The decision, once spoken aloud and accepted without hesitation, did not immediately translate into action, because while Magnus had approached the matter with clarity and preparation, the process itself required more than simple execution, and even though the xenogerms he carried represented a perfected system far beyond the unstable experimental variants he had previously worked with, their implantation still marked a transition that demanded proper conditions.
He led them deeper into the palace, not toward the command or research wings, but toward a secured medical complex that had been expanded and refined over time to accommodate procedures that could not be entrusted to ordinary facilities, its design balancing advanced technology with an environment that did not feel sterile or detached, because Magnus had long since learned that transformation, even when controlled, was easier to endure when the surrounding space did not amplify discomfort.
The chamber they entered was prepared in advance, though not because he had expected this exact moment, but because preparation had become his default state, and within it stood four medical platforms, each integrated with monitoring systems that extended beyond conventional diagnostics, capable of tracking biological change at a level that bordered on molecular interpretation.
The xenogerms remained contained.
Magnus did not bring them out immediately.
Instead, he allowed a brief pause, not as hesitation, but as a final confirmation that what they were about to begin had been chosen with full awareness.
"This process will take time," he said, his voice calm, yet carrying the precision of instruction rather than explanation, "and while it is not dangerous in the way conventional procedures are, it will not be comfortable either."
Saya gave a faint, almost amused exhale at that, her gaze shifting briefly toward the platforms before returning to him.
"You've never been the type to undersell things," she replied, though her tone carried no resistance, only familiarity.
Magnus inclined his head slightly.
"It is better that way," he said.
Shizuka stepped closer to one of the platforms, her attention already drawn to the systems integrated within it, her professional instincts engaging fully as she examined the interface, even if much of it operated beyond her previous experience.
"The body is being rewritten," she said quietly, more as a conclusion than a question, her fingers hovering just above the surface without touching it. "Even if it's controlled, it's still a complete restructuring."
"Yes," Magnus confirmed, because there was no need to simplify it.
Rika moved to the opposite side of the room, her posture relaxed but attentive, her gaze moving across the equipment, then back to Magnus, her expression steady.
"How long?" she asked.
"Several days," he replied, "during which your bodies will be in a regenerative state that prevents normal activity."
Saya let out a slow breath at that, though there was no complaint in it.
"So we're out of commission for a while," she said, more as a practical acknowledgment than anything else.
Saeko, who had remained closest to Magnus, did not look toward the equipment, her attention instead fixed on him, as though the environment around them mattered less than the person guiding them through it.
"You have already undergone this," she said.
Magnus met her gaze.
"Yes," he replied.
There was no elaboration, yet the confirmation alone carried enough weight to settle any remaining uncertainty, because if he had accepted the process for himself, then it was not something he would offer lightly to others.
The silence that followed was brief, yet complete, as each of them reached the same conclusion independently, not through pressure, but through trust.
Saya was the first to move, stepping toward one of the platforms with a small shake of her head, her expression settling into something resolute.
"Well," she said, her tone lighter than the moment might have suggested, "no point dragging it out."
Rika followed without comment, her movements efficient, her decision already made before she acted.
Shizuka hesitated only long enough to take one final look at the systems around her, committing what she could to memory before stepping into place as well, her curiosity not diminished, but set aside in favour of trust.
Saeko remained where she was for a moment longer, her gaze still on Magnus, not searching for reassurance, but acknowledging the moment for what it was.
"We will see this through," she said quietly.
Magnus inclined his head once.
"You will," he replied.
He then extended his hand, and with a controlled motion, the containment units opened, revealing the xenogerms within, each one a self-contained organ-like structure, their surface faintly active, not alive in the conventional sense, but carrying a presence that suggested ongoing internal function.
He moved between them, placing each xenogerm into the corresponding interface of the platform, his movements precise, deliberate, ensuring that every step aligned with the process he had already executed successfully before.
When all four were in place, he stepped back slightly, his gaze moving across them once more, confirming readiness, not just of the system, but of the individuals themselves.
"Once initiated," he said, his voice steady, "the process cannot be interrupted."
No one stepped away.
No one hesitated.
Magnus activated the sequence.
The platforms responded instantly, their systems engaging in layered synchronization as the xenogerms were introduced, the interface connecting directly with their biological systems in a way that bypassed conventional surgical methods, initiating the transformation at a level that operated beneath conscious awareness.
The first signs were subtle.
A shift in breathing.
A slight tension in posture.
Then the process deepened.
Their bodies reacted as the xenogerms began rewriting internal structures, the changes not visible externally at first, but evident in the way their muscles tightened, in the way their expressions shifted as sensation followed transformation, not pain in the traditional sense, but intensity, the kind that came from rapid, controlled change occurring throughout the entire system.
Magnus did not intervene.
He monitored.
Every reading.
Every fluctuation.
Every adjustment.
The platforms stabilized their condition, ensuring that while the transformation continued, it remained within controlled parameters, preventing overload, maintaining balance as the xenogerms integrated fully.
Time passed.
Not measured in minutes, but in progression, as the initial phase completed and their bodies entered a regenerative state, the active transformation giving way to sustained restructuring that would continue over the coming days.
Their breathing slowed.
Their posture relaxed.
Their bodies settling into the process.
Magnus remained where he was, his gaze steady, his awareness extended fully across all four, not because he expected failure, but because he did not allow for the possibility of oversight.
The systems confirmed stability.
The xenogerms had taken hold.
The transformation had begun.
And for the first time since he had returned from the Rimworld, Magnus allowed himself a moment of stillness that was not tied to strategy, not tied to planning, but to the quiet acknowledgment that something fundamental had just changed.
Not in his empire.
But in the people who stood at its centre.
The days ahead would complete the process.
But the threshold had already been crossed.