The alchemy workshop smelled of scorched copper, cinnamon oil, and mild panic.

Vuvi's fingers were a blur, dancing over a glowing runescreen as Raenly hovered behind her, holding a delicate filament of divine gold that pulsed faintly. Nestled in the center of the obsidian worktable lay Pip's frame. Gleaming, sleek, but still unfinished.

His divine crystal hovered above the open cavity in his chest, spinning slowly as waves of shimmering energy curled outward like golden petals.

"We're close," Vuvi muttered. "The resonance is almost clean. Just a few more stabilizers and—"

The heavy door creaked open.

Mysa stepped in, her white robes cinched tightly around her waist, a silver tray of snacks balanced neatly in her hands. "You've both been at this for hours," she said softly. "Eat before you pass out."

Vuvi gave her a curt nod, eyes never leaving the calibration glyphs. "Thanks."

Mysa walked quietly to the table, setting the tray down. Cream puffs, nut clusters, and little crystalized fruits shimmered temptingly. She paused at Pip's side. Her eyes lingered on him.

"Gods," she whispered, brushing her fingertips gently along the curve of his metal arm. "He's so beautiful. Not just the body… it's his heart. Even now, you can feel it." Her voice cracked. "We have to bring him back, Vuvi."

Vuvi's jaw clenched. "I won't stop until we do."

Mysa wiped her eyes, sniffed, then turned sharply to Raenly. "You. You better listen to every word she says. If you screw this up, I swear I'll rip off your tail."

Raenly, unbothered, popped a cream puff into his mouth. "Relax," he mumbled around the filling. "I know what I'm doing—"

A thick glob of cream escaped his lips in slow motion.

Splat.

It landed squarely inside Pip's open chest cavity.

There was a pop, then a sizzle. Sparks jumped. Smoke curled.

"Oh." Raenly muttered.

"You imbecile!" Vuvi shouted, slapping him upside the head. "His core was just reaching resonance!"

"Oops," Raenly said sheepishly, already scrambling for a cleaning cloth.

-------------------

Meanwhile, somewhere above, in the pinkest depths of heaven…

Pip lay on a massive bed of clouds and silk twitching.

His eyes were rolled back, his legs trembled, and every sound that escaped his lips was a whimper mixed with a hallelujah.

The Great Mother, a divine silhouette of swirling clouds shaped like a woman and smelling faintly of jasmine and moonlight, slowly rose from between his thighs.

Her plush, heavenly lips glistened with spiritual essence as she daintily wiped her mouth.

"Mmmmm," she exhaled with satisfaction, as if she'd just tasted a vintage wine aged in stardust and heartbreak. "Your essence already tastes divine, my sweet little soul pudding ."

She gave his thigh a fond pat. "Keep up the good work and you'll be ready in a few more months. Maybe less, if you continue slutting it up on schedule."

Pip moaned in reply, blissfully unaware of anything besides his tingling spine and melting mind.

The Great Mother turned, floating gracefully toward her daughters who hovered nearby, visibly rattled.

"Vuvela almost has his body ready," she said. "You'll return him soon."

Bela raised a hand. "Uhh, so… are we gonna talk about how you just throat-milked your future divine consort?"

"Ew," Nela said. "You had to make it weird."

Hela massaged her temple. "Watching mother take that to the hilt wasn't weird enough?!"

The Great Mother ignored them. She leaned over Pip's blissed-out form, brushing his hair back and whispering sweetly into his ear, "Go to sleep now, love. You'll be back home with your Vuvi soon."

Then she brushed her glowing fingers over his crotch, "And I've left you a little gift..."

Pip's eyes fluttered once, then rolled up again as his body went limp with a soft sigh. He slumped into the cloudbed, unconscious.

The Great Mother turned to her daughters with a glittering smile. "I've wiped his memory. He won't remember anything that happened here."

"Nothing?" Bela asked, shocked.

"Not even the sensual soul-sucking?" Nela blinked.

"Not the insane plan where you said he's gonna be your divine boyfriend-slash-apocalypse tool?" Hela added.

"Nothing," their mother said cheerfully. "Not a peep. I want him to organically fall for me, you see. No spoilers."

The sisters exchanged a look.

The Great Mother's expression darkened. "And once he's gone, the three of you will report to me."

"Why?" Bela asked. "W-Wait. Mother—"

"To discuss," the Mother said, stretching the word, "your punishment."

All three daughters groaned.

"Nooo," Hela cried. "Not another moon-cycle scrubbing the soul-pits—"

"Can't we just, like, offer you tribute or something instead?" Nela pouted.

Bela was already backing away. "I'm allergic to divine retribution!"

Their mother just chuckled darkly.

"Oh, I have just the punishment in mind," she purred.

Her eyes twinkled with mischief and cosmic lust.

All three daughters groaned in unison.

The Great Mother's cloud-form disappeared in a puff of mist and holy energy while Pip lay sprawled across the heavenly bed, glowing softly in his slumber.

Around him, the three goddesses sighed and groaned, draped in silk and guilt.

Their punishment loomed like thunderclouds in their minds.

Nela traced delicate fingers over Pip's bare chest, humming as she admired his form. "Do you think she'll go easy on us if we just pretend to be very, very sorry?"

Hela tossed a cloud-pillow at her. "You mean like last time? When we set the Soul Gate on fire and blamed the wind?"

Nela stuck out her tongue. "It was windy."

Bela sat with arms crossed, eyes shut, pouting. "We get punished and Mother gets to soul-suck him like she was drinking nectar from the Tree of Origins. So unfair!"

All three groaned in unison again.

Pip, blissfully unaware, twitched in his sleep, a faint smile on his lips.

Hela's eyes lit up. "Well… we've got a little time before Mother drags us across the clouds by our hair. Why not have some fun?"

Nela crawled across Pip to join her, smirking. "We're already in trouble… might as well enjoy the view before we're turned into celestial wormfood."

Bela rolled her eyes. "You two are reckless. Mother already wiped his memories. If we tamper now, we risk unraveling her plan."

Hela's smile turned wicked. "Not if we don't tamper here. What if we meet him… down there?"

Nela purred. "Ohhh. A full-bodied experience? A rendezvous in the flesh?"

Bela bit her lip, eyes flickering. "We'll need the Maiden-Mother's permission to descend."

Nela and Hela high-fived over Pip's chest. "Then it's settled," Hela said. "We'll charm her into arranging it."

Suddenly, Pip began to glow brighter.

A warm, divine pulse radiated outward from his soul.

The sisters gasped and leaned over him.

"He's fading!"

"His soul's being pulled back!"

"So beautiful…"

The three gathered close, hands intertwined over Pip's chest, whispering in unison.

"Goodbye, sweet prince. We'll see you soon."

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