Caelum sat between Lyra and Seraphina, the tension at the table so thick it felt like a physical weight. Under the tablecloth, his hands were busy, keeping both women in a state of high-voltage "Resonance." He could feel Lyra's heart racing through her thigh and Seraphina's needy heat through her silk-covered knee.
But to mark his territory, he needed to move.
He slowly withdrew his hands, leaving both women breathless and shivering from the sudden loss of contact. He stood up with a calm, predatory grace, picking up a crystal glass of deep red wine. The **Gold Aether** in his body flared, making the wine in the glass glow as if it were filled with liquid rubies.
The entire Great Hall went silent.
"A toast," Caelum said, his voice deep and smooth, carrying easily to the high table. "To the Silver Lily Academy. A place that prides itself on 'Purity' and 'Ice.'"
He turned his golden gaze toward **Isolde**, the Silver-Haired Queen. She was sitting perfectly still, but her eyes were locked on his lips. Caelum took a slow, deliberate sip of the wine, his tongue flicking out to catch a stray drop on his lip.
"But we all know the truth of chemistry," Caelum continued, his voice dropping to a teasing hum. "The most powerful reactions don't happen in a cold, lonely lab. They happen when you add... heat."
He stepped away from his seat, walking slowly toward the high table. As he passed **Professor Vespera**, he leaned down. The scent of his Aether—heavy and intoxicating—surrounded her. Vespera's indigo Aether began to pulse wildly, her chest rising and falling rapidly under her tight robes.
"You look thirsty, Professor," Caelum whispered, loud enough for those nearby to hear.
He held his glass to her lips. Vespera, unable to resist the "Chemical Pull," leaned forward and took a sip. As she drank, Caelum sent a sharp, vibrating pulse of Gold Aether through the glass and into her mouth.
Vespera's body jolted. A soft, wet whimper escaped her throat—a sound of pure, helpless pleasure that made every student in the room blush. She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles white, as her indigo energy turned a deep, messy violet.
Caelum didn't stop. He turned to **Isolde**, who was sitting right next to Vespera. Isolde was pale, her silver Aether shivering. She looked like she wanted to run away and jump into his arms at the same time.
"And you, Lady Isolde," Caelum said, reaching out. He didn't touch her skin this time. Instead, he gripped the silver stem of *her* wine glass. His gold energy flowed into the metal, turning the silver hot.
The frost on her glass evaporated in a hiss of steam. Isolde jumped, her breath hitching.
"Ice is just water that's afraid to move," Caelum murmured, his eyes scanning her frozen features. "Tonight, I'll be in the moonlit gardens. I wonder... who among you has the courage to stop being a 'Queen' and start being a 'Woman'?"
He set his glass down on their table with a firm *clink*, gave a sharp, knowing smirk to the stunned Headmaster, and walked out of the hall.
Behind him, Lyra and Seraphina stood up instantly, their faces determined. Vespera was slumped in her chair, trying to catch her breath, and Isolde was staring at her now-warm glass, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
The "Master" had left the room, and the hunt was on.