Day 63 Post-Impact - Morning
The war room had become Jade's domain.
Holographic displays flickered across multiple screens, each one tracking a different data stream. Satellite imagery (salvaged from before the impact), drone reconnaissance, scout reports, communication intercepts. She'd built a surveillance network that would have made pre-apocalypse intelligence agencies envious, cobbled together from recovered tech and her own digital manipulation abilities.
Sarnav had learned not to ask how she'd acquired some of it. Jade's methods existed in a moral grey zone he'd decided to accept rather than examine.
"Here." She pointed to a cluster of red markers on the central display. "And here. And here."
He studied the map. Three distinct groups, all moving north through what had once been Johor. The largest cluster contained over two hundred markers, a mass of converted humanity marching with terrible purpose. The smaller groups flanked it like outriders, scouting and screening.
"They're not trying to hide," he observed.
"No. They're making a statement." Jade's fingers danced across her tablet, pulling up additional data streams. "Movement patterns suggest military training. Formations are too organized for random converts. Someone taught these people to march before they were converted, or the conversion process itself includes tactical programming."
"Someone's commanding them."
"Multiple someones. I've identified at least four distinct command signatures based on how the groups respond to obstacles." She highlighted different sections of the formation. "This one hesitates at water crossings. This one prefers elevated terrain. This one moves faster at night. This one maintains rigid spacing regardless of conditions. They have personalities. Preferences. That means leadership with experience."
The network hummed with Jade's cold focus. She'd been awake for eighteen hours straight, piecing together this picture from fragments of data. He sensed her exhaustion buried beneath layers of determination, felt the strain she was putting on herself.
"When did you last sleep?"
"Sleep is inefficient."
"Jade."
"I napped. For twenty minutes. Very productive." She waved off his concern with a dismissive gesture. "This is more important. Look at the trajectory."
She drew a line on the map, extending the Ascendancy's current path northward. It passed directly through several survivor settlements they'd identified, communities that didn't know death was marching toward them. And beyond those settlements...
"They're heading for the rift site," he said quietly.
"Correlation is now 89% certain." Her voice was flat, clinical, but he detected something else beneath the professional mask. Fear, maybe. Or anger. With Jade, those emotions often looked the same. "They're not just expanding. They have a destination. A purpose."
[SYSTEM CONFIRMATION][Host's assessment aligns with current data analysis][The Ascendancy's trajectory intersects sealed rift location][Estimated arrival: 12-15 days at current pace][Deviation probability: Low]
Two weeks. They had two weeks before an army of converted humans reached the place where an S+ entity slept, sealed but not destroyed, waiting.
"Options?" he asked.
"Intercept and delay. Fortify and defend. Evacuate and relocate." Jade listed them without emotion, each option appearing on the screen with tactical assessments. "Each has significant drawbacks. Interception exposes our forces to enemy strength. Fortification assumes we can hold against unknown capabilities. Evacuation abandons everything we've built."
"Which do you recommend?"
For the first time, something flickered in her expression. The mask slipped, revealing something harder beneath. "I recommend we stop them. Permanently. Before they reach that thing. Whatever it takes."
The cold certainty in her voice reminded him of something he'd sensed from Ishani the day before. That territorial edge. That willingness to do whatever was necessary to protect what was theirs.
The door opened. Mythili entered with civilian status reports, but stopped short at the sight of the holographic display.
"How bad?" she asked quietly.
"Two weeks," Sarnav said. "Maybe less."
Something hardened in her expression. "I'll start evacuation protocols for non-combatants. Just in case." She set the reports down and left without waiting for acknowledgment. A mother preparing for the worst while hoping for the best.
He filed the observation away.
The training yard echoed with the sounds of combat.
Ishani had organized a group session, insisting that network coordination required practice. All seven wives participated, though with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Nisha preferred support roles. Ananya turned defense into dance. Minji treated it like a video game. Jade complained but demonstrated surprising competence when pressed.
Jiyeon was the focus today.
"Again," Ishani commanded, circling the newest wife like a predator evaluating prey. "Your form is sloppy."
"I was an idol, not a soldier." Jiyeon wiped sweat from her brow, breathing hard. "We trained for choreography, not combat."
"Choreography is movement. Combat is movement with consequences." Ishani gestured for her to raise her guard. "The network means we fight as one. If you can't keep up, we all suffer."
It was harsh, but not cruel. Ishani pushed because she cared. Through their connection, Sarnav sensed her genuine desire to see Jiyeon succeed, to integrate fully, to become an asset rather than a liability.
But there was something else there too. Something he'd noticed yesterday and now recognized more clearly.
Jiyeon sparred with one of the awakened trainees, a young man named Rizal who'd shown promise in recent weeks. He was patient with her, correcting her stance, demonstrating blocks. When he placed his hands on her shoulders to adjust her position, Ishani went still.
The change was subtle. Her expression didn't shift. Her body language remained relaxed. But across the network, Sarnav perceived a flash of something cold. Protective intensity that bordered on possessive. A silent evaluation of the young man that had nothing to do with his combat skills.
Then it was gone, smoothed over so quickly he might have imagined it.
"Rizal," Ishani called, her voice perfectly normal. "Switch with Ananya. I want to see how Jiyeon handles an opponent who moves differently."
The young man complied without question. Ananya flowed into position, her dancer's grace making every movement look effortless.
Sarnav watched Ishani watching Rizal walk away. Her smile was pleasant. Her eyes were not.
He found Sana in the medical bay, organizing supplies she'd already organized twice.
"You're stress-cleaning," he observed from the doorway.
She jumped, then relaxed when she saw him. "You startled me."
"Sorry." He moved closer, noting the dark circles under her eyes. "Bad night?"
"Just... restless." She returned to her organizing, hands moving with unnecessary precision. "The network felt strange. Everyone's anxiety bleeding together. The threat, the preparations, everything."
"That's not unusual. We're all on edge."
"I know." She didn't look at him. "I know it's normal. I just..."
He waited, sensing something building beneath her surface calm. Via their connection, he detected turbulence. Fear, primarily, but layered with something darker. Something that felt almost desperate.
"Sana."
"I had a dream." The words came out small. "About before. About the rift, and being alone, and knowing I was going to die." Her hands stilled on the supplies. "Except in the dream, you didn't come. I just... faded. Into nothing."
"That's not going to happen."
"You can't promise that." She finally turned to face him, and he was struck by the intensity in her eyes. Sweet Sana, gentle Sana, the healer who cried at sad stories and made everyone feel loved. But underneath that sweetness, something else lived. "The Ascendancy is coming. There's a monster sleeping under the earth. Every day brings new threats, new dangers, new ways to lose everything we've built."
"We'll face them together."
"Will we?" She stepped closer, and her hand found his chest, pressing against his heart. "I was nothing before you found me. Broken. Dying. Less than a person." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "I won't go back to that. I can't. I would rather..."
She stopped herself, but the network carried what she couldn't say. The desperate determination. The willingness to do anything, anything at all, to protect what she'd found.
"Sana." He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. She clung to him with surprising strength, her face buried against his chest. "You're not going anywhere. None of us are."
"Promise me." Her voice was muffled. "Promise me you won't leave. Won't die. Won't disappear."
"I promise."
"I love you." She looked up at him, and her smile was the same sweet expression he'd always known. But her eyes held shadows that hadn't been there before. "I love you so much it scares me sometimes. The things I would do to keep you..."
She trailed off, shaking her head as if dismissing an unwelcome thought.
"Sorry. I'm being dramatic. It's just stress." The sweetness returned, covering whatever had briefly surfaced. "I should finish here. We'll need medical supplies ready if things escalate."
He let her return to her organizing, but he didn't leave immediately. Through the network, he monitored her emotional state. The fear was still there, banked but not gone. And beneath it, that darker undercurrent that he was only beginning to recognize.
Two of his wives now. Two moments of something that didn't quite fit the picture he'd built of them.
He wondered what it meant.
The council convened at midday.
Chen Wei had gathered the key personnel: military advisors, logistics coordinators, scout team leaders, and Sarnav's inner circle. The room hummed with tension, the weight of impending conflict pressing down on everyone present. Jiyeon sat beside Sarnav, her strategic mind already working as reports were presented, processing information with the same analytical precision that had made her invaluable in her previous life.
"The timeline is confirmed," Chen Wei announced, his weathered face grave. "The Ascendancy force will reach potential striking distance within two weeks. Possibly sooner if they increase pace."
"They won't increase," Jiyeon said. All eyes turned to her. She met each gaze steadily, unintimidated by the scrutiny. "They're maintaining formation, which suggests they're prioritizing cohesion over speed. That means they expect resistance. They're preparing for a fight, not a raid."
"Explain," one of the military advisors requested, his tone skeptical.
"A raiding force moves fast and loose. Hit, grab, retreat. You sacrifice coordination for speed because you're not planning to hold territory." She rose, moving to the tactical display Jade had set up. "This force is moving in lockstep. Three groups maintaining consistent spacing. That's an invasion formation. They expect to encounter opposition and overcome it through coordinated strength."
"How does that help us?" another advisor asked.
"It tells us their commander is cautious. Patient. They're not rushing because they believe they have time." She traced lines on the display, highlighting approach vectors. "Which means they have intelligence about us. About our capabilities. About our defensive positions. Someone is feeding them information, or they have reconnaissance we haven't detected."
Murmurs rippled through the room. The implication was clear and uncomfortable: there might be a traitor among them, or their security had been compromised in ways they didn't understand.
"We need reconnaissance," Sarnav said, cutting through the murmurs. "Direct observation of their force. Numbers, capabilities, command structure. Everything we can gather before they get close enough to threaten us directly."
"Agreed." Chen Wei nodded slowly. "I recommend a small team. Fast, quiet, in and out before they know we're watching. No engagement unless absolutely necessary."
"I'll lead it." Ishani's voice cut through the discussion like a blade. "I'm fastest, and my light manipulation can provide cover. Bend light around us, make us effectively invisible to casual observation."
"You'll need support," Jade added without looking up from her tablet. "I can tap into any surviving communication infrastructure along their route. Cell towers, radio relays, anything that still functions. Give you real-time intelligence on enemy positions and movements."
"I'll come too." Minji raised her hand like she was answering a question in class. "My illusions can create distractions if things go sideways. Make them see threats that aren't there, or make us look like something we're not."
Sarnav considered the proposal. Three wives on a dangerous mission into enemy-adjacent territory. The network would stretch thin over distance, but it would hold. And their combined abilities made them formidable for reconnaissance work.
"Approved. But you wait for my signal. We plan this properly."
[SYSTEM ADVISORY][Reconnaissance mission carries elevated risk][Network range at maximum: 50 kilometers][Beyond that range, connection will degrade][Host should consider implications]
The System's warning echoed in his mind. Fifty kilometers. The Ascendancy force was currently about seventy kilometers south. His wives would be operating near the edge of their connection, potentially beyond it.
"We'll establish relay points," he said, addressing both the council and the System's concern. "Jade, can you set up communication boosters along the route?"
"Already planning it." Her tablet was out, fingers flying. "Three stations should maintain signal integrity."
"Then we move tomorrow. Tonight, we plan. No improvisation, no heroics." He looked at each of his wives in turn. "We do this smart, or we don't do it at all."
Agreement flowed through the network. Seven voices, one purpose.
That night, Sarnav stood on the command center balcony again, watching the Safe Zone prepare for what was coming.
Patrols had doubled. Training had intensified. Civilians were being quietly organized into evacuation protocols, just in case. The machinery of survival was grinding into motion, a community that had learned to adapt doing what it did best: preparing to endure.
Below, he could see families sharing evening meals in the common areas. Children playing in the courtyards Nisha had cultivated into gardens. Couples walking hand in hand through the paths between buildings. Normal life, or what passed for it now, continuing in the shadow of extinction.
These people trusted him. Trusted Harmony. Trusted that when the darkness came, someone would stand between them and the abyss.
He couldn't afford to fail them.
The System stirred.
[Host has reached a critical juncture][Current essence: 696,300 / 1,000,000][Tribulation threshold: 1,000,000][Current rate of accumulation: Insufficient for projected timeline]
He'd known the numbers weren't adding up. Seven wives generated significant essence through their bonds, through the love and connection they shared. But not enough. Not fast enough to reach the next level before the storm arrived.
What do you suggest?
[Options available][Option 1: Accelerate bonding. Additional wives increase accumulation rate exponentially][Option 2: High-risk combat. Defeating powerful enemies generates significant essence][Option 3: Cultivation focus. Intensive training with existing bonds can deepen connection]
[Recommendation: Combination approach][The coming conflict will provide combat opportunities][Existing bonds can be deepened through shared adversity][New bonds may emerge from crisis situations]
New bonds from crisis. He thought of Sana, how she'd come to him dying, how the emergency had forced a connection that might otherwise have taken weeks to build naturally. Thought of the refugees arriving daily, the survivors being rescued from Ascendancy territory. Each one was a potential ally. Some might be more than that.
[Note: The Singapore situation remains relevant][Intelligence suggests significant survivor population in Johor Bahru area][Many are fleeing north, toward Malaysia][Potential bonds: High][Potential threats: Also high]
Singapore. Johor Bahru. The gateway between Malaysia and the city-state that had somehow maintained more infrastructure than most. He'd heard rumors of organized survivors there, of communities holding together against the chaos, of capable people making their way north to escape the Ascendancy's expansion.
Somewhere in that flow of refugees might be exactly what they needed.
"Sayang?"
Nisha's voice, soft and concerned. She joined him on the balcony, her presence a warm comfort against the cold weight of his thoughts. Through their connection, she'd sensed his turmoil, his worry, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him.
"Just planning," he said.
"You're always planning." She slipped her hand into his, her fingers warm against his skin. "Sometimes I wonder if you ever stop."
"When I'm with you. With all of you." He pulled her close, breathing in her scent, letting her presence anchor him. "That's when the planning stops and I just... exist."
"Good." She rested her head against his shoulder. "Because tomorrow is going to be hard. And the day after that. And probably every day for a while." She looked up at him, her eyes bright with love and determination. "But we'll face it together. All of us. Whatever comes."
Through the network, he sensed his other wives settling into sleep. Jiyeon's dreams of strategy and belonging, her mind never quite at rest. Ishani's battle-ready alertness that persisted even in rest, a warrior always prepared. Jade's mind still processing data, analyzing, planning even in unconsciousness. Minji's chaotic dream-games, colorful and strange. Ananya's peaceful dance of unconsciousness, grace even in sleep.
And Sana. Sweet Sana, whose dreams held shadows he was only beginning to understand. Whose love came wrapped in desperation. Whose gentleness masked something fiercer than she let anyone see.
Seven souls bound together. Seven women who would fight, bleed, and kill for this family. Seven sources of strength, each with depths he was still learning to navigate.
Whatever darkness was coming, they would face it as one.
[DAY 63 COMPLETE]
[WIFE COUNT: 7/32]
[ESSENCE: 696,300 / 1,000,000]
[HARMONY SAFE ZONE STATUS][POPULATION: 745][WESTERN EXPANSION: 78% COMPLETE][DEFENSE DRILLS: INITIATED BY MYTHILI]
[ASCENDANCY ETA: 12-15 DAYS]
[RECONNAISSANCE: APPROVED]
[NEXT: OPERATION]