It was still morning, and the cool air turned the lake into a silent invitation to contemplation. Tariel, Anastácia, and I walked unhurriedly among the flowers, absorbing a tranquility that felt newly born.
Not far away, the Soyo, another Shoros vessel, was unloading materials and machinery for the construction of the village. The Seliums followed everything with restrained attention. Beside it stood the Jazzia, from which Julis emerged carrying Ana. She had spent the night with the girl.
The Xerantos, assisted by the Observers in translation, gave instructions and taught the use of the tools. Most of the process was automated, but the equipment would not remain there. The village would follow the same principle as communities on Earth: axes, hammers, wrenches… nothing that completely replaced human effort.
Tariel was visibly radiant. As soon as she noticed the Sekvens trios approaching, she ran toward Kane, driven by an almost physical need to touch him. Ana tried to do the same, but Julis stopped her.
Kane sidestepped lightly and ran. Tariel shifted her focus to Sacha, who easily kept his distance. The game of tag lasted a few minutes—spontaneous, light, almost childlike—and it was pleasant to watch.
Exhausted, Tariel let herself fall onto the green grass. The Sekvens sat beside her. Anastácia and I joined them.
“You drew happiness from where it did not exist, Willian,” Kane said. “The Seliums understand and adapt with extraordinary speed.”
“They live in the present,” Melissa added.
“And you?” Sacha asked, settling against Kane. “Are you thinking about the future, Willian?”
There was no escaping the sensation of having my thoughts laid bare.
“I feel as if only happiness remains to me,” I said. “Won’t that become… monotonous?”
“Do you need to suffer in order to be happy?” Melissa looked straight at me.
It felt like a direct blow.
“Sorry… but something unsettles me. Can I still make mistakes? Or rather… am I still capable of making them?”
“No,” Melissa replied calmly. “Our paths are defined by the choices we make. You chose a path where error is no longer possible.”
“I chose?”
“You chose to love. Just look around you. Do you think it was easy to win these people’s hearts? It wasn’t—and it was only possible because it was you. They chose you as well.”
“I don’t know what to say…”
“We know it isn’t as simple for you as it is for us,” Melissa continued. “You saw beauty where there were scarred, dirty, mutilated bodies. You ignored the hatred they carried and drew love from hardened hearts. Because of that, we can see them now.”
“But… why me?”
“Because you are human,” Melissa explained. “If it had been anyone else, the hatred toward humans would not have faded. It would have continued to contaminate everything.”
Sacha smiled, closing the matter.
“That said… they are all yours.”
“I can’t have that many wives!”
The words escaped before I could stop them. The weight of responsibility still pressed heavily on my chest.
“Who knows,” Melissa laughed. “But once they recover, they’ll be very beautiful. You can choose a few more. Though there is the problem with Tariel.”
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I relaxed instinctively.
“Tariel?”
“What about me?” she asked, sitting up, attentive.
“We believe you accept Anastácia well because she is not Selium,” Melissa said. “From what we’ve observed, Selium females instinctively tend to ‘take’ the partner from one another.”
“I’ll be more careful!” Tariel replied at once.
Anastácia nearly rolled on the ground laughing, but when she calmed herself, she admitted:
“I feel jealous. It’s difficult for me too. But what Tariel feels… is that jealousy as well?”
“Hard to say,” Sacha laughed. “We don’t possess that feeling. But we don’t sense fear of loss in her. It’s more about possession. Tariel wants his attention solely for herself.”
Tariel flashed a mischievous smile. Anastácia was quick to warn her:
“Like it or not, he’s mine too.”
The moment was light, almost playful—but Melissa didn’t stop there.
“Observe. Whenever an opportunity appears, the other Seliums look toward Willian. For now, they are only watching.”
“What do you mean?” Anastácia’s eyes widened.
“When they understood that their hatred was not toward humans, but toward a specific group, their hearts unlocked. The troubling part is that they know Tariel trusts him—and receives from him the attention of a partner. They will want that too.”
“We have to do something!” Tariel said, alarmed.
“That’s for you to figure out,” Melissa replied. “After all, they belong to you.”
Tariel and Anastácia searched my eyes. I could only say the truth:
“I don’t know what to do.”
“We all need a partner,” Sacha said naturally.
“Are there enough males in the village?” I asked.
“There are more females there as well,” Kane answered.
“And I thought it was just about building houses…” I muttered.
The trio amused themselves with our worries, especially when they involved partnership, intimacy, and love.
I believed that, protected by the Known Universe, nothing could go wrong. The human tendency is to lean on the other, to allow the other to take control—and despite the rush of those days, I felt safe, comfortable, protected by them.
I noticed the Sekvens’ curiosity toward my hesitation. They perceived my unpreparedness. A tremor ran through my body, accompanied by a stronger breeze.
Without realizing it, I was doing what so many humans do in novels: deifying the Sekvens.
They did not yet know what was coming.
And days later, I would discover that every technology—no matter how perfect it seems—has a weak point.
---
We gathered everyone in the Mirtis hangar for lunch. Xerantos, Sekvens, Seliums… and us.
A discreet cord had been placed to prevent the Seliums from direct access to the Sekvens.
“Is that to protect the Sekvens?” asked Silia, a Selium who had stood out for how easily she handled the machines.
“No,” the Xeranto replied. “It’s to protect you.”
“Are they poisonous?”
“No. What do you feel when you see them?”
Silia did not hesitate.
“Affection.” She smiled. “I want to go to them.”
“Exactly. That means they see you… and they love you. The problem is that this feeling is too intense. Touching them without preparation can be fatal.”
“I’ve never felt anything like this.” Her smile deepened, almost reverent. “Thank you.”
Silia returned to her place under countless attentive gazes. There was something in her now—and in all of them—that had not existed before.
Melissa, however, could not resist the provocation.
She stepped closer to the cord, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
“If Willian treats you badly, you can talk to me,” she said, smiling. “I’ll pull his ears.”
The Seliums laughed. Milia, standing near the front, leaned forward, curious.
“Can we talk to you?”
“Of course. Just call an Observer and ask.”
“Does it hurt to touch you?”
“No,” Melissa replied calmly. “On the contrary, it’s very pleasurable. The problem is that even if I restrain myself, it can still be too strong for you.”
“But you touched Tariel…” The adolescent struggled to hold herself back. “It’s hard with you so close.”
“I did. And she passed out immediately,” Melissa said, drawing laughter from everyone.
Then she turned to me. Her smile was calm… and dangerously resolute.
“Stand up. Hold hands,” she said to the Seliums.
I released Tariel’s hand and stood up at once. Panic rose without asking permission. If she did that, my life would turn into absolute chaos.
A sound came out of me, closer to a warning than a word.
“Melissa!”
Sacha and Kane burst out laughing.
My fear was not unfounded. Melissa intended to create a living chain—Seliums connected to one another—to divide the energy. To dilute the impact. To make it bearable… yet still strong enough to awaken love, desire, and bonding in each of them.
“I’ll be quick,” she justified.
She had no intention of stopping. Her curiosity was as intense as the longing written across the Seliums’ faces.
The women joined hands. Mila, at the end of the chain, extended hers. In the movement, she stumbled over a mat, and Melissa instinctively caught her.
The effect was immediate.
More than three hundred people collapsed to the ground at the same time. No one lost consciousness—only the strength in their legs. Bodies panting, eyes wide, expressions confused… and many broad smiles, almost intoxicated.
“Oops…” Melissa laughed, genuinely.
I sat down on the floor, defeated.
“Look on the bright side,” Sacha tried to console me. “Now they’re all certain you’re a good person. And they all belong to you, Willian.”
Yes. They were all mine.
And I would do everything within my power to see them happy—each one beside her partner.
Even though, at that moment, I had no idea how I would make that happen.
