Day 48 Post-Impact - Evening
The march home was the longest of Sarnav's life.
Twenty-four awakened moved in loose formation through the ruined streets of Kuala Lumpur. Fourteen survivors walked among them, some supported by rescuers, others managing on their own despite their exhaustion. Six wounded were carried on makeshift stretchers.
And three bodies, wrapped in salvaged cloth, were borne with honor at the center of the column.
Lim Wei Chen. Farah binti Hassan. Raj Kumar.
Three names. Three lives. Three families who would never see their loved ones again.
Sarnav walked at the front, each step a reminder of his failure. The backlash from the network amplification still echoed through his body, his movements slow and deliberate, his power reduced to a fraction of its normal output. He'd pushed too hard, drawn too deep, and now he was paying the price.
But not as steep a price as the three who wouldn't be walking home at all.
Through the network, he felt his wives' concern. Nisha's gentle worry, Ishani's fierce protectiveness, Minji's forced optimism, Jade's clinical assessment of his condition, Ananya's quiet prayers. They wanted to help. Wanted to take some of his burden.
He didn't let them.
This weight was his to carry. His decision. His mission. His people who died following his orders.
Behind him, Sana slept on one of the stretchers. The partial bond hummed quietly between them, a constant reminder of the connection he'd forged without her conscious consent. Her condition had stabilized, but she remained unconscious, her body demanding the rest it had been denied for sixteen days.
Nisha walked beside the stretcher, her nature magic maintaining a gentle healing aura. She'd barely left Sana's side since they emerged from the rift.
"She's strong," Nisha said quietly, noticing his glance. "To survive what she did, to give so much for so long... she has a warrior's spirit in a healer's body."
"She almost died for strangers."
"So did you." Nisha's hand found his, squeezing briefly before releasing. "That's why you understand each other."
He didn't have an answer for that.
The Safe Zone's eastern gate came into view as the sun touched the horizon.
Word had traveled ahead somehow. The walls were lined with people, hundreds of faces watching for the return of their protectors. A cheer went up when the column was spotted, relief and joy rippling through the crowd.
Then they saw the bodies.
The cheer died. Silence spread like a wave, broken only by a woman's sob as she recognized the shape of her husband's form beneath the wrappings.
Sarnav stopped at the gate. The crowd parted, creating a path toward the medical facilities. He turned to address them, to say something meaningful, but the words wouldn't come.
Chen Wei stepped forward, understanding. "We brought them home," he said simply. "All of them. The survivors we went to save, and the heroes who gave their lives to make it possible."
It wasn't enough. Nothing would be enough. But it was something.
The column moved through the gates. Medical teams descended on the wounded and the survivors, efficient and professional despite their obvious emotion. The three bodies were carried with reverence toward the memorial grounds they'd established weeks ago.
"Sarnav." Mythili's voice cut through the chaos. His mother stood near the command center, datapad clutched to her chest, her face a mask of controlled concern that couldn't quite hide the relief in her eyes. "You need medical attention."
"After the others are handled."
"You're barely standing." She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I've been coordinating from here. The western expansion hit forty percent completion while you were gone. Housing for another two hundred is nearly ready." A pause, professional mask slipping. "I thought you weren't coming back."
"After the others."
She didn't argue further. She knew that look. Knew it wouldn't help. But her hand briefly touched his arm before she stepped back, returning to her duties with the civilian teams.
Sana's stretcher was carried toward the medical bay, Nisha still accompanying her. The other survivors followed, directed by the medical teams with gentle efficiency. Within minutes, they were inside, receiving the care they'd been denied for over two weeks.
Only then did Sarnav allow himself to sway.
Ishani caught him before he fell. "Idiot," she muttered, but her voice was thick with emotion. "Stupid, stubborn idiot."
"I've been called worse."
"Not by me. Not yet." She helped him toward the medical bay. "Come on. You can be noble later. Right now, you're getting treatment whether you like it or not."
He didn't fight her. He didn't have the strength left to fight anything.
Day 49 Post-Impact - Morning
The memorial service was held at dawn.
The Safe Zone had established a small garden for their fallen, a patch of green that Nisha's magic kept alive despite the chaos of the post-impact world. Forty-seven markers already stood there, representing everyone they'd lost since the beginning. Today, three more would join them.
Sarnav stood before the assembled community, his body recovered enough to move normally though his power still felt distant and muted. Behind him, the three new markers waited to be placed. Before him, hundreds of faces looked up with grief and expectation.
"Lim Wei Chen was thirty-four years old," he began, his voice carrying across the silent garden. "He was an accountant before the impact. After, he awakened with earth manipulation, and he chose to use that power to protect others. He died holding the line so that survivors could escape."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"Farah binti Hassan was twenty-eight. A nurse who became a healer. She was treating a wounded civilian when a stalker broke through our perimeter. She didn't run. She put herself between the creature and her patient. She saved that man's life at the cost of her own."
Another pause. Somewhere in the crowd, someone was crying softly.
"Raj Kumar was forty-one. A father of two. His children are here today, watching their father be honored." Sarnav found the two young faces in the crowd, a boy and a girl, their eyes red but their chins held high. "He told me, before we left, that he was scared. That he didn't want to die. But he went anyway, because that's who he was. A man who did what needed to be done, even when it terrified him."
Sarnav stepped back, looking at the three markers.
"They didn't die for nothing. Because of their sacrifice, fourteen people who would have perished in that rift are alive today. Fourteen families who will see their loved ones again. Fourteen lives that matter, that have value, that will go on to build something in this broken world."
He turned back to the crowd.
"I ordered this mission. I led these people into danger. Their deaths are my responsibility." His voice cracked slightly, but he forced himself to continue. "I can't bring them back. I can't undo what happened. All I can do is promise that their sacrifice meant something. That we will remember them. That we will honor them by building the world they died protecting."
He placed his hand on the first marker.
"Lim Wei Chen. Hero of Harmony."
The second marker.
"Farah binti Hassan. Hero of Harmony."
The third.
"Raj Kumar. Hero of Harmony."
The crowd repeated the names, a murmured chorus of remembrance. Then, slowly, people began to file past the markers, leaving small tokens, speaking quiet words to the dead.
Sarnav stepped back, letting the community grieve.
Nisha appeared at his side, her hand slipping into his. "That was beautiful."
"It wasn't enough."
"It never is. But it was what they needed." She leaned against him. "It was what you needed too."
He didn't answer. Just held her hand and watched his people say goodbye.
Command Center - Later
After the memorial, Sarnav forced himself to the command center. His body protested every step, but there was work to be done. There was always work to be done.
The holographic display showed Harmony's current status. Population: 551, including the new survivors. Western expansion: 42% complete. Food stores: adequate for three months. Awakened roster: 67 combat-capable.
You should review the network status, the system suggested. Your wives have been training in your absence. Several show measurable improvement.
He pulled up the wife status screen, something he'd been neglecting.
[WIFE NETWORK STATUS]
[NISHA RAMACHANDRAN - WIFE #1][RANK: D+ (67% to C-RANK)][ABILITY: Nature Magic][BOND STRENGTH: 98%]
[ISHANI SUPPIAH - WIFE #2][RANK: D+ (71% to C-RANK)][ABILITY: Light Manipulation][BOND STRENGTH: 97%]
[ANANYA SHARMA - WIFE #3][RANK: D (82% to D+)][ABILITY: Rhythm Magic][BOND STRENGTH: 94%]
[PARK MINJI - WIFE #4][RANK: D (79% to D+)][ABILITY: Illusion Creation][BOND STRENGTH: 95%]
[JADE WONG - WIFE #5][RANK: D+ (45% to C-RANK)][ABILITY: Technopathy][BOND STRENGTH: 93%]
Dual cultivation accelerates their growth significantly, the system noted. Ishani and Nisha are approaching C-rank breakthrough. Another few sessions should push them over the threshold.
"They're getting stronger," he murmured.
As intended. The Harmony system benefits all participants. Your power grows, their power grows. A rising tide lifting all boats, as the human saying goes.
Mythili entered the command center, more datapads in hand. "Casualty notifications have been sent to the families. The survivors are all stable. And..." She hesitated. "The new healer is awake. Nisha is with her."
"I should go see her."
"You should rest."
"I'll rest later."
Mythili sighed, the sound of a mother who had long ago accepted her son's stubbornness. "At least eat something first. You've been running on fumes since you got back."
He accepted the protein bar she pressed into his hand. A small concession.
Later That Morning
Sana woke to unfamiliar sounds.
Birds. Wind. The distant murmur of voices. Normal sounds, human sounds, sounds she hadn't heard in sixteen days of dimensional nightmare.
She opened her eyes.
The room was clean and bright, sunlight streaming through actual windows. A real bed beneath her, soft sheets, a pillow that didn't smell of fear and desperation. Medical equipment hummed quietly nearby, monitoring her vitals with reassuring steadiness.
And sitting beside her bed, watching with warm brown eyes, was the woman who had helped save her life.
"You're awake," Nisha said, smiling. "How do you feel?"
Sana tried to speak, found her throat dry. Nisha immediately offered a cup of water, helping her drink.
"Better," Sana managed. "Where...?"
"The Harmony Safe Zone. You've been unconscious for about eighteen hours. Your body needed the rest."
"The others? The survivors?"
"All safe. All being cared for." Nisha's smile widened. "You saved them, you know. Sixteen days of keeping fourteen people alive. That's incredible."
Sana shook her head weakly. "I just... I couldn't let them die. They were counting on me."
"That's exactly what makes it incredible." Nisha set the cup aside. "I'm Nisha, by the way. Nisha Ramachandran. I'm a healer too, though my magic works differently than yours."
"Sana. Miura Sana." She struggled to sit up, and Nisha helped arrange pillows behind her. "The man who saved us... Sarnav?"
"My husband."
The word hit Sana like a physical blow. Husband. Of course. A man like that would be married. She felt something deflate in her chest, though she couldn't quite name the emotion.
"Oh," she said quietly. "I see."
Nisha's expression shifted, something knowing entering her eyes. "It's complicated. There's a lot you don't know yet about how things work here. About how Sarnav's power works." She hesitated. "Do you feel it? The connection?"
Sana frowned. Now that Nisha mentioned it, there was something. A warmth in the back of her mind, a presence that hadn't been there before. Faint but undeniable.
"What is that?"
"A partial bond. Sarnav formed it to save your life. You were dying, essence depletion beyond what normal healing could fix. The only way to stabilize you was to transfer energy directly, and that required..." Nisha paused, choosing her words carefully. "A connection."
"He bonded with me? Without asking?"
"You were unconscious. Dying. There wasn't time." Nisha's voice was gentle but firm. "He agonized over the decision. I was there. But the alternative was letting you die, and that wasn't something he could do."
Sana absorbed this. A bond. With a married man. Formed without her consent, but to save her life.
"I should be angry," she said slowly.
"Are you?"
She searched her feelings. The warmth in her mind. The memory of brown eyes finding hers as she surfaced from the darkness. The feeling of being rescued, truly rescued, after weeks of believing she would die in that nightmare dimension.
"No," she admitted. "I'm not angry."
Nisha's smile returned, softer this time. "Good. Because there's more you need to know, and it's going to sound strange. But I promise, everything will make sense eventually."
Before she could explain further, the door opened.
Three women entered, followed by a fourth. Different faces, different energy, but all of them looking at Sana with the same mixture of curiosity and welcome.
"She's awake!" The first one, purple-haired and energetic, bounced over to the bed. "Hi! I'm Minji. Park Minji. You're the amazing healer who kept all those people alive, right? That's so cool! I mean, not the trapped part, that sucked, but the keeping-everyone-alive part? Super impressive."
"Minji." The second woman, tall and athletic with model-perfect features, pulled her back gently. "Let her breathe." She turned to Sana with a welcoming smile. "I'm Ishani. How are you feeling?"
"Overwhelmed," Sana admitted.
"Understandable." The third woman, pale with dark hair and a tablet in her hand, nodded from near the door. "I'm Jade. Wong Yuk-King, technically, but everyone calls me Jade. I've been monitoring your vitals. You're recovering faster than projected. Holy light healing really is remarkable."
The fourth woman, young and sweet-faced, offered a shy wave. "I'm Ananya. Welcome to Harmony."
Four women. Four different personalities. All of them treating her like... family?
"I don't understand," Sana said. "You're all so welcoming. But Nisha said she's Sarnav's wife, and you all seem to..."
The women exchanged glances. Some silent communication passed between them, and Sana felt a flutter of that warmth in her mind, as if she was almost part of something but not quite.
"It's complicated," Nisha repeated. "Sarnav's power, the system that chose him, it works through bonds. Intimate bonds. Emotional connections." She took a breath. "I'm his first wife. But I'm not his only wife."
Sana's eyes widened. "You mean..."
"All of us," Ishani confirmed. "We're all married to him. We share him." She must have seen the shock on Sana's face, because she quickly added, "By choice. We all chose this. It's not... it's not what it sounds like."
"It's exactly what it sounds like," Jade corrected dryly. "He has a harem. We're in it. The system requires it for his cultivation. But the emotions are real. The relationships are real. It's unconventional, but it works."
"For some definition of 'works,'" Minji added cheerfully. "There's definitely drama sometimes. But mostly? It's kind of great. Built-in best friends who totally understand what you're going through."
Sana's head was spinning. A harem. Multiple wives. A magical system that required intimate bonds. It sounded like something from the light novels she used to read back in Japan, before the world ended.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
Nisha leaned forward, taking her hand. "Because of the partial bond. Because Sarnav saved your life. Because of what the system says about you."
"What does it say?"
"That you're compatible. Highly compatible." Nisha's grip tightened slightly. "I'm not trying to pressure you. No one is. But you deserve to know the truth about where you are and who we are. What you do with that information is entirely up to you."
Before Sana could respond, the door opened again.
Sarnav stood in the doorway.
He looked tired. Dark circles under his eyes, tension in his shoulders, the weight of loss still visible in his expression. But when his gaze found hers, something softened.
"You're awake," he said.
"So everyone keeps telling me."
A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "How do you feel?"
"Confused. Overwhelmed. Grateful." She met his eyes, felt that warmth pulse in her mind. "Alive."
"That's the important one." He stepped into the room, and his wives parted to let him approach. "I'm sorry about the bond. I should have asked permission. I should have found another way."
"Was there another way?"
"No."
"Then don't apologize." Sana held his gaze. "You saved my life. You saved everyone's lives. I'm not going to be angry at you for the method."
Relief flickered across his features. "The partial bond can be dissolved. Whenever you want. Just say the word, and I'll remove it."
"And if I don't want it removed?"
The question surprised them both. Sana hadn't planned to ask it, but once the words were out, she realized she meant them. The warmth in her mind, the connection to this man who had risked everything to save strangers... she wasn't ready to let that go.
"Then it stays," Sarnav said slowly. "But you should take time. Learn about us. About what being bonded actually means. Make an informed decision."
"That seems reasonable." Sana looked at the five women surrounding her. Five wives. Five women who had somehow made peace with sharing a man. "Will you help me understand?"
Nisha smiled. "That's what family does."
Family. The word settled into Sana's chest like a key finding its lock.
She'd lost everything in the impact. Her career, her home, her connections to Japan. For sixteen days, she'd been certain she would die in a dimensional nightmare, her only legacy the lives she'd managed to extend a little longer.
But now she was here. Alive. Surrounded by people who seemed genuinely happy she existed.
Maybe, just maybe, she'd found something worth living for.
"Okay," she said quietly. "Teach me."
[DAY 49 - AFTERNOON]
[HARMONY SAFE ZONE STATUS][POPULATION: 565 (551 + 14 SURVIVORS)][WESTERN EXPANSION: 42% COMPLETE][AWAKENED ROSTER: 67 COMBAT-CAPABLE]
[PARTIAL BOND: MIURA SANA - STABLE]
[CASUALTIES HONORED: 3]
[WIFE NETWORK: ALL BONDS STABLE][NEAREST BREAKTHROUGH: ISHANI (71% TO C-RANK)]