The silence in the Chamber of the Archives of the Scream was not tranquility, but contained expectation. The floating walls of books vibrated with a constant murmur, and the golden light of the lotus seemed to pulse in time with Lyra and Kael's heartbeats. Their bond had survived the first trial, but something even more dangerous awaited at the heart of the room.
—We can't let our guard down —Kael whispered, brushing Lyra's cheek with a finger—. The Order of Silence is watching, and these archives… they seem alive.
Lyra nodded, feeling the heat of her own body merge with Kael's, mingling with the energy emanating from the chamber. A shiver ran down her spine as from the shadows emerged a figure floating with impossible grace: a tall woman, pale-skinned, her eyes blazing with a fire that was not only physical.
—Welcome —she said, her voice velvety and deep—. I am the Professor of Flesh, the ancestral spirit of this school. Your trial begins now.
Kael frowned but did not remove his hand from Lyra's waist.
—You won't scare us —he murmured—. Together, we can face anything.
Selene stepped forward, her gaze cautious yet warning, fixed on them.
—This woman isn't only after pleasure —she whispered—. She wants to divide you. Her goal is to test if your bond can break under the pressure of desire and the school's manipulative magic.
The Professor of Flesh smiled, as if reading their thoughts and Selene's as well.
—Correct —she said, leaning closer—. I have watched generations of sorcerers fall to their own desires. The union between you two is powerful, yet fragile when faced with temptation and fear. If I can separate your bodies or your minds, your magic will fracture, and I will claim control over what you possess.
Lyra felt heat rise from her thighs to her chest, a mix of arousal, fear, and defiance. Selene remained at their side, unable to fight the Professor directly, only able to warn and observe.
—You must understand that true strength is not only in pleasure —the Professor continued, advancing slowly—. It is in what you can resist together. How you maintain your bond when everything around you conspires to break it.
Kael caressed Lyra's face, his fingers tracing the curve of her jaw, eliciting a shiver that mingled with the pulse of the room.
—They won't separate us —he whispered—. Neither pleasure, nor temptation… nor her.
The Professor of Flesh exhaled a sigh that vibrated through the chamber like the echo of a thousand whispers.
—Then begin —she said—. Let the lesson of the body and desire be your teacher.
Suddenly, the room transformed. The walls drew closer, the books began to spin around them, and each reflected image showed versions of themselves surrendering to forbidden desires. Every touch between Lyra and Kael ignited golden sparks that ran through their veins and the entire chamber, mapping their most intimate connection.
Lyra moaned softly, arching against Kael, feeling her magic pulse in perfect sync with his. Every impulse from their bodies was amplified by the chamber, turning the trial into a game of control, surrender, and resistance to manipulation.
Selene stayed close, her eyes vigilant, ready to intervene if the Professor tried a more direct assault.
—We can't let her deceive us —she whispered—. Every illusion is a trap. Her intention is to separate you to take advantage of your magic.
—This… —Lyra gasped, pressing her forehead against Kael's chest—. This is more than a game. It's teaching… and a threat.
—And we are learning it together —he replied, lowering a kiss to her neck—. No matter what the room shows us, our union is stronger.
The Professor of Flesh leaned closer, watching them with a mixture of approval and warning.
—Remember this: the knowledge of pleasure and power is not learned alone. Only together can you master what awaits in the coming trials. But if fear or temptation prevails… your bond will be my victory.
A new murmur swept through the chamber, louder and more intense, as if the very books were breathing and waiting for their next move. Lyra and Kael exchanged a glance, breathless, aware that what they had just experienced was only a preview: the true initiation had barely begun, and every decision they made within the Archives of the Scream would carry irreversible consequences.