For the next hour, the den was filled with the sounds of heavy labor from the ceiling and intense, hushed technical talk from behind the crates.

Hana worked with her mind completely fixed on what she was doing, her fingers moving through the wiring like she was defusing a bomb.

Every now and then, Raiden would hand her a tool before she even asked, his intuition for her needs surprisingly sharp when he wasn’t being a narcissist. And he was a quick learner, too.

She knew how many times she had to explain to the other two how to use the bolt for the positioning of the panels while using the drill.

​By the time the sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting long, orange shadows across the valley, a low, steady hum began to vibrate from the inverter.

​"It’s breathing," Raiden whispered, his eyes wide.

​"It’s charging," Hana corrected, though a small, satisfied smile played on her lips. She looked at the tablet.

> ​[STORAGE CAPACITY: 12% AND RISING]

​"Caspian! Kulu! Get down here!" Hana shouted toward the ceiling.

​A moment later, the dragon and the falcon dropped into the main area, covered in dust and looking exhausted. They stopped short when they saw Hana standing by the distribution board, her hand on the master toggle.

​"Is the sun-glass ready like this?" Caspian asked, his golden eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and expectancy.

​"Watch," Hana said, feeling proud of herself all of a sudden, a small grin tugging on her lips.

​Then, she flipped the switch.

​Click.

​The silence of the cave was shattered by a brilliant, flicker-free white light that radiated from the ceiling. The LED strips hummed to life, bathing every corner of the prehistoric stone in a clean, daylight glow.

​The three beastmen froze. They simply stood there, staring at their own hands in a light that didn’t cast dancing shadows or smell of burning wood.

"This... what is this?" Kulu was the first to ask, and he looked outside. The sun was setting. How come the inside of the cave, without a fire, was as bright as day?

The question was written all over their faces. But before Hana could answer, she heard that familiar system chime, and a window opened up before her eyes.

​> [CIVILIZATION MILESTONE REACHED: POWERED OUTPOST]

> Karmic Reward: +20,000 Points.

> Current Balance: -1,021,880

​Hana exhaled, a long breath she felt like she’d been holding for four days. She looked at the three of them—her not-so-useless mates when it came to fixing modern gears—and then felt something exciting stir in her.

​"Welcome to the new world," she whispered. "Now, who’s hungry for dinner?"

But the three of them stood frozen, bathed in the unyielding white glow.

Caspian took a slow step toward the wall, reaching out to touch a patch of stone. Every crack, every bit of moss, and every sparkling mineral was visible in sharp detail.

"It is like a piece of the sun is trapped in the ceiling," he rumbled, his voice thick with awe. "Hana, you have brought the stars into our den."

Raiden, however, was already back at his mirror. "Forget the stars! I can see my skin perfectly. Hana, this is divine."

Near the entrance, Kulu looked out at the darkening sky and then back at the brilliance behind him. "The night cannot reach us here," he whispered, his amber eyes reflecting the steady light. "The shadows have nowhere to hide."

"It’s just light. No need to be poetic about it." Hana said, though she couldn’t hide her smirk. "And we have enough of it to finally see what we’re eating. I don’t know about you, but dire light doesn’t help me much." Then, she snapped her fingers. "Kulu, get the deer meat."

"Yes, Hana," Kulu said, snapping out of his trance.

Dinner was uncharacteristically quiet. The three beastmen were too busy staring at the ceiling and the pulsing status lights of the inverter to talk.

Every time the inverter’s cooling fan let out a soft whir, Caspian’s ears twitched, and he let out a low growl, only relaxing when he remembered Hana said it was the metal ’breathing.’

"Everyone breathes, but this one is very noisy," he huffed, and she rolled her eyes.

You should hear your breathing in your sleep. She thought. She woke up sometimes at night and heard what sounded like an animal’s growl from Caspian.

He had no right to judge the fan.

After the meal, Hana leaned back against her mattress, letting her food digest as she watched the steady glow of the LED strips.

I really did it. She thought. None of this would’ve been possible if she hadn’t found that bunker.

Life would be much easier now.

I’ll focus on setting up the kitchen space tomorrow so we can start cooking properly.

Then, her eyes drifted to the corner where Kulu sat. He was quiet, his amber eyes fixed on the entrance of the cave.

He looked useful, steady—and yet to pay up his 15 thousand points. He was the only one she hadn’t pulled aside to mate with yet, and the 15,000-point reward for an individual session was too valuable to leave on the table.

But how to get him out and... an idea suddenly snapped into place, lightning a bulb above her head.

"Kulu," Hana called out.

He stood up instantly, like a patrol officer caught slacking off. "Yes, Hana?"

"Take me somewhere quiet," she said, standing up and dusting off her dress. "A place you like. I want to see the view and enjoy some serenity before I go to sleep."

Caspian’s head snapped up, his golden eyes narrowing. "Serenity? I can find a quiet spot for you, Hana. I know this forest like the back of my hand. You don’t need to leave with the bird."

"Aw, I want to go," Raiden added, his tails twitching. "I know the best spots for a view."

Hana fixed them with a cold, flat stare. "What part of ’serenity’ is hard to understand? If the four of us go, it’s a parade, not a quiet walk. You two stay here and guard the equipment. Kulu, let’s go."

Caspian looked like he wanted to roar, and Raiden pouted like a scolded child, but neither dared to argue when she used that tone. And especially when one was trying to be as obedient as his ego allowed.

Kulu didn’t wait for them to change their minds. He stepped forward, scooped Hana into his arms, and launched himself from the cave mouth.

Unlike Caspian’s heavy, thundering flight, Kulu moved like a blade cutting through the air—silent, fast, and incredibly smooth.

He flew for a while and then landed on a high, jagged peak that overlooked the entire valley. The world below was drowning in deep blues and greens, while the sky above was dark.

"Is this quiet enough?" Kulu asked softly, setting her down on a flat stone.

"Perfect," Hana breathed, looking out at the horizon. Then, she turned to him, noting how he stood a respectful distance away. "We haven’t consummated our bond yet, Kulu." She suddenly mentioned, and Kulu stiffened, his wings rustling behind him.

He looked away, his jaw tight.

"You are tired, Hana. You have worked hard today, and the others... they have already taken much of your strength."

He didn’t say it, but Hana could see it in the way his nostrils flared. He could smell the dragon and the fox all over her. It was a sensory reminder that he was currently the odd one out in his own den.

"I’m the one who decides when I’m tired," Hana said, stepping into his space. She reached up, running a thumb along the sharp line of his jaw. "Don’t you want to leave your scent on me, too? Or are you content being the only one who cannot claim me?"

Kulu’s amber eyes flared with a sudden, dark hunger. The ’polite soldier’ mask he usually wore began to crack. He reached out, his hands hovering near her waist, trembling slightly with the effort to remain gentle.

"I want it more than anything," he rasped, his voice dropping into a primal register. "I want them to smell me on you and know that you belong to me just as much as them."

Hana leaned in, her breath warm against his neck. "That’s the kind of confidence you should have as my mate, remember that? No one is allowed to trample over you except me."

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he took in her scent.

"Now, show me, Falcon. There’s no need to wait anymore." She whispered, her tone intoxicating to his fracturing composure. "Show me how a bird claims, not the sky, but his mate."

Kulu didn’t need a second command. He pulled her in, his wings wrapping around them both like a silken tent, shielding them from the wind and the world below as he went for her lips.

"Hana," he breathed, his lips brushing against hers. "I am a warrior, and I have fought many battles, but in this battle, I do not know what to do. Will I lose?"

He speaks like a poet even now.

"There’s no need to worry," she said, her hand trailing down his body, feeling his rock abs and the way his skin twitched under her touch. "I will guide you so you do not lose yourself."

With that, she captured his lips. This mate of hers... he was going to give her a lot of work. But it was all worth it for 15 thousand points.

> [NOTIFICATION: PRIMAL BONDING INITIATED]

> Mate: Kulu (Falcon)

> Condition: Individual Session active.

> Note: Aerial Bond bonus pending.