggered, neutralized. Stage Four had stabilized, integrated, and projected defensive and offensive capabilities simultaneously. Sandra could feel the next stages approaching—the biological potential, the hidden instincts, the untested edges of her lineage—but for now, she was untouchable.
Tristan and Sebastian flanked her, each movement protective, reactive, and synchronized. The Lockdown Chamber pulsed with their unified heartbeat. Stage Four had awakened fully; the Primordial heir had completed this phase of evolution.
Sandra exhaled, feeling the weight of power, instinct, and biological integration. Her golden lattice shimmered, pulsing gently, steady. She had survived the Council's assault, harnessed Stage Four, and maintained control of the triad bond.
Lyra stepped forward, her expression grave but proud. "You have integrated Stage Four faster than any heir in the last century. But the Council will escalate. And now… they know."
Sandra met Tristan and Sebastian's gaze—ice and fire, control and instinct, protection and desire. The triad bond was complete, Stage Four active, her body and instincts fully aligned.
The Academy had become a crucible. The Council's forces were converging. And Sandra, as the last Primordial heir, would be at the center of the storm.
But for the first time, she didn't feel fear.
She felt power.
And she felt unstoppable.