The tower groaned in the wind.
A sky of red stars stretched overhead like old blood.
Liam stood in the upper catwalks of Sanctuary Thirteen's spire, watching survivors rebuild something like hope below.
Then Naomi appeared.
She wasn't smiling.
"She's awake," she said.
Liam turned. "Who?"
"One of the ten rescued girls."
"The quiet one?"
Naomi shook her head.
"No. The laughing one."
They brought him to a sealed side room lit with flickering lights.
Inside sat a girl—long black hair, mismatched eyes, and a grin that didn't belong in this world.
She clapped when she saw Liam.
"Finally," she said. "The lover-boy arrives."
Liam tensed. "What's your name?"
She tapped her temple. "They called me 'Project D' in the Bloom labs. I call myself Vira. Sounds prettier."
She leaned forward.
"And you're the one with the broken system that won't stop surviving."
[System Alert – Potential Bond Detected]
> Subject: Vira
Type: Experimental Bloom Host (Suppressed Mutation)
Status: Mentally stable / Morally unbound
Bond Trigger: Voluntary surrender or mutual trust engagement
Warning: Subject has minor Root contamination
Reward: Passive – Corruption Resist
Engagement Effect: Unlocks final Harem Rite seal
Risk: Subject may override emotional sync if not bonded properly
"Why did you laugh during the rescue?" Liam asked.
Vira smiled wider.
"Because for the first time, I wasn't afraid."
She stood slowly.
Walked up to him.
Placed a hand on his chest.
"You're afraid, though. I can feel it. You're scared of loving something that might destroy you."
Liam didn't flinch.
"I've already bonded a Bloomed enforcer. And kissed a girl who forgot her own name."
"Then kiss one who remembers everything."
[System Sync – Initiating Voluntary Bond Protocol]
> Subject: Vira
Emotional Stability: 84%
Corruption Level: 12% (Contained)
Proceed with Final Engagement?
[YES] – Selected.
They didn't speak.
They just moved.
Hands exploring desperation.
Mouths tasting risk.
No love. No fear.
Just truth.
Liam pressed her back against the wall.
She pulled him closer.
And in the darkness, something bloomed—
Not rot.
Not madness.
But balance.
When it ended, she lay beside him, chest rising slow.
And said softly, "You're not like the others."
He brushed hair from her eyes. "Neither are you."
"Then we'll survive the end of the world. Together."
[System Update – Harem Rite Complete]
> Engagements: 10/10
Trait Unlocked: Soul Web (Tier 1)
> Liam now shares vitality, focus, and system protection across all bonded girls
Passive: +15% resistance to Bloom Psychic Interference
Harem Status: Active – Full Ritual Web Formed
Vira Bond: Rank 1
Trait Gained: Corruption Resist (Grants Liam +20% resistance to rot-aura and mental corruption)
Afterward, Liam stood in the central hall with Maya, Naomi, Artemis, Echo, Ava, Junia, Ember, Lily, Sienna, and now Vira.
Ten girls.
Ten bonds.
Ten flames burning in the dark.
Echo appeared on the central screen.
"The Root has started moving," she said.
"In 36 hours, it'll rise fully. It knows you're coming."
Maya added, "And we know where its core fragment is."
Naomi pulled out a rusted key taken from the Bloom Heart chamber.
"A door in the sub-basement. Marked with the Root's sigil."
Artemis cracked her knuckles.
"Then we burn it from the inside."
[System Milestone – Final Phase Unlocked]
> All Engagements Complete
Bonded: 12
Cure Fragments: 7/10
Objective: Descend into the Root's Chamber beneath Sanctuary Thirteen
Optional: Unlock Cure Fragments 8–10
Side Mission: Save any remaining unregistered girls hidden in the Root Network
That night, Liam slept alone for the first time in days.
He dreamed of fire.
Of girls made of light.
Of himself—standing at the edge of a world on fire.
And in the flames, the Root whispered:
> "You built a garden of souls…"
> "Let's see how deep the roots go when I rip them out."