I kindly request you to include my new book, "Ashes of God and Devil," in your libraries.
*****
{Chapter: 360 A Woman Raising a Dog}
William looked up at the sky, the sun casting a golden hue across his face. His smile turned strangely serious, his voice dropping with a faux sense of grandeur.
"You wouldn't understand, Jane. This island... It's the beginning of something greater. My vision. My legacy. I want to use it to build... a harem paradise."
Jane blinked. Her jaw dropped slightly, stunned not just by the absurdity of his words, but that he had the nerve to say them out loud. "A what paradise?" she repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "You're insane. Absolutely insane. Animal!"
William raised his hands defensively, grinning in that smug way he always did when teasing her. "Okay, okay. It's just a figure of speech. You know me—I joke. What I really mean is... a home. Somewhere peaceful. A place where we can all live without war or gods breathing down our necks. The harem thing? That was just for laughs. Mostly."
Jane crossed her arms, her eyebrow raised with a mix of contempt and amusement. "Right. Harem paradise. Definitely a joke. That's exactly what someone like you would say to cover up his real plans."
William smirked and began walking ahead, kicking up sand as he moved. "We should take a look around. Who knows? Maybe there are savages on this island."
Jane snorted and fell into step beside him. "We already found the biggest one. No need to go looking."
A few paces behind, Sif kept her distance, silent, watchful. She walked like a shadow—graceful and distant, but every inch the warrior. William waved his hand back at her without turning.
"Sif! Come on, don't be shy. Why are you keeping ten meters between us like I'm infected? I don't bite."
"I don't trust you," Sif said, her voice cool and even. "Keeping my distance feels safer."
William turned and pointed toward the ground next to him. "I order you to stay within two meters of me at all times. Team protocol."
Sif scoffed and finally approached—each step reluctant, like she was suppressing the urge to punch him. When she stopped precisely two meters away, she stood stiffly, eyes staring ahead. "Happy now?" she asked coldly.
"Thrilled," William muttered, giving her a side glance. "It's like walking with a statue that hates me."
They circled the island together. It wasn't large—lush, green, and teeming with chirping birds and the rustle of hidden animals. It only took an hour to walk its perimeter, and that was at a slow, easy pace.
"Not much to it," William observed, hands on his hips. "But it's got life—squirrels, birds, even a few wild goats. We won't starve here."
"You're always thinking with your stomach," Jane said, brushing her hair back from her face. "But food isn't our biggest issue. We need a way off this island. I don't want to be stuck here forever, even if the scenery is nice."
William turned to her with a soft smile, one rare in its sincerity. "With me here, you'd never feel lonely. I'd keep you safe, make you laugh... give you sunrises and stargazing every night. Not a bad forever, right?"
Jane hesitated for a second, then smiled shyly, eyes flickering to the sand. "And I'd still prefer a dog."
William clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch. Harsh. But that does remind me—have you ever wondered why so many single women keep dogs these days? And not just any dogs—big, strong ones?"
Jane narrowed her eyes, already sensing something gross coming. "William. Don't."
"I'm just saying—there was a news story I saw. A woman and her dog were both rushed to the hospital together. Long-term loneliness, they said."
Jane blinked. "Wait, what? Why would they—No. No, no, no. I don't want to know."
Sif let out a disgusted sigh and muttered under her breath, "Disgusting man..."
William laughed, unbothered. "What? I didn't even say anything explicit."
Jane rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
"Yet here you are, still walking beside me," William teased, brushing her shoulder playfully. "Maybe you like impossible men."
Jane's expression softened, just slightly, before she looked away. "Maybe I do."
Behind them, Sif looked down at the sand, her jaw tight. She hated his arrogance, hated his childish humor, hated the way he made light of everything... and yet, there was something else. That laugh of his, infuriating as it was, had a warmth. And despite everything, he always tried to protect them.
She shook the thought away and scowled.
William turned slightly, catching a glimpse of the warrior-woman's conflicted face. "You alright, Sif?"
Sif didn't look at him. "I'm fine. Just keeping an eye out. Someone has to."
William smiled to himself. For all her hate, all her distance... she hadn't walked away.
"What a mess, always with a head full of dirty and evil thoughts," Jane muttered as she gave William a playful smack on the back, her tone a mix of frustration and affection. Her fingers lingered a moment too long, betraying the fondness she wouldn't openly admit.
William raised his hands in mock surrender, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "I swear, I'm innocent! I was just speaking the truth. Some women out there really are too... inventive. But I guess when I say it, I'm immediately the bad guy, I was dirty and evil. I am so wronged, huh?"
Jane rolled her eyes with a snort. "You can't spit out ivory from a dog's mouth. I should've learned by now not to talk to you casually."
He tilted his head dramatically. "Fine. Although you are heartless, I won't be ungrateful. I've made up my mind. I'll get you off this island."
She turned to him, frowning slightly. "What are you going to do?"
A soft hum of energy lit up the air. A shimmer of blue light danced in William's palm, and a sleek, futuristic mobile phone appeared in his hand.
"You had a phone all this time?!" Jane said, half outraged, half incredulous.
"You didn't ask," William replied, lips twitching. "And besides, you told me not to talk to you casually, remember? I was just respecting boundaries. Women are so unreasonable sometimes."
Jane gave him a sharp look laced with sarcasm. "And since when do you respect anyone's boundaries?"
His smile softened into something warm. "I always respect the boundaries of the woman I love. Don't you know that?"
Jane blinked, caught off guard. She turned her face slightly, trying to hide the pink rising to her cheeks. "Don't look at me like that. You're unbelievable… I don't believe a word you say."
But despite her words, her voice had softened, and there was a light in her eyes—one that William noticed but chose not to comment on just yet.
Standing a few paces away, Sif folded her arms across her chest, visibly annoyed. "Can you two stop with the clingy love act? It's disgusting. Seriously, do you think we're in a romantic drama?"
Jane turned, smiling sweetly. "Why? Are you jealous?"
Sif flinched like she'd been stung. Her voice cracked as she barked, "Jealous? Of you? Don't flatter yourself."
Jane chuckled and leaned in. "You're overreacting. You're definitely jealous."
"I said I'm not!" Sif snapped, her cheeks burning with a strange mix of fury and something she couldn't name—something warm, unwanted.
William leaned back, arms behind his head, watching with a fox-like grin. "Sif, if you can't stand me and Jane being lovey-dovey, maybe you and I could be clingy too?"
"You're disgusting! Who would want to get close to you?!" Sif spun away, face flushed with rage—and something buried deeper.
William tapped the screen of his phone, shaking his head with a grin. "Women are so contradictory… Anyway, time to call for help."
He put the phone to his ear and waited.
"Hello? White Queen? This is William."
"I know who you are," came the sharp, crystalline voice on the other end. "Where the hell have you been, huh? You only remember us now?"
"It's a long story. I'll explain when you get here. I'm on some random island near the equator. Not exactly sure where—but with your skills, I doubt that'll be a problem. Anyway, hurry."
Then he hung up.
---
Elsewhere…
White Queen slammed her palm against the table. "That bastard just hung up on me! I knew it. He's with new women again."
"Was it William?" Ada asked, flipping a blade between her fingers, her tone casual but her eyes curious.
"Who else would be so irritating?" White Queen scoffed. "Now he wants us to come pick him up like some spoiled prince."
"Why doesn't he just come back on his own?" Pepper asked from the side, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently.
Alice closed her eyes, her voice calm. "You know how he is. Probably got himself into some ridiculous mess again. Either wounded or drained."
White Queen's eyes sparkled with code as her gaze turned inward. "No injuries. But he's out of energy. His tone gave it away. He's playing it cool, but he needs us."
"Do you know where he is?" Ada asked.
"Yeah," White Queen said, turning to the screen. "I detected spatial fluctuations earlier. Somewhere over the equator, mid-ocean. Remote, uninhabited. Got it."
A map shimmered into life. White Queen pointed to a small green dot. "There. That's our guy."
Pepper clenched her fists. "When I get my hands on him, he's not getting away that easily this time."
White Queen raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk on her face. "That's funny coming from someone who says 'Where's William?' at least five times a day."
Pepper flushed red instantly. "I don't do that!"
"I never said you did," White Queen said innocently, already jogging toward the exit.
"You little brat!" Pepper growled and chased after her.
Alice and Ada exchanged glances and smiled.
"Back into the storm," Ada said with a smirk, sheathing her blade.
"Where he goes… chaos follows," Alice added, her lips curving upward.
And just like that, the girls moved as one—off to chase the man who kept throwing their lives into delightful disarray.