CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32 – THE STEAMY SURGE

Recap

Jemil thought the Sky Lotus Bathhouse would be a peaceful stop... until shadowy predators called Steam Shades rose from the mist and attacked. As Lyra, Nyssa, and Kaelina fought back, the system threw in an even bigger problem—an Emergency Bond Trial. Now Jemil has to trigger an Intimacy Surge in the middle of a fight to prevent his beasts’ power from degrading.

Main Story

The steam was so thick Jemil could barely tell where water ended and air began. Every breath was damp heat, every sound muffled and close. Somewhere to his right, Lyra’s fire hissed against the water, sending bursts of light through the fog like lightning under a storm cloud.

The shapes in the mist moved unnaturally—too smooth, too soundless. Steam Shades.

Kaelina’s voice cut through the haze. "They’re feeding on our heat. Every attack makes them stronger."

"That’s comforting," Jemil muttered, swiping water from his eyes.

A clawed hand emerged from the mist right in front of him. He stepped back, drawing his blade, but Nyssa was already there—her serpentine tail snapping around the shade’s wrist and crushing it into nothing but vapor.

She turned her head toward him, steam dripping from her hair, her smile wicked. "Stay close, Master. You wouldn’t want to get... lost in here."

[System Alert]

Emergency Bond Trial active.

Intimacy threshold: High.

Suggested partner: Nearest bonded beast.

Jemil froze for half a second, staring at the glowing system window. "In the middle of a fight?!"

The timer began immediately: 01:00... 00:59...

"Master," Nyssa purred, already closing the distance, "you heard the system. I’m the nearest."

Lyra landed between them in a splash of scalding water, wings folding tight against her back. Sparks danced across her bare shoulders. "Over my burning body. His flame resonance is already tied to me—it’s faster if we sync again."

Kaelina surfaced silently behind them, water rolling down her toned arms, her calm gaze cutting straight through the steam. "Pick one of us. Now. Every second you waste, the shades get closer."

The timer blinked: 00:44... 00:43...

Jemil’s head spun. Shadows shifted at the edges of his vision, drifting forward with slow, deliberate hunger. The shades were circling like sharks.

"Fine," Jemil said, voice low. "We’re doing this fast."

Nyssa’s tongue brushed over her teeth. Lyra’s eyes burned brighter. Kaelina tilted her head in silent challenge.

Jemil stepped forward—

—and grabbed Lyra by the wrist, yanking her toward him before she could even finish her smirk.

Her eyes widened. "You—"

"No time," he said, and kissed her.

The world ignited.

Lyra’s body went rigid, then molten under his touch, her fire flaring bright enough to turn the steam golden. Jemil felt the heat surge into him, filling every vein, until his skin hummed with it.

The shades recoiled instantly, their vaporous forms twisting away from the light.

Lyra’s fingers dug into his shoulders, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away. When she finally broke the kiss, her breath was hot enough to burn. "You have no idea what you just started."

She spun, feathers erupting along her arms, each glowing like a shard of molten sun. With a single sweeping motion, she unleashed a wave of heat so intense the water itself bucked and boiled.

The shades screamed—an eerie, steam-splitting sound—before vanishing into wisps that the mist swallowed whole.

Nyssa slithered up behind him, her tail brushing his leg in a way that was absolutely not necessary. "Mmm. I suppose I’ll have to wait my turn, then?"

Kaelina, still half-submerged, sent a ripple across the water that lapped against Jemil’s chest. "You made the right choice... for now. But heat fades quickly, Master. Water seeps deeper."

Before he could reply, the system chimed again.

[System Update]

Intimacy Surge successful.

Partner: Lyra (Flameborn Harpy)

Resonance upgraded: Solar Inferno Mode

Passive effect unlocked: Heat Immunity for bonded partner

Jemil felt it immediately—Lyra’s flames no longer burned him. Her heat was a second skin now, comforting instead of scorching.

Lyra stepped closer, her voice low, her eyes holding his like talons. "You’re not off the hook. Next time, you’re mine for more than sixty seconds."

He almost said something witty—then noticed the bathhouse attendants peeking in from the ruined doorway.

Their eyes darted between the scorched walls, the rippling water, and the very obvious fact that none of them were exactly dressed for a public display.

Jemil sighed. "So much for a relaxing soak."

Outside, the sky over the bathhouse had turned a dusky gold with the setting sun. They were supposed to leave early tomorrow, but he had a feeling news of "the bond trial in the Sky Lotus" would spread fast enough to draw attention before then. And not the good kind.

Kaelina seemed to sense it too. "We should leave before the gossip reaches someone dangerous."

Nyssa’s grin said she disagreed. "Or we could let them come. It’s been too long since I’ve had a proper hunt."

Jemil rubbed his temples. Between emergency intimacy tests, steam-born predators, and the constant tension in his harem, he was starting to wonder if peace was even an option anymore.

Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 33: The City of Golden Chains

The road from the Sky Lotus Bathhouse led them into a valley of golden light—an endless city glittering under the weight of its own wealth. Towers wrapped in metallic vines rose into the clouds, bridges spun from threads of pure silver connected districts in impossible arcs, and every person they passed wore some form of chain—bracelets, collars, belts—that shimmered with an inner glow.

Here, every deal was sealed in magic, every handshake burned a sigil into the skin. The Golden Chain Market wasn’t just a place to shop—it was a battlefield of contracts where one wrong bargain could cost your freedom... or worse.

The moment Jemil stepped onto the market’s central street, he felt it. Eyes. Dozens of them. Not just admiring his unusual harem, but measuring him. Calculating his worth.

A whisper drifted through the crowd: "That’s him... the one who tamed the Flameborn."

Within minutes, a pair of armored brokers approached, their chains pulsing with power. They didn’t ask if he was for sale. They asked what his opening price was.

Lyra’s feathers flared. Nyssa’s smile sharpened. Kaelina’s voice was almost a warning:

"Careful, Master... here, ownership can change hands with a single word."

And somewhere deeper in the market, a shadowed figure leaned against a pillar of gold, holding a contract already written in blood.

CTA:

If this steamy showdown got your blood pumping, add this book to your library and tell me—if the next Emergency Bond Trial happens, should Jemil choose Nyssa, Kaelina, or a new contender?