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 even a millimeter, the fabric brushed against her thighs and abdomen, sending small electric shocks to her brain that made her gasp without being able to help it.
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 seemed to be a cave or an underground castle.
"Well, you're finally awake, Sleeping Beauty."
Aria startled and sat up abruptly, causing the blanket to slide down her shoulders, revealing that she was no longer wearing the dirty nightgown, but a delicate white silk tunic, light and almost transparent that left little to the imagination.
Her small breasts pressed against the cold fabric, and the room's air made her nipples harden instantly, causing a shiver that made her curl up.
Liora was sitting in a wooden chair beside the bed, sharpening a dagger. She had changed her armor for a linen shirt open at the neck, and pants that highlighted her firm, trained legs.
"Where... where am I?" Aria asked, hugging her knees to hide her body. Her voice was still as childish as ever, something Takumi couldn't stand.
"In the Exile Refuge. I got you out of that pigsty before the fatso could sell you," Liora set the dagger aside and approached the bed.
Her presence was imposing, and the womanly scent 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. The excess SSS energy is overheating your sensory nerves.]
[Solution: External Tuning. Physical contact with a compatible conductor is required to drain the excess.]
Aria suddenly felt a rush of heat rising from her belly to her face.
Her skin began to glow with a faint violet tone, and small beads of sweat started to cover her forehead and chest.
"It burns…" Aria moaned, falling back onto the bed.
The heat was so intense that she felt her intimate areas throbbing with an urgency that Takumi would never have imagined feeling.
Liora sighed, with a smile that mixed concern and something more.
"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 magical 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 warmth of Liora's body at 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, though... none with skin as soft as yours," Liora whispered near her ear, her breath causing Aria to let out a muffled moan.
With trembling hands, Aria lowered the straps of the silk tunic, exposing her back and the sides of her small breasts.
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 upon feeling the contact.
Liora's hands began to move in slow, firm circles, going down her spine.
It wasn't a normal massage; Aria could feel how Liora's mana, cool and stable, interacted with her own burning mana.
"Relax…" Liora ordered, lowering her hands toward the lower part of Aria's 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 along the sides, dangerously brushing 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 by pleasure.
[Bond with Liora: Progressing (Level 0.5).]
[Unlock of passive skill: Thermal Resistance (F).]
[Note: Physical tuning is increasing soul compatibility. The SSS mana flow is stabilizing.]
"Your body is... incredible," Liora murmured, her breathing becoming heavy.
"You have a very strong reaction to mana, Aria. You're very sensitive."
One of Liora's hands slid forward, wrapping around Aria's waist and pressing her lower belly, where the heat was most intense.
Aria felt a pressure that made her squeeze her legs together. The rubbing of Liora's breasts against her bare 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 going down again toward her chest.
At that moment, the room's door opened again.
"Liora! The old man says that…" a girl with intense red hair and bright eyes entered, stopping dead upon seeing the scene on the bed.
"Wow! 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 her 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 little finger than you do in that whole airhead of yours. Help me finish this; her core is still too hot."
Sienna closed the door with a mischievous smile and began unbuttoning her own leather jacket.
"Well... I guess two more hands will help 'cool' things down."
Aria swallowed hard; her system began beeping loudly.
[New Bond Candidate detected: Sienna (Weapons Master).]
[Warning: Imminent sensory overload.]