The interior of Professor Vespera's carriage was much larger than it appeared from the outside. It was lined with dark purple velvet and smelled like expensive perfume and old books. As the carriage pulled away from the village, the heavy doors clicked shut with a magical seal, cutting off the noise of the outside world.
Lyra sat on Caelum's left, her thigh pressed firmly against his. She was nervous but excited, her teal Aether fluttering like a trapped bird. Across from them sat Vespera. She had unbuttoned the top of her stiff collar, revealing the elegant curve of her neck and a hint of her pale collarbone.
"Caelum," Vespera started, her voice a bit breathy. "The way you used the testing stone was... highly improper. You bypassed the crystal's filters and touched my personal Aether directly."
"I apologize, Professor," Caelum said, though his golden eyes didn't look sorry at all. "I just wanted to see if the 'Ice Queen' of the Academy was as cold as the rumors say."
Vespera's face flushed. "Insolent boy. Do you have any idea how dangerous a 'Direct Link' is? If our energies didn't match, it could have caused a soul-shock."
"But they did match, didn't they?" Caelum countered. He leaned forward, closing the gap between them. "I felt your ice melt. It felt... right."
Vespera tried to look away, but the "Resonance" from the square was still humming in her blood. Caelum turned to Lyra, who was watching them with wide eyes.
"Lyra, give me your hand," he commanded gently.
She obeyed instantly. Caelum took Lyra's hand and then reached out to take Vespera's hand as well. Now, he was the bridge between the two women.
"What are you doing?" Vespera gasped, her fingers twitching in his grip.
"A three-way synthesis," Caelum explained. "Lyra has the raw, wild wind. You have the refined, cold logic. And I... I am the fire that brings you both together."
He began to pulse his gold Aether. Suddenly, the carriage felt ten degrees hotter. Lyra let out a soft cry as the heat rushed through her, her body arching toward Caelum. Vespera's eyes went wide as the "Wind" from Lyra and the "Gold" from Caelum began to swirl inside her own body.
It was a sensory overload. Lyra's teal energy was playful and ticklish, while Caelum's gold was heavy, thumping like a heartbeat. Vespera's strict, indigo energy couldn't hold back the tide. Her legs crossed tightly under her skirt, and her chest heaved as she felt a wave of pure, logical lust wash over her. It wasn't just a feeling; it was a biological necessity.
"It's... too much," Vespera whispered, her head falling back against the velvet cushions. Her bun finally came undone, her black hair spilling over her shoulders like a dark waterfall.
"No, it's just the beginning," Caelum murmured.
He pulled Lyra closer, her soft, linen-clad chest pressing against his arm, while he used his other hand to pull Vespera toward him. The "Ice Queen" didn't fight. She slid off her seat and onto the floor of the carriage at his feet, her expensive dress bunching up to reveal her long, silk-stockinged legs.
The carriage rocked, not from the road, but from the sheer power of the resonance happening inside. Caelum looked at the two beautiful women—one a wild girl from his past, the other a powerful woman of his future—and knew that his harem wasn't just for pleasure. It was his laboratory, and he was the master chemist.