Day 55 Post-Impact - Morning
Jiyeon woke disoriented.
The bed was too comfortable. The room was too quiet. For a moment, she forgot where she was, her body tensing for the familiar routine of government handlers and scheduled appearances.
Then she remembered. Harmony. The Safe Zone. The man with six wives who'd looked at her like she was a person instead of an asset.
Through the window, she could see the western expansion taking shape, new housing blocks rising where wasteland had been. According to the briefing she'd been given, population had reached 620, with capacity for another hundred once construction finished. Impressive for a settlement barely two months old.
She sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings. The guest quarters were simple but clean, furnished with care that spoke of Nisha's influence according to what she'd observed yesterday. Fresh flowers on the nightstand. Soft linens. A window that looked out over gardens instead of concrete walls.
No guards at her door. No schedule waiting. No one to report to.
The freedom was terrifying.
A knock interrupted her thoughts. "Jiyeon-unnie?" A cheerful voice, speaking Korean. "Are you awake? I brought breakfast!"
She opened the door to find Minji bouncing on her heels, tray in hand, purple hair messily tied back. The younger woman's energy was almost aggressive in its enthusiasm.
"Unnie!" Minji pushed past her into the room without waiting for invitation. "I've been waiting literally forever to talk to you. Do you know how long it's been since I met another Korean? Like, proper Korean, not just someone who learned it from dramas?"
"Good morning to you too."
"Sorry, sorry, I'm just excited." Minji set the tray down, revealing what looked like a surprisingly authentic Korean breakfast. "I made this myself. Well, Nisha-unnie helped. Okay, Nisha-unnie did most of it, but I supervised. There's kongnamul-guk and some banchan and rice. It's not perfect but it's the best we can do with apocalypse ingredients."
Jiyeon stared at the food. Her throat tightened unexpectedly.
"You made Korean food. For me."
"Of course! You've been eating military rations, right? Gross government stuff?" Minji wrinkled her nose. "You need real food. And I need someone to speak Korean with who actually gets the nuances, you know? The others try, but they don't understand why some things are funny or why certain phrases hit different."
"I..." Jiyeon sat down heavily. "Thank you."
"Are you okay? You look like you're going to cry."
"I'm fine." She wasn't fine. She was overwhelmed by simple kindness, which said something terrible about what her life had become. "I just wasn't expecting..."
"Hospitality? Welcome?" Minji's expression softened, some of the manic energy fading into something more perceptive than Jiyeon had expected. "The government people were awful, weren't they?"
"They weren't awful. They were... efficient."
"That's a very diplomatic way of saying they treated you like a tool." Minji sat across from her, legs crossed. "I get it. Before the impact, I was a streamer. Professional gamer. Do you know what that's like? Everyone watching everything you do. Every word analyzed. Every mistake clipped and shared forever. You're not a person, you're content."
"You understand."
"Idol training is worse, I bet. At least I could turn off my stream. You never could." Minji's expression shifted to something more serious than Jiyeon had seen from her yet. "I had fans who stalked me. Who tracked my location. Who sent things to my apartment. The industry protected me but also exploited me. Sound familiar?"
"Very."
"But here's the difference." Minji leaned forward. "When I joined this crazy harem thing, I was scared. I thought it would be another cage, just with nicer walls. Instead, I found people who actually gave a shit about me. Not Minji the streamer, not the purple-haired gamer girl brand. Just me."
"How do you know it's real? The caring?"
"The bond." Minji tapped her temple. "I can feel what Sarnav feels. Not his thoughts, but his emotions. And unnie, let me tell you, that man feels so much it's almost overwhelming. When he looks at any of us, there's this wave of... love, I guess? Protection? Like we're the most precious things in the world to him."
"Men can fake emotions."
"Not through the connection we share." Minji's grin returned. "It's hard to explain, but when you're bonded to him, there's this... link. You feel what he feels. Not thoughts exactly, but emotions. Intentions. You can't fake that kind of thing. And his feelings? Mostly worrying too much about us and blaming himself when things go wrong."
Jiyeon processed this. The government had warned her about powerful awakened who kept harems. Colonel Hassan had speculated that men like Sarnav used their power to coerce women, that the "willing" relationships were anything but. After all, they'd reasoned, what woman would genuinely choose to share? It had to be manipulation, control, some form of influence ability like her own.
But Minji spoke of it like something entirely different.
"You said partners," she said slowly. "Partners in what?"
"Everything. Building something. Surviving. Being a family." Minji shrugged. "It sounds cheesy when I say it out loud. But it's real. I've felt it. When we fight together, it's like being part of something bigger than yourself. When we... you know... it's not just sex. It's connection."
"The bond amplifies things? Physical sensations?"
"Unnie." Minji's grin turned wicked. "It does a lot more than amplify. You'll find out. Eventually. If you want to."
The morning became a series of introductions.
Nisha found her in the gardens after breakfast, the first wife's presence warm and welcoming in a way that felt entirely genuine. "I hope Minji didn't overwhelm you. She's been excited since we heard Korean survivors were coming."
"She was... energetic."
"That's one word for it." Nisha laughed softly. "How are you settling in?"
"I'm not sure yet. Everything here is different from what I expected."
"What did you expect?"
Jiyeon considered the question. "A warlord's compound. Concubines competing for favor. Power dynamics designed to control." She gestured at the gardens, at the people moving freely through the compound. "Not... this."
"We're family, not a harem." Nisha began walking, and Jiyeon fell into step beside her. "I know how it looks from outside. One man, multiple women. It sounds like every terrible fantasy. But the reality is different."
"How so?"
"We chose this. Each of us, for our own reasons." Nisha touched a flower as they passed, and it bloomed slightly brighter under her fingers. "I was his childhood friend. I loved him before the awakening, before any of this. When he explained how his abilities worked, what they required... I could have walked away. He would have let me."
"But you didn't."
"No. Because I realized something." Nisha turned to face her. "Sharing him with others doesn't diminish what we have. It adds to it. I have sisters now. Women who understand, who support each other, who love the same man in different ways."
"That's a very enlightened perspective."
"It took time to reach it." Nisha's smile was rueful. "I cried. I raged. I felt jealous and inadequate and angry. But the bond helped me feel what he felt, and I realized... he wasn't replacing me. He was expanding his heart to include more people. Including me in something larger."
They walked in silence for a moment. Across the compound, Jiyeon noticed an older woman directing work crews, her posture authoritative, her expression focused. There was something familiar about her features.
"That's Mythili," Nisha said, following her gaze. "Sarnav's mother. She manages civilian affairs."
"His mother lives here?" Jiyeon's surprise was genuine. "That's... unusual."
"She was one of our first survivors. Now she's essential to how this place functions." Nisha's voice carried respect. "She watches all of us, especially new arrivals. Don't take it personally if she seems cold. She's protective of her son."
Jiyeon filed that information away. A mother watching her son collect wives. That dynamic would be worth observing.
"I don't know if I could do that," Jiyeon admitted. "Share."
"You don't have to decide anything now. You're a guest here, not a candidate for wife." Nisha squeezed her hand briefly. "Take time. Observe. Ask questions. The only pressure here is what you put on yourself."
Ishani found her at the training grounds.
The athletic woman was in the middle of a workout, her toned body glistening with sweat, and she didn't stop when Jiyeon approached. Just nodded in acknowledgment and continued her routine.
"The idol." Ishani's voice was neutral. "Minji hasn't shut up about you."
"I've noticed."
"She gets excited easily. Don't let it pressure you." Ishani completed a set of pull-ups that made Jiyeon's arms ache just watching. "What's your combat training?"
"Basic self-defense. Some of the government people tried to train me for field work, but my ability isn't suited for direct confrontation."
"Charm, right? Influence-type." Ishani dropped to the ground, barely breathing hard. "Useful for politics. Less useful when something's trying to eat you."
"I'm aware of my limitations."
"Good. Awareness is the first step." Ishani stretched, her movements fluid and practiced. "If you stay, we can work on your physical conditioning. Your ability might not be combat-focused, but your body still needs to survive long enough to use it."
"If I stay."
"That's your choice." Ishani met her eyes, and there was no hostility there, just assessment. "I don't care if you join us or not. What I care about is whether you're a threat."
"And your assessment?"
"Undecided." Ishani smiled slightly. "You're calculating. I can see it in how you watch everyone, how you position yourself, how you speak. That's not a criticism. I'm calculating too. It's how survivors think."
"Then we understand each other."
"Maybe. We'll see."
Mythili intercepted her before lunch.
The older woman appeared from the direction of the administrative offices, datapad in hand, and fell into step beside Jiyeon with practiced ease.
"Ms. Kim. How are you finding our hospitality?"
"More genuine than I expected." Jiyeon studied Sarnav's mother with new eyes. Elegant despite the practical clothing, composed despite what must be a strange situation. "You're the one who runs civilian operations."
"Among other things." Mythili's gaze was assessing. "I understand you're a charm-type ability user."
"The government considers me valuable for negotiations."
"And what do you consider yourself?"
Jiyeon paused. No one had asked her that. "Honestly? I'm still figuring that out."
Something in Mythili's expression softened slightly. "That's a more honest answer than I expected. Most people in your position would perform confidence."
"I've spent years performing. I'm tired of it."
Mythili nodded slowly. "My son collects strays, Ms. Kim. Broken people, wounded people, people who need somewhere to belong. He has a gift for seeing past the masks we wear." She paused. "But he's still my son. If your intentions toward him aren't genuine..."
"I don't have intentions toward him. I barely know him."
"Fair enough." Mythili's mask was back in place. "Enjoy your stay. Let me know if you need anything."
She walked away, and Jiyeon realized she'd just been assessed by a mother protecting her child.
It was oddly comforting.
Ananya was the gentlest of them.
The dancer approached her during lunch, sitting beside her with quiet grace. "The others can be intense. Minji's enthusiasm, Ishani's directness, Jade's..." She paused, searching for the word.
"Hostility?"
"Caution." Ananya smiled. "Jade doesn't trust easily. None of us do, really. But she shows it more obviously."
"I haven't actually met Jade yet."
"You will. She's been monitoring you since you arrived. Probably knows more about your background than you remember yourself." Ananya's tone was matter-of-fact, not accusatory. "It's how she shows she cares. By gathering information."
"That's an unusual way to show care."
"We're all unusual here." Ananya picked at her food delicately. "I was a dancer. Bharatanatyam, classical Indian. Very traditional. Very... sheltered, I suppose. The apocalypse broke everything I knew."
"And now?"
"Now I dance for different reasons. Not performance or tradition. Joy. Expression. Connection." She looked at Jiyeon with eyes that seemed older than her years. "You were an idol. You performed too. But did you ever perform just for yourself?"
The question cut deeper than Jiyeon expected. "No. Never."
"You might learn to. Here." Ananya rose with fluid grace. "Sana wanted me to tell you she'd like to meet you. She's in the medical bay most of today, but she'll be free this evening."
"The healer. The newest wife."
"The kindest heart I've ever known." Ananya's expression was soft. "If anyone can help you understand what this place really is, it's her. She was scared too, at first. Of all of it. But she found her place."
"And you think I will too?"
"I think you'll find whatever you're looking for. Whether that's here or somewhere else." Ananya drifted away like a breeze. "The choice is yours. It's always yours."
Evening - Sarnav's Quarters
Nisha found him alone.
The day had been filled with negotiations and planning, the government alliance requiring careful attention. But now, finally, the work was done and the evening stretched before them.
"You've been busy," she said, closing the door behind her.
"The delegation requires constant management." He rubbed his eyes. "Hassan means well, but he's operating from fear. Fear of the Ascendancy, fear of losing control, fear of us."
"And Jiyeon?"
"A separate complication." He felt Nisha's curiosity through the bond, along with something else. Something that needed attention. "You're upset."
"Not upset." She moved closer. "Lonely. You've been managing crises for days. The new wife, the government, the threats." Her hands found his shoulders. "You haven't had time for us. For me."
Through the bond, he felt the truth of it. Not jealousy of Jiyeon or resentment of his responsibilities. Just simple need. The first wife missing her husband.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. Just..." She kissed him softly. "Be here. With me. Tonight."
He pulled her closer.
They moved to the bed slowly, deliberately.
This wasn't the frantic passion of Ishani or the aggressive need of Jade. This was Nisha. His first love. The woman who had accepted everything about his impossible life and chosen to stay anyway.
He undressed her gently, revealing the body he knew as well as his own. Soft curves, warm almond skin, the small birthmark on her hip that he'd traced a thousand times. Her 33D breasts swayed as he removed her bra, nipples already hardening in anticipation.
[DUAL CULTIVATION - INITIATING]
[PARTNER: NISHA RAMACHANDRAN (WIFE #1)]
[BOND DEPTH: ETERNAL]
[EMOTIONAL STATE: LOVING, NEEDFUL, COMPLETE]
"I need you," she whispered. "Not the leader. Not the awakened. Just you. Just my Sarnav."
He laid her back against the pillows, taking his time. Kissing her neck, her collarbone, the soft swell of her breasts. She arched into his touch, small sounds escaping her lips, her fingers threading through his hair.
"Sayang..." Her voice was breathless. "Yes. There. I've missed this."
His mouth found her nipple, tongue circling the sensitive peak while his hand teased the other. She gasped, her body responding with familiar eagerness. Her skin flushed, warmth spreading across her chest and down her stomach.
They'd done this so many times, and yet it never felt routine. Each touch was a conversation, a reaffirmation of what they meant to each other. He knew exactly how she liked to be touched, knew the spots that made her melt and the spots that made her gasp.
He kissed down her stomach, pausing to trace her navel with his tongue. Her hips lifted involuntarily, seeking more contact. When he reached the junction of her thighs, she opened for him without hesitation, her arousal already glistening.
"Please..." Her hands found his head, guiding him. "I've been thinking about this all day."
His tongue traced her folds, tasting her sweetness, finding the spots that made her tremble. He licked into her slowly, deliberately, savoring the way her thighs trembled around his head. Her fingers gripped the sheets, then his hair, then the sheets again.
"Sarnav... oh god... right there..."
She was soaked, her arousal coating his lips and chin. He focused on her clit, circling it with his tongue while sliding two fingers inside her. Her walls clenched around him immediately, hot and tight and desperately needy.
"I'm... I can't..." She was babbling now, coherence abandoning her. "Please, I need more. I need you inside me."
He rose above her, positioning himself at her entrance. Met her eyes, seeing the love and trust there that never failed to humble him. She reached up to touch his face, tears already forming in her eyes.
"I love you," she said simply.
"I love you too." He pushed forward, inch by slow inch, until he was fully seated inside her.
"Oh..." The tears spilled over now. They always did with Nisha. Not from pain but from the overwhelming intimacy of connection, from feeling him inside her body and inside her heart simultaneously through the bond. "I feel you. Through the bond. You feel so much for me. You always have."
"Always." He began to move, long slow strokes that let her feel every inch of him. "You're my first. My anchor. My home. Nothing changes that. No matter how many others join us, you'll always be the one who chose me when I had nothing to offer but myself."
She pulled him down for a kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her heels dug into his back, urging him deeper. They moved together in the rhythm they'd perfected over weeks of practice, bodies fitting together like matching pieces of a puzzle.
The bond hummed between them, carrying sensation and emotion back and forth until it was impossible to tell where his pleasure ended and hers began. He felt her arousal building through the connection, felt the exact moment when gentle stimulation tipped into desperate need.
"Harder," she breathed against his mouth. "I won't break. I need to feel you tomorrow."
He gave her harder. Deeper. The bed creaked with each thrust, her moans filling the room. She clawed at his back, leaving marks that would last for hours. Her pussy clenched around him with each stroke, milking him, demanding more.
"I'm close... Sarnav... I'm so close... don't stop..."
"Come for me." He angled to hit the spot that made her scream, the spot he'd discovered on their first night together and had used countless times since. "Let go, Nisha. I've got you. I'll always have you."
She shattered around him, her pussy clenching rhythmically, her body arching off the bed. She cried his name, tears streaming down her face, overwhelmed by sensation and emotion and the pure rightness of being exactly where she belonged.
He followed moments later, burying himself deep as he spilled inside her. The bond flared bright, carrying their shared climax through the network, letting any wives who were paying attention feel the echo of their love.
[DUAL CULTIVATION COMPLETE]
[PARTNER: NISHA RAMACHANDRAN (WIFE #1)]
[BASE ESSENCE: 2,000]
[BOND MULTIPLIER: x20 (ETERNAL)]
[EMOTIONAL RESONANCE: +40%]
[TOTAL ESSENCE GAINED: +56,000]
[NISHA'S CULTIVATION: D+ → C-RANK!][BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED!][NATURE MAGIC: GROWTH ACCELERATION +25%][NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: VERDANT SHIELD]
They lay tangled together afterward, breathing slowly returning to normal.
"Thank you," Nisha whispered.
"For what?"
"For remembering that we need this too. Not just the sex." She pressed her hand against his heart. "The connection. The reminder that we matter."
"You always matter. All of you."
"I know. But sometimes we need to be reminded." She smiled against his chest. "Jiyeon will learn. If she stays. That this isn't about competition or possession. It's about family."
"She's still deciding."
"Let her decide." Nisha's eyes closed, drowsy with satisfaction. "In the meantime, we'll keep being what we are. And she'll see the truth eventually."
Through the bond, Sarnav felt the contentment of his other wives. Sana's soft happiness at sensing Nisha's peace. Minji's knowing amusement. Ishani's satisfied approval. Ananya's gentle warmth. Even Jade's grudging acknowledgment that maintenance was important.
And somewhere in the guest quarters, unable to feel the bond but perhaps sensing something nonetheless, Jiyeon lay awake.
Wondering what it would feel like to belong.
[DAY 55 COMPLETE]
[ESSENCE: 621,300 / 1,000,000]
[WIVES: 6/32]
[JIYEON STATUS: OBSERVING]
[HARMONY SAFE ZONE STATUS][POPULATION: 620][WESTERN EXPANSION: 58% COMPLETE][MEDICAL WING: FULLY STAFFED UNDER SANA]