The awakening was a torture of sensations. Aria first felt a soft surface, nothing like the damp straw of the orphanage.
It was a real bed, and the linen sheets felt like silk against her extremely sensitive skin.
Every time she moved a millimeter, the fabric brushed against her thighs and abdomen, sending small electric shocks to her brain that made her gasp helplessly.
She opened her eyes heavily. The room was made of stone, illuminated by the soft glow of magical gems on the walls.
It wasn't a cell, but a cozy room in what appeared to be a cave or an underground castle.
"Well, finally awake, Sleeping Beauty."
Aria startled and sat up abruptly. The blanket slipped from her shoulders, revealing that she was no longer wearing the dirty nightgown, but a delicate white silk tunic, light and almost transparent, leaving little to the imagination.
Her small breasts were marked against the cool fabric, and the air in the room caused her nipples to harden instantly, sending a shiver through her that made her cringe.
Liora was sitting in a wooden chair beside the bed, sharpening a dagger. She had traded her armor for a linen shirt open at the collar, and trousers that emphasized her firm, trained legs.
"Where... where am I?" Aria asked, hugging her knees to hide her body. Her voice was still as childlike as ever, something Takumi couldn't stand.
"In the Refuge of the Outcasts. I pulled you out of that dump before the fat man could sell you," Liora set the dagger down and approached the bed.
Her presence was imposing, and the scent of womanhood emanating from her made Aria's pulse quicken.
"But we have a problem, little one. Your core is... 'unstable'."
[System Alert: Mana Saturation detected.]
[Status: Core Fever. Excess SSS energy is overheating your sensory nerves.]
[Solution: External Tuning. Physical contact with a compatible conductor is required to drain the excess.]
Aria felt a sudden surge of heat rise from her belly to her face.
Her skin began to glow with a faint violet hue, and small beads of sweat covered her forehead and chest.
"It's burning me..." Aria moaned, reclining back on the bed.
The heat was so intense that she felt her intimate areas throbbing with an urgency Takumi would never have imagined feeling.
Her new body demanded relief.
Liora sighed, with a smile that mixed concern and something else.
"It's the price of having so much potential without training. Your body can't contain it yet. If I don't help you channel it, your magic circuits will fry... and you don't want to know what happens if your core explodes."
The woman climbed onto the bed, positioning herself behind Aria. The girl felt the heat of Liora's body against her back.
"Take off the tunic, Aria. Or at least lower it to your waist. I need direct skin contact for the tuning massage."
"What? No way!" Aria protested, though her body was already yielding to the need for relief.
"Don't be shy. I've seen hundreds of recruits like this. Although... none with skin as soft as yours," Liora whispered near her ear, her breath causing Aria to let out a stifled moan.
With trembling hands, Aria lowered the straps of the silk tunic, leaving her back and the sides of her breasts exposed.
She felt incredibly vulnerable, a sensation of forced femininity that clashed with her male mind, but the pleasure of the cool air against her burning skin was too good.
Liora placed her large, warm hands on Aria's shoulders.
"Ah!" She arched her back at the feel of the contact.
Liora's hands began to move in slow, firm circles, moving down her spine.
It wasn't a normal massage; Aria could feel how Liora's mana, cold and stable, interacted with her own burning mana.
"Relax..." Liora ordered, lowering her hands toward Aria's lower back, just above where the curve of her buttocks began.
"Let my energy envelop you."
Liora pressed her chest against Aria's back while her hands continued exploring her skin, now moving up the sides, brushing dangerously close to the edges of her small breasts.
Aria threw her head back, resting it gently on her shoulder.
She was panting, her mouth half-open and her eyes clouded with pleasure.
[Bond with Liora: Progressing (Level 0.5).]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Thermal Resistance (F).]
[Note: Physical tuning is increasing soul compatibility. SSS mana flow is stabilizing.]
"Your body is... incredible," murmured Liora, whose breath was becoming heavy.
"You have a very strong reaction to mana, Aria. You are very sensitive."
One of Liora's hands slid forward, circling Aria's waist and pressing against her lower belly, where the heat was most intense.
Aria felt a pressure that made her squeeze her legs together.
The friction of Liora's breasts against her naked back was driving her crazy.
"Liora... I..." Aria didn't know if she wanted her to stop or to continue.
"Shhh. Just enjoy it. This is necessary for your survival," Liora said, while her other hand moved up Aria's neck, Toying with her ear before sliding back down toward her chest.
At that moment, the bedroom door opened again.
"Liora! The old man says that..." A girl with deep red hair and bright eyes entered, stopping dead at the sight on the bed.
"Well! Am I interrupting something important, or have you already found a new favorite pet?"
Aria, red as a tomato, tried to cover herself quickly, but Liora didn't let go, keeping her arms around the girl.
"Her name is Aria, Sienna," Liora said in a husky voice, looking at the newcomer.
"And she has more power in her pinky finger than you do in your whole bird-brain. Help me finish here; her core is still too hot."
Sienna closed the door with a mischievous smile and began to unbutton her own leather jacket.
"Well... I suppose two more hands will help 'cool' things down."
Aria swallowed hard. Her system began to beep loudly.
[New Bond Candidate Detected: Sienna (Weapon Master).]
[Warning: Imminent sensory overload.]