My Wives Are A Divine Hive Mind

The apparition—now fully formed, yet flickering slightly at its edges—began to stir beside Samael.

Its limbs bent with a strange, weightless grace, joints cracking faintly as it rotated its head in both directions. Eyes of pale flame ignited in the hollows of its face, their glow trailing as it slowly stepped around Samael’s form, mimicking her presence without overlapping it.

It studied the world with curiosity that wasn’t quite human, its movements sharp yet deliberated, like it was learning how to move in real time.

Without a sound, it turned its attention toward Kivas.

The air shivered briefly as the construct glided forward.. It moved with its body held upright, arms hanging in place, until it was only a stride away from Kivas.

Then, smoothly, it bent forward and swept her into its arms—one beneath her knees, the other around her back, lifting her like she was weightless.

Kivas’ eyes blinked wide, mouth opening a fraction. "What... Samael, what is this thing doing?"

Samael, still standing just a few paces away, folded her arms and tilted her head. "It seems to respond intuitively to my thoughts and intentions. I didn’t command it to pick you up in that specific way, but I did wonder how you’d look being carried."

"Well, now you know," Kivas teased. "You barely allowed anyone to carry me after all."

"I’ll kill anyone who picks you up without my permission." Her gaze lingered on Kivas’ awkward position in the apparition’s arms. "As for this summon, it appears to function like a puppet, but it’s more than that. There’s something... internal. Not quite a soul, but something approximating it...

"Let’s see." Samael stepped forward, placing her hand on the construct’s shoulder. "Mhm, this doesn’t seem like a summon. Not in the traditional sense, at least. It doesn’t follow an artificial pattern or script, nor a hollow connection to a temporal plane of existence. In a way, this dust-made copy of me appeared to be a newly-birthed permanent living being."