As Shin spent a full year inside the lost dimension, outside the tower, time also passed in the blink of an eye. His women were all waiting for him, even though they knew it would probably take a while before they could see him again.
His family was thriving even in his absence. Rika, more radiant than ever, devoted herself completely to the daughter Shin had given her. She raised the girl with fierce tenderness, determined to shape her into a proper woman, strong, loyal, and ready for whatever destiny the bloodline demanded.
The household ran smoothly under her care, every detail arranged so that when Shin finally returned, nothing would feel broken or incomplete.
Still, among them all, one girl held a privilege the others did not. Ana.
She spent every day admiring the heart-shaped tattoo that sat close to her womb, the permanent mark that proved her love and absolute devotion to Shin.
