The trio returned to Aurelia’s lab a few minutes later.

  The space felt homey and lived-in. The scent of ocean brine and vanilla greeted them the moment they stepped inside.

  At the back of the lab sat Chomper and her aquarium, alongside the bucket holding the Aetherium worms — now the primary focus of Aurelia’s research. Diagrams pinned to a corkboard detailed theories and experiments, including feeding the worms to livestock to determine whether Aetherium saturation would affect products like eggs.

  “Haaa… finally back home,” Aurelia murmured happily, stretching languidly.

  She ignored the knowing smiles from Seris and Elowen when they noticed their usual spots remained untouched — if anything, made more comfortable.

  Before anything else could be said, her system chimed.

  PING

  | Crystal Seed detected |

  | Please acquire and insert into the Crystal Incubator to begin organic crystal growth. |

  Aurelia froze.

  Her eyes darted around the room — until they landed on an orb resting within Chomper’s tank.

  “Wh-what? She shouldn’t be laying eggs… there isn’t a male to fertilize…” Aurelia muttered, stepping closer to examine the clearly inert object.

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  The egg pulsed faintly, its surface silvery and rippling like liquid metal.

  That color… that sheen…

  “Elowen?” Aurelia breathed.

  Elowen stepped closer, peering over her shoulder.

  “That egg… it’s… pure Aetherium, isn’t it?” she asked softly.

  Aurelia nodded slowly.

  “The only explanation I can think of is long-term saturation. The water’s been infused with Aetherium particulates for years. Over time… it must have affected Chomper’s biology.” She swallowed. “The result is an egg composed entirely of Aetherium. A… seed.”

  Carefully, she retrieved the egg from the tank.

  Despite the cool water, it was warm in her palm — radiating energy similar to refined Aetherium weapons or storage cores.

  Her system chimed again.

  | Crystal Seed registered: Aetherium Crystal Seed — 100% Purity |

  | Insert into Crystal Incubator to begin growth process. |

  Aurelia nearly dropped it.

  “H-holy—” She steadied herself. “I need to enter my Ocean of Consciousness. Now. Please watch over me.”

  Without waiting for a response, she lay down on the couch beside Seris and closed her eyes.

  Seris beamed at the authority in her tone — at how naturally she trusted them.

  Then he flushed faintly as he realized just how close she was. Her expression softened as she slipped into meditative slumber beside him.

  “Y-you don’t think she’ll be long, do you?” he asked quietly, fingers already drifting into her hair.

  Elowen moved to Aurelia’s other side, lifting the smaller woman’s legs into her lap so she would be more comfortable. Together, they adjusted her until her head rested securely in Seris’s lap.

  “However long it takes,” Elowen murmured. “That was our agreement.”

  Her gaze, usually sharp and cool, softened into something warm.

  “Mhm… I just hope it’s sooner rather than later,” Seris admitted, glancing at his sister — and noticing the way she looked at Aurelia.

  He wasn’t alone in this.

  The twins exchanged a silent, knowing look.

  “No matter what,” they said together, “we wait. And we stay by her side.”

  They laughed softly.