The forest was wet.
Too wet.
Kai sat with his back against a tree, hair dripping, heart still racing from a place that didn't exist but had left marks anyway.
Marks like doubt.
Like fear.
Like knowing someone he trusted would eventually drive a blade through his chest — and call it love.
[System Log Fragment Recovered – Hidden Communication Protocol Detected]
Sender ID: ???
Encryption: Harem-Classified (Level 7)
Message Type: Untraceable Relay
Content: "He suspects nothing. Continue authorization?"
Kai didn't see the message.
Not yet.
But the System did.
And it watched in silence — because the ones it had chosen to love the Hero were already beginning to choose themselves instead.
Somewhere nearby, Seris cracked a squirrel's bones between two fingers and tossed the remains into a fire.
"Still breathing?" she asked.
Kai grunted. "That depends. Are we out of illusions?"