Bonds of Power
Copyright© 2025 by SomethingLewd
Chapter 32: Escalation
Science Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 32: Escalation - Dungeon incursions threaten humanity. Ethan’s rare S-rank Essence Bonder Class grants permanent growth and demands multi-partner bonds, powering his abilities with essence created by intimacy, pushing his team into a harem dynamic none expected. As they navigate stigma and personal boundaries, political pressure mounts: many claim Ethan owes society his power, not loyalty to his D-ranked sister and girlfriend. Torn between duty and choice, he must justify the team he refuses to abandon.
Caution: This Science Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Fa/Fa Lesbian Heterosexual Fiction GameLit High Fantasy School Science Fiction Magic Sharing Incest Brother Sister Group Sex Harem Polygamy/Polyamory Cream Pie Exhibitionism Facial Masturbation Oral Sex Voyeurism
The portal’s shimmering surface dissolved into solid ground beneath their boots as they emerged back into reality. The medical team swarmed them immediately—gloved hands checking for wounds, scanning for internal injuries, and barking orders over the clatter of equipment.
Ethan winced at a particularly aggressive prod to his ribs but didn’t protest. He was too busy watching the periphery of their makeshift triage area. Director Wray stood with Guildmaster Thompson near the entryway, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Once the medics declared them stable, Wray dismissed them with a curt nod. “We’ll take it from here.”
Thompson turned toward the team, his datapad tucked away for now. “You all look like you’ve been through hell” He stepped closer, voice low but steady. “First, I need to know: are you okay? And then, what happened in there?” His gaze lingered on each of them in turn, waiting not just for words, but for acknowledgement they were fine.
Ethan’s voice was steady despite the adrenaline still thrumming through his veins. He recounted the dungeon methodically, starting from their first encounter in the dungeon and then spiral staircase that had felt wrong from the beginning.
“Mei noticed something off about this place right away,” he said, glancing at her for confirmation.
She nodded “There were more variants of monster than a D-ranked dungeon should have. We’d fought five by the time we reached the entrance to the boss.”
Ethan continued, describing how they’d pushed through the cavernous space toward the glowing door, how the Forge Knight had been waiting. “Doors locked behind us,” he said. “Ambush. Spiders first, then the boss.” The tension in his face betrayed how sharply he remembered Grace’s clash with the Forge Knight, the way its strength had warped her weapon like a twig.
“That’s not supposed to happen until C-rank,” Alice added, echoing what they’d all thought in that moment.
Ethan picked up the thread again. The Forge Knight’s strength, its resilience, how it hadn’t gone down like a D-ranked boss should. “It took everything we had,” he said. “And then some.”
Mei exhaled sharply. “The core detonation,” she said. “That wasn’t just instability. That was deliberate. D-ranked dungeons don’t exhibit that level of monster intelligence.” She met Ethan’s eyes. “Someone sabotaged us.”
Silence settled over the group, heavy with implication.
Grace finally spoke, her voice rough from smoke and shock. “Why?” The question hung in the air between them, unanswered.
Director Wray stepped forward then, his expression unreadable. “That’s what we’re going to find out,” he said.
Wray’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “We’ve got reason to believe someone tampered with the dungeon assessment.” His gaze flicked over each of them, assessing reactions. “Not sure how yet—but we’re pulling every record, reviewing every step of this operation.”
Thompson nodded sharply. “Including personnel assignments.”
Ethan’s stomach twisted. He thought of Marcus Hale, of the way the team’s schedules had been messed with before. Coincidence? Or something worse?
Grace’s fingers tightened around her weapon. “You think someone wanted us to be surprised by the dungeon being C-rank?”
Wray didn’t flinch. “That’s what we’re investigating.”
“Which is why,” Thompson interjected, “we’re locking this down tight.” He pulled out his datapad, fingers flying over the screen. “You’ll all submit full reports by the end of the day. Then you’re on leave until further notice?.”
Alice’s jaw set. “We can’t raid?”
Wray leveled her a look. “For your safety. And ours.”
“If this sabotage theory is true,” Grace said, “then what happened in there wasn’t just interference. It was attempted murder.”
The words landed heavy as stones between them. Alice stiffened beside her, Penny’s fingers tightened around Grace’s shoulder.
Grace didn’t flinch from the weight of their stares. She met Ethan’s eyes directly. “The only reason we’re alive is because your class gave us growth. Without that Imbue Essence? We’d have been drastically weaker, we’d not have been able to kill the boss.”
Her gaze flicked to Mei, then Penny. “That blow I took?” Her voice dropped lower. “It should’ve killed me. The only reason it didn’t was because you healed us.” She looked at Ethan again. “And they had no way to know we have an S-ranked healer. They wanted us dead, or at the very least injured.”
The silence that followed wasn’t just shock—it was the slow settling of realization.
Wray’s expression darkened. “We share your suspicions, Grace.”
Ethan’s throat worked, swallowing. He thought of Marcus again, of the way the team’s schedules had been messed with before. This was an escalation beyond anything they had expected.
Grace wasn’t done yet.
“They didn’t just want us dead,” she said. “They wanted it to look like an accident. Like we failed in a C-ranked dungeon.” Her lips curled back from her teeth. “And they would’ve succeeded if we were any other team.”
The words hung there, cold and unanswerable.
Wray exhaled sharply through his nose. “We’ll need statements from all of you,” he said. “Every detail. Every suspicion.”
Thompson nodded once, decisively. “And we’re moving this to higher priority.” His gaze flicked over the team. “You’re all going into protective custody until we sort this out.”
Alice’s head snapped up. “What?”
Grace’s expression didn’t change. She just looked at Ethan, her eyes steady.
Ethan met her look. He thought of Marcus’s father, of political pressure, of how carefully they’d have to choose their next steps.
“For now,” he said quietly, “we do what we’re told.”
Penny stepped closer to Ethan, shoulder brushing his. He felt the unspoken question in that contact: Who do we trust now?
Ethan met Wray’s eyes. “We need to know what you find.” His voice was steady, but the undercurrent of demand was clear.
Wray gave a single nod. “You will.”
The team exchanged glances, silent agreement passing between them. This wasn’t over. Not by half.
No one argued. They were too drained for that.
Wray dismissed them with a curt nod toward the exit. Thompson lingered just long enough to say, “Debrief tomorrow as normal.” Then he followed his director out, leaving the team alone in the aftermath of their fight—and whatever came next.
Alice crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. “We weren’t doing anything wrong,” she said flatly. “That boss was just outside what we should be expected to fight based on our strength.”
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