STORMBORN: REBORN AS A LORD OF A HAREM SYSTEM
Chapter 2: Prisoner of the Palace
Aryn woke up to the softest pillow he had ever felt in his life. It was so soft, in fact, that for a second, he thought he had woken up in heaven. The plush silk beneath his cheek, the faint scent of lavender drifting through the air, the weightless warmth wrapping his body he had never experienced anything like it.
Then he noticed the golden bars.
His eyes blinked open fully, adjusting to the warm light pouring in from a chandelier overhead. The "cell" wasn't what he expected. There were no damp stones or chains on the wall. No rats scuttling across straw. Instead, he sat up and found himself in a room that looked more like a luxurious guest suite in some royal palace.
Polished marble walls veined with gold. Curtains of velvet and silk, embroidered with symbols that looked like lightning bolts. A platter of fruit, perfectly arranged, gleamed with condensation as though it had just been washed. A steaming bath sat in the corner, releasing a faint floral fragrance.
"…Wait," Aryn muttered, rubbing his temples. "Am I a prisoner or a VIP?"
The contradiction made his head spin. He was technically caged but in a cage far better than any place he had ever lived before. His old, tiny apartment from Earth looked like a trash heap compared to this.
Before he could decide what to make of the situation, he heard whispers.
Aryn turned toward the source of the voices and nearly choked.
A group of armored women stood outside the golden bars, peeking in like tourists gawking at an exotic animal in a zoo. Their armor glimmered in the light, polished to perfection, but their composure was ruined by their not-so-subtle behavior.
One was pointing at him. Another covered her mouth to hide a giggle. And another was staring way too intently at his lower half, eyes wide in awe.
"By the all of Queen's…" one whispered. "It's true."
"It really has… that," another said breathlessly.
"So that's what it looks like…" a third gasped.
Aryn's face burned red. "H-Hey! Don't just stand there gawking! I'm not some kind of exhibit!"
Ding!
A familiar blue panel flickered to life in front of his eyes, translucent and glowing with words only he could see.
[Quest Unlocked: Survive the Examination.]
[Objective: Endure the women's curiosity without dying of embarrassment.]
[Reward: +1 Charm, Beginner Lightning Skill.]
"…Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
The World of Women
Hours passed, though time was hard to track in this strange place. From scraps of conversation between the guards when they weren't whispering about him Aryn pieced together fragments of the truth.
This kingdom was called Solarys, a matriarchal empire of immense power and prestige. And in this world, no man had been seen for over three thousand years.
Legends spoke of a great catastrophe that had wiped men from existence. In their absence, women rebuilt civilization. Society, law, culture, even biology it had all evolved without the presence of males.
Which explained the stares.
To them, Aryn wasn't just a stranger. He wasn't even just a foreigner. He was impossible.
Every time he shifted in his bed or adjusted his shirt, the guards outside whispered like schoolgirls sharing forbidden gossip. He tried not to listen, but their words cut through the air.
"They say he fell from the storm itself."
"Do you think he's dangerous?"
"Dangerous? He's… he's too pretty to be dangerous."
"That thing though… if the legends are true, it means..."
Aryn stuffed his face into his pillow with a groan. "I hate this already…"
Eventually, the heavy double doors at the end of the corridor creaked open. The sound of heels echoed down the marble hallway like a slow drumbeat.
Every soldier outside his golden bars immediately straightened, dropping to one knee in perfect synchronization.
Aryn glanced up, curiosity clawing at his chest.
And then she entered.
The woman's presence hit him like a tidal wave. She was tall, regal, and draped in robes of deep violet, embroidered with silver lightning bolts that seemed to shimmer faintly in the light. Upon her brow sat a crown of black metal and jewels that pulsed faintly like captured stars.
Her hair fell like a raven's wing, glossy and smooth, framing a face of cold elegance. But it was her eyes that stole Aryn's breath sharp, golden, molten, like a predator who missed nothing.
The guards bowed their heads.
"Your Majesty, Queen Hegha."
Aryn swallowed hard. So this is the queen…
Her gaze landed on him. Not with disgust, not with fear but with the cold curiosity of someone staring at a relic thought lost to time.
"So," Queen Hegha said, her voice smooth as silk yet edged with iron, "the prophecy was not a lie. A man… born of storm."
Aryn forced himself to keep his cool. "Yeah, uh, hi. Name's Aryn. You guys sure have a strange way of greeting people. Shackles, gawking, the whole zoo thing definitely not the five-star welcome I'd hoped for."
A murmur rippled among the guards at his casual tone, but Hegha's expression didn't change.
"You are fortunate," she said softly, "that I have not ordered your execution already. The old texts warned us if a man were to return, he would either save our world… or doom it."
Ding!
[Main Quest Updated: Prove Yourself to Queen Hegha.]
[Failure: Execution.]
[Success: Bond Opportunity.]
Aryn winced. "No pressure, huh?"
The Examination
At a single wave of Hegha's hand, the doors opened again.
A group of priestesses entered, dressed in flowing robes of white and silver. They carried scrolls, crystal instruments, and glowing orbs that pulsed faintly with energy. Their eyes shone with reverence, fear, and barely suppressed excitement.
"Examine him," the Queen commanded. "I will know if he is truly of prophecy."
And thus began the most awkward hour of Aryn's life.
The priestesses swarmed him like curious scientists with a lab rat. They measured the length of his arms, checked the color of his eyes, and pressed their hands against his chest to feel his heartbeat. Some muttered prayers, others scribbled notes.
But then came the… less comfortable parts.
One priestess circled him three times, muttering about "male anatomy." Another boldly tugged at his waistband before Aryn slapped her hand away with a yelp.
"Seriously?! Buy a guy dinner first!"
The priestesses whispered among themselves the entire time.
"His skin is warm…"
"The energy coursing through him… incredible."
"And that… thing… between his legs. It really is real."
Aryn buried his face in his hands. "Kill me now. Please. Someone. Anyone."
Ding!
[Quest Complete: Survive the Examination.]
[+1 Charm. Beginner Lightning Skill Unlocked: Spark.]
A faint current tingled at his fingertips. Sparks flickered between them, tiny but unmistakable. His eyes widened.
"…Lightning?"
At last, Queen Hegha herself approached. The priestesses fell back instantly, bowing their heads as if her presence demanded it.
The Queen raised her hand and pressed her palm against Aryn's chest.
The moment her skin touched his, the world exploded.
A torrent of raw energy surged through him. Blue lightning crackled from his core, racing across his body, arcing violently toward the walls. The chamber glowed with blinding light, forcing the guards and priestesses to stumble back.
Aryn's breath caught in his throat. He felt it—power, alive and wild, pouring out of him like a storm breaking free of its cage.
Hegha's golden eyes widened. "This… this power…!"
Ding!
[Emergency Bond Initiated.]
[First Storm Bond: Queen Hegha.]
[Power Boost: +500% Storm Affinity.]
[Skill Unlocked: Lightning Chain.]
A brilliant mark etched itself across Hegha's collarbone—a storm sigil of pure lightning, glowing with divine energy. She gasped, clutching the spot, as though part of her soul had been bound to his.
"You… you've bound me?!"
The chamber filled with shocked whispers. Guards clutched their spears. Priestesses gawked with pale faces.
Aryn looked down at his sparking hands, then back at the queen. For the first time since arriving, a grin tugged at his lips.
"Guess that makes me royalty now."
The air vibrated with tension. The Queen, the guards, the priestesses every eye was fixed on him. For the first time in three thousand years, a man had returned. And not just any man.
A man who could command the storm itself.
TO BE CONTINUED…