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The glow of the system's words still burned faintly in the back of my eyes, even as my chest rose and fell, still ragged from the madness of what had just happened.
I stared up at the carved wooden beams above, trying to convince myself it wasn't real. That I was still in Tokyo. That I hadn't just woken up in some medieval-looking room, buried inside an elf with ears long and delicate enough to belong in a fantasy novel.
But the system didn't lie.
[Intimacy Sync Complete.]
[Attempt to leave: Restricted.]
[Warning: Breaking Sync will result in severe backlash.]
The words repeated until I gave up fighting them. My head turned to the side. She was still there—her body flushed and damp, her long golden hair spilling like moonlight across the sheets.
She gave me a faint, knowing smile when our eyes met, like she could see the storm inside my head. And man, even smiling, she was beautiful. Too beautiful to be real.
"Come," she whispered, voice hoarse from pleasure, yet commanding in a way that left no room for refusal. "It's time you saw where you are."
Reluctantly, I pulled away, and the weight of the night hit me. The sheets still smelled of her, my body still burned, but the air felt colder without her pressed against me.
We dressed in silence—or at least, I tried to dress. My jeans and shirt from Tokyo looked absurdly out of place compared to the flowing gown she slipped into, silken and embroidered with gold thread that shimmered under the light.
I almost asked her why she was staring at me so intently as I fumbled with my belt. Then she said it.
"Jin."
I froze. "…How do you know my name?"
Her smile deepened. "Because it was given to me, just as you were given to me. The ritual told us who you were."
A chill swept through me. I hadn't told her anything—not my name, not my past, not even that I hated my job back home. Yet she spoke it as if she'd known me all her life.
"But here," she continued, stepping closer, her hand brushing across my chest, light but deliberate, "you will not be Jin. Here, you are Juno."
"Juno…" I repeated, the name heavy on my tongue. It felt foreign, yet something in the way she said it—like it carried destiny—kept me from protesting.
By the time we left the room, my head was spinning.
The hallway beyond was nothing like I expected. It wasn't some drafty ruin or stone dungeon like in movies. No—it was polished marble floors that reflected the golden glow of sconces. Stained glass windows painted the walls in waves of color. And the silence was thick, the kind of silence that screamed of old, hidden power.
"My castle," She said, her voice echoing lightly as she led me down the corridor.
"Your… castle?" I repeated dumbly.
She glanced back at me, her golden hair catching the light. "Yes. My castle. And since you'll be walking its halls, you should know the name of the woman who claimed you." Her lips curved, soft yet commanding. "I am Lyria. Princess of Alsteria."
" This castle is Private. Hidden from those who would question my methods. Few know of it. Fewer are allowed inside." She stopped in front of a tall double door, the wood carved with flowing vines and runes that seemed to breathe faint light. "And you are one of them now."
The doors opened without a sound.
Inside waited another woman.
My breath caught before I even realized it.
She was taller than Lyria, her back straight and proud as a soldier's. She wore armor, though calling it armor felt generous—the silver chestplate barely contained the sheer size of her breasts, the curves so large they seemed to fight the metal with every breath she took. Leather straps hugged her waist and thighs, polished greaves clinked as she shifted.
Her eyes—sharp, green, unwavering—snapped toward me the moment I stepped in.
"This is him?" she asked flatly, her voice cool, though her gaze lingered on me like she was already measuring my worth.
"This," Lyria said smoothly, slipping to my side, "is Juno."
The knight's brow arched. "His name is Jin."
Lyria's lips curved faintly. "Not anymore."
I swallowed, unsure if I should bow, salute, or just stare like an idiot. My eyes betrayed me, flicking down to her chest before I could stop them. Her armor shifted as she moved, and it was impossible not to notice how it barely held her in.
Her lips twitched—almost a smirk, almost annoyance. "You brought me a man who can't even keep his eyes forward?"
Heat rushed to my face. "I—I didn't mean—"
She stepped closer, the weight of her boots against the stone floor making me feel smaller than I wanted to admit. Her scent hit me—steel, leather, and something faintly sweet beneath it.
"You'd better learn to control yourself, Juno," she said, voice low but sharp. "Or this world will chew you up before you ever become what we summoned you for."
I tried to speak, but Lyria's hand pressed lightly against my arm, steadying me.
"Vera," she said gently. "Do not scare him. He is still new."
Vera. The name suited her—strong, blunt, with no softness except the kind she couldn't hide even behind armor.
She studied me for a long moment, then finally sighed, running a gauntleted hand through her short auburn hair. "If you say so, Princess. But if he's truly the one the ritual brought us, then he had better be worth the cost."
Her words sent another shiver down my spine. Cost. What had it taken to bring me here?
Lyria only smiled again, slipping her arm through mine. "He will be," she said confidently, pressing closer to me. "Because he already belongs to me."
The way Vera's eyes narrowed at that made something tight twist in my chest. Rivalry. Jealousy. Desire.
And just like that, I realized—whatever I'd been summoned for, it wasn't just going to be about saving a world.
It was about surviving these women.
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