The room was dim, quiet, and warm. The kind of warmth that made it hard to leave the bed, even if you wanted to.
Faint ambient lights glowed from the high ceiling, bouncing softly off polished dark wood and metallic walls that curved just slightly inward.
It had a low-key luxury feel, nothing showy, nothing wasted. The furniture was sleek but heavy, the shelves lined with books and old relics.
There was a mix of interstellar technology and classical design, as if the room had been specifically designed to accommodate both modern and classical views.
At the center stood a massive bed, more like a platform with layered silk sheets and thick pillows that looked as if anyone who slept in them would never want to get up.
The sheets were charcoal gray with a soft sheen, half-pulled from movement. The room carried the faint scent of clean skin and sleep.
Four people lay there.
One man, three women.
But suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered as the man jolted awake without warning, his chest rising sharply as his breath caught in his throat.
For a second, his eyes stayed wide, staring into the dark as the echo of the dream clung to him. He didn't move right away. He just stared at the ceiling, heartbeat slowing.
And as he looked up at the ceiling, he started remembering where he was and realized that what he had just experienced hadn't been real.
The battlefield. The command. The empire. The harem.
All of it was just a dream.
Seeing this, he slowly closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. The quiet pressed in, comforting now. His muscles relaxed again, sinking back into the mattress.
That's when he felt it.
His body wasn't free to move. His arms were pinned on both sides, and something warm and soft was pressing down on his chest.
He glanced down.
Three of them.
A woman lay on him, curled up slightly, one leg between his, and her arms tucked around his side.
Her pale silver-black hair spilled over her shoulder, some of it trailing onto his chest. The nightgown she wore was thin and sleeveless, made of a deep gray silk that clung to her body like it had been poured on.
It showed off her compact but dangerously voluptuous figure, from her narrow waist to the heavy curves of her chest pressed softly against him.
Her face looked peaceful as she used him like a full-body pillow.
On his right, another woman had her arm hooked under his, using his bicep like a pillow. Her body was warm against his side, and her soft black hair was slightly tousled.
She looked smaller when she slept, but the way her nightgown rode up revealed just how much she had to curve.
Plush hips, soft thighs resting against his leg, and an unbuttoned neckline that left little to the imagination.
Her breathing was quiet, her lips slightly parted, her skin faintly glowing in the low light.
On his left, the woman held his arm tighter than either of them, almost wrapped around it with both hands as if she didn't plan on letting go.
Her gown was the most modest, but it still traced every inch of her body like it was made just for her.
She had the heaviest figure of the three, long legs tucked neatly under the covers, a wider chest rising and falling slowly with her breath, and a calm expression that almost looked serious even in sleep.
Her deep black hair was spread over his arm like a soft curtain, cool against his skin.
Seeing the three women, the man smiled quietly.
The dream hadn't been real, but this was.
He closed his eyes again, letting the weight of them press into him. For now, he didn't feel the need to move. He could give them a little longer.
But the one on him slowly shifted.
He felt it in the way her hand twitched, and in the slight change in her breathing. She stretched her leg once, shifted her hips, and slowly blinked awake.
She looked up at him, her icy gray eyes clearer now, quiet and sharp even after sleep.
He opened his eyes just a little, just enough to meet her gaze.
Neither of them spoke.
She leaned up slightly, tilted her head, and kissed him softly. It was brief and warm, then she pressed her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes again with a faint sigh.
That little motion was enough to wake the woman on the right.
She stirred, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder, then opened her eyes halfway. For a moment, she just stared at him, blinking slowly and lazily, then her expression shifted into a teasing smile.
"You woke us up?" she whispered, voice husky from sleep.
He didn't answer.
She leaned up next, planting a quick kiss on his cheek, then nudged her nose against his jaw before slipping her arm more firmly around his side.
Her body molded into his again like she was determined to steal all his heat.
Finally, the woman on the left opened her eyes last.
She didn't say anything. She just looked up at him from under the fringe of her hair, then moved closer, lifting her head enough to press her lips to his jaw. Her grip on his arm never loosened. If anything, it got tighter.
Now all three of them were awake, clinging to him from every direction.
The room stayed dim and still.
The only sounds were slow breathing, the faint whisper of fabric shifting, and the soft hum of the atmosphere controls in the wall.
The man closed his eyes again.
His arms were still pinned, his chest was still full, and the air was warm with their presence.
This wasn't the dream.
But for him, this was better.
There was a sudden knock on the door, polite but firm.
A calm voice spoke from the other side, slightly muffled but still clear.
"Young Master, it is time to get up. Master and Mistress are waiting for you in the dining hall."
All four of them heard it, but none moved as they kept their steady breathing, wanting only to go back to sleep and not leave the warm embrace.
"…Just a little longer," he murmured.