---
The air was tense.
Liam walked at the front, eyes on the horizon where Zone Seven waited. Stone cracked under his boots, the sound carried by a dry wind that touched nothing else. Behind him came uneven steps, some light, some heavy, none friendly. Five bonded wives followed, and not one of them felt calm.
Rena moved a half step behind him, hand on her sword, close enough that her breath touched his neck when he slowed. She did not speak. She did not have to.
Kaelyn ghosted on the other side, quiet as ever, eyes flicking from Rena, to Liam, to Vexa, with a look that was not a glare… not yet.
Sarya did not bother pretending.
"Do we always crawl like this after a bond," she said, dry and sharp, "or is it because someone bruised his ribs playing berserker wrestling."
She did not look at anyone. She did not need to.
Vexa did not flinch. She walked tall, each step confident, chin lifted, eyes on Liam's back.
"Jealousy is ugly," she murmured, amused.
Rena turned, heat in her voice. "You think this is a game."
Kaelyn laughed, soft. "To her, it was."
Frost touched the stone.
A figure appeared ahead, gliding, robes like white smoke, hair like winter light.
The Ice Queen.
She did not touch dust. She did not soften. Her eyes found Liam first, then slid over the others like a blade that judged and moved on.
"I leave you alone for one bond, and this is what I return to."
Vexa's mouth tilted. "You missed a good fight."
"I do not fight for entertainment," the Queen said, steady, even. Her gaze settled on Liam again. "You are unbalanced. Your bonds are unstable."
The system pulsed.
> [System Alert]
Bond sync tension: high
Conflict detected among bonded wives
Loyalty stability: 61 percent
Recommendation: stabilize immediately, trial zone approaching
Target class: Mystic, charm signature high
Warning: new bond may destabilize existing loyalty
Liam stopped.
"We deal with it now."
They drew up, a rough circle, heat and frost and patience grinding against each other. He turned slowly, meeting each gaze.
"You fought for your place," he said. "You earned it. This only works if you follow me, not if you cut each other to pieces."
Kaelyn folded her arms. "Some of us follow. Some of us mark territory."
Her eyes brushed Vexa.
Sarya stepped in. "We are not a harem. We are soldiers."
Vexa smiled. "Speak for yourself."
Rena watched only Liam. "What are we."
"Power," the Ice Queen said, voice clear as ice on glass. "That is what we are. If we do not move as one, we fall."
Silence held. Liam let it stretch, then cut it clean.
"We move together. No more infighting. If you have a problem, bring it to me, or bring it to the field and earn your answer."
Vexa's nod was easy.
Kaelyn's shrug was almost a bow.
Sarya rolled her eyes, but her fingers eased off the trigger.
Rena stayed unreadable, but closer than before.
The system flickered again.
> Bond sync stabilizing… 75 percent
Proximity alert, target approaching
Class: Mystic
Charm index: high
Mental resistance required: moderate
Trial imminent
Stone gave way to grass.
It should not have been there. It was soft and warm and wrong, a carpet rolled over ruin. Flowers bloomed in waves of violet and blue, silver at the edges, a sweet scent rose and settled on the tongue like thick honey.
She waited at the center.
A woman in pale gold, silk that clung and hinted, long black hair falling like night made liquid. Her eyes shimmered like molten silver, reflecting Liam's shape with every step he took.
"I have been waiting," she said, voice soft, playful, dangerous.
The Ice Queen's lashes lowered. "She is dangerous."
"I will handle it," Liam said.
He stepped into the field. The warmth climbed his legs, the scent pressed close, the air seemed to hum. The Mystic took a slow step, then another, circling with the patience of someone who always got what she wanted.
"You are the bond target," Liam said.
"I am whoever you need," she whispered.
Her fingers grazed his forearm. Heat followed. His skin answered.
Behind him, steel slid and clicked. Rena's grip tightened. Kaelyn's blade turned to catch a reflection. Sarya frowned like she smelled a trap. Vexa watched and weighed. Frost coiled under the Queen's feet.
"You carry a system that wants control," the Mystic said, drifting behind him, breath warm on his neck. "But you want more than power. You want loyalty, submission, connection."
"I want strength," he said. "I want bonds that last."
"Then claim me," she murmured. "If you can."
The system hit hard.
> [System Alert]
Trial initiated: Mystic bond
Name: Elyra, Siren of the Veil
Trial type: temptation and control
Objective: resist charm, prove dominance
Warning: mental resistance test active
Buff available: Veil's Insight, enhanced perception
Bond condition: do not submit
Liam turned to face her. "I do not submit."
Her smile deepened. "Then prove it."
Her hands slid across his chest, her eyes drew him in, the scent climbed higher, the world at the edge of the field softened and then blurred. She pressed closer. Her voice threaded through his thoughts.
"Stay with me," she said. "Let them go. You do not need them. Just me."
> [System Warning]
Charm influence rising, 47 percent
Bond sync disruption, loyalty link faltering
Ice Queen alert, interference possible
Cold slapped the air.
The Ice Queen entered the field, frost curling after every step. "Enough."
Elyra's lashes flicked, the smallest flinch, more annoyance than fear. "You do not belong."
"I will unmake you," the Queen said.
"No," Liam said, lifting a hand.
They stopped.
He stepped into Elyra's space, eyes set, voice low. "I lead. You follow."
"And if I refuse," she breathed.
He moved. He caught her wrists, pinned them lightly but without room to slip free, eyes never leaving hers. "You will not."
The system rang like steel.
> [System Update]
Domination confirmed
Bond seal ready, verbal claim required
Buff gained: Veil's Insight, enhanced awareness, charm immunity
Trial success threshold reached
Elyra's mouth parted, breath a little uneven now. "You passed."
He released her wrists, but did not step back. "Then you are mine."
Her head dipped, the bow small but real. "For now," she said, and the smile that followed promised trouble he would enjoy fixing.
At the edge of the field, Rena turned away for a heartbeat, then came back to stand where she had stood before. Kaelyn slid her dagger home without a word. Sarya muttered something Liam did not catch, but her shoulders had eased. The Ice Queen watched him the longest, cold and considering.
"You will lose control," she said softly.
"Not today," he said.
The field sighed, flowers bending as if a wind had passed. Elyra stepped to the line, eyes on the others, posture loose, smile a quiet dare.
Rena met that smile with steel. "Touch his head, and I cut your fingers."
Elyra's laugh was warm. "You will like me later."
Kaelyn's smirk was small, wicked. "Earn it."
Sarya clicked her tongue. "Just do not tangle my lines."
Vexa rolled her neck, satisfied. "If she tests him again, I test her."
The system pulsed, calm again, closer to steady.
> [System Notice]
Bond secured: Elyra, Siren of the Veil
Total bonds: 6 of 99
Harem integrity: stable
New passive active: Veil's Insight
Advisory: rotate attention within 24 hours to maintain loyalty trend
Liam looked over them, one by one. "We move."
They left the soft grass for cracked stone again. The flowers closed behind them as if they had never been there, scent fading, warmth dying under their heels.
The road bent toward the next rise, a line of dark rock and broken sky. Somewhere beyond it, the next zone waited… watching… ready.