Ravène adjusted the final clasp of her garter and inhaled deeply before exhaling.

She turned her attention back to Brandon "We don't have much time before the meeting,"

"But I need to run some preliminary tests. We need to understand exactly what's happening to you."

Brandon watched as she walked toward a control panel on the far wall, her heels clicking softly against the metallic flooring.

The lab was expansive, filled with holographic displays, crystalline conduits pulsating with stored ether, and intricate devices whose purposes he could only guess at.

The Sovereign Circle spared no expense when it came to research, and Ravène had access to some of the most advanced equipment in the world.

She activated the console, and a low hum vibrated through the floor as the room adjusted to her commands.

Lights flickered, illuminating the center of the lab where a raised circular platform stood surrounded by curved glass panels.

"Step onto the analysis platform," she instructed, her voice now carrying the clinical authority of a seasoned researcher.

"This will scan your etheric field and help us determine the nature of your absorption ability."

With a nod, Brandon stood up and walked to the platform.

A strange tingling sensation spread from the soles of his feet, winding its way up through his limbs like an invisible current of energy.

Ravène's fingers flickered across the interface as streams of data materialized in the air before her.

She narrowed her eyes as she observed the shifting ether signatures fluctuating around Brandon's body.

"Incredible…" she muttered under her breath.

"Your etheric field is unstable, constantly shifting between multiple resonance states. That shouldn't be possible."

Brandon furrowed his brows. "What does that mean?"

"It means.. as you already said, that your ability isn't just absorption. It's replication. Your ether signature isn't just borrowing energy from another source... it's actively restructuring itself to mimic the exact nature of the ether you come into contact with."

Brandon let the words sink in "So, when I kissed Eira…"

With a nod, she confirmed "You didn't just take in her ether. You copied its entire structure. It's as if your body is rewriting itself to match the etheric blueprint of those you interact with."

She leaned closer, her sharp gaze scrutinizing the results as more layers of information poured onto the display.

"As expected..." she continued.

"With Eira, the replication seemed stable... natural even. But with me, the process was different. Your body is struggling to interpret my ether signature."

Brandon gave a faint nod "Yeah… I felt that. Like my mind was being overloaded with too much information at once."

Ravène hummed thoughtfully as she tapped a few more commands into the interface, and a three-dimensional projection of Brandon's etheric structure appeared above the console.

It was an intricate web of interwoven strands, glowing with varying intensities.

At the center was his own core signature... flickering erratically as foreign patterns attempted to imprint themselves upon it.

"As I theorized, it's a matter of complexity," she mused.

"Eira's ether was simpler. More instinctive. Mine… not so much. The more refined and developed the ether signature, the harder it is for you to process."

Brandon crossed his arms "Will I only be able to copy weaker signatures?"

"Not necessarily," Ravène responded, adjusting the display to magnify the interaction points.

"Your body is adapting… slowly. If you have time to process a stronger ether signature, you may be able to fully integrate it. But it might require repeated exposure or prolonged contact."

Brandon raised an eyebrow "Prolonged contact? Like what... holding hands? Hugging?"

Ravène's lips curled into an amused smirk "Or kissing," she teased.

Brandon let out a sigh. "Of course."

She stepped forward, her fingers tracing along his forearm as she examined the residual etheric imprints left behind "Your physical connection to ether is fascinating. Most awakeners draw ether from the environment, but yours is entirely different. Your body doesn't pull ether from the air... it only absorbs it directly from other beings."

Brandon frowned "So I can't use ambient ether at all?"

"Not in the way most awakeners do," Ravène nodded her head.

"But that doesn't necessarily mean it's a weakness. If anything, it makes you unpredictable. No one will know what abilities you possess at any given time."

She stepped back as she looked at him with a thoughtful gaze "But there's still a question of limitations. How long can you hold onto a copied ether signature? Does it fade over time? Or is it permanent?"

"We need to test duration. If your body can't maintain multiple signatures indefinitely, you'll need to know when they start fading."

She turned back to the console and adjusted the parameters again.

The holographic projection flickered, now displaying a time decay analysis.

A countdown appeared next to each signature, measuring their degradation rate.

"Eira's ether is holding steady," she noted.

"But mine… it's already degrading. It's as I suspected... the more complex the ether, the harder it is for your body to sustain."

Brandon exhaled "So I won't be able to just hoard abilities. I have a time limit."

Ravène gave a nod "It seems that way. You may need to actively refresh a signature to maintain it. Otherwise, it will fade, and you'll have to absorb it all over again."

Brandon ran a hand through his hair "That complicates things."

"It does," she agreed.

"But it also gives you a tactical advantage. If you can master this, you could become one of the most versatile awakeners in existence."

She leaned against the console "But first, you need to understand your own limits. We can run more tests later, but for now, we should get to the meeting. The Sovereign Circle won't wait forever."

Brandon nodded his head and stepped out of the platform.

His steps carried him back to the chair where his jacket lay draped over the backrest.

Reaching for it, he shrugged it on, adjusting the collar as he rolled his shoulders. The fabric was slightly cool from the room's temperature.

Suddenly he felt Ravene hugging him from behind as her squishy melong squeezed on his back.

He turned his head and she leaned forward kissing his cheek.

"Aunt..."

Letting out a sigh, Ravene spoke "I am also.. kind of scared, but I will try my best... Kael."

"Mhm..."