Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 3 My Woman Must Live This Time

Everyone thought it was an earthquake. Panic swept through the entire Springvale University. Students bolted from classrooms and dorms, crowding onto the field below - faces tense, eyes filled with dread.

Magnus found Emily’s white Cruze parked near the administration building. He slammed the horn and tore through campus, weaving through people like a man possessed until he screeched to a halt in front of Dorm 3. That’s where Sarah and the other girls used to live before all this began.

It was chaos outside Dorm 3 - shoulder to shoulder, restless murmurs filling the air. Magnus hopped out and shouted Sarah’s name over the noise. Standing in the crowd, Sarah and Taylor Carroll looked around, then pulled each other forward. Taylor tapped Magnus on the shoulder, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Hey! You yelling for us?"

Magnus spun around. One look at those familiar faces, and his chest tightened. He clenched his jaw, holding back the urge to pull Sarah into his arms. His voice cracked as he spoke.

"Sarah, you..."

He stared at her perfect face - so vivid, so alive. Just yesterday he’d wept over her corpse. Now here she was, breathing, blinking, right in front of him.

"N-Now listen... there’s a crescent-shaped birthmark on your lower back. Crimson. Right?"

Magnus sniffed, his voice rough.

Sarah’s expression shifted. She was usually quiet, but now even she was shaken. "How... How do you know that?"

How did he know? He knew more than that. He knew she’d always hated the dark, always needed to sleep pressed against him, with her leg hooked over his. He remembered how she never closed her eyes when they kissed - said she liked watching his face. And yesterday, in her final breath, she had still been clutching the ring he had given her.

His throat burned. He looked away, eyes growing wet. But there was no time for sentiment.

"Your dad told me. He wanted me to come get you. Figured you wouldn’t believe me unless I knew something only he would know. Come on, there’s no time."

"But... he went overseas, didn’t he?"

She was mostly convinced but still hesitant. She took out her phone and dialed. No answer - just dead air. His number wasn’t reachable.

"He’s mid-flight right now. Seriously, get in the car," Magnus urged, already walking toward the Cruze.

He was banking on the fact that Nicholas Quinn had vanished after the outbreak. No way Sarah could reach him now.

Sarah looked to Taylor. Taylor nodded silently. The two of them got into the car with Magnus without another word.

Overhead, the clouds had darkened, heavy with doom. The fifteen minutes he mentioned were nearly up.

Springvale University had a staff dormitory with a private underground garage. It had never passed fire inspections and sat abandoned, unused. Magnus drove straight to its entrance. Rain was hammering down when Magnus got out of the car with two pieces of wire.

He didn’t hesitate - ran straight to the old, rusted shutter lock at the parking garage and cracked it open like he’d done it a hundred times. Soaking wet, he jumped back into the driver’s seat. The moment he started driving again, Taylor snapped.

"Where the hell are you taking us?" she shouted, panic thick in her voice.

"We’re still on campus. You think I’m kidnapping you?" Magnus shot a quick glance at the two in the back.

"Pull over! We don’t believe you! Let us out!" Sarah shouted.

They grabbed for the door handles, only to find the car securely locked. Magnus didn’t waste time arguing. He drove straight into the underground parking garage, pulled up to a rundown security room, shoved them both inside, and slammed the door shut behind them. The girls huddled in the corner, wary and shaking.

Magnus checked the timer on his phone. Four hours and forty-two minutes left. No time to waste. He strode over and faced them squarely.

"Sarah. Taylor. I’m sorry! I really don’t have time to explain. Just know I’m not some damn kidnapper. Now give me your phones and wallets. Ten seconds. Or I take them myself. Move it!"

Taylor stepped in front of Sarah, eyes cold. "And that’s not kidnapping?"

"I know your type, Taylor..." Magnus tensed up, raising his voice. "Fine! Take me as a kidnapper if it helps. I don’t care. Wallets. Phones. Now!" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Sarah hesitated, tugged slightly at Taylor’s sleeve. "Let’s just give them to him..."

She pulled out her phone and wallet first. Taylor hissed through her teeth and shoved her bag toward Magnus. "Take it. You gonna let us go now? We won’t call the guards, I swear."

Magnus snatched Sarah’s wallet and dug out the black card inside.

"This is the one, right? Your family gave each of you one - unlimited within ten million?"

Sarah stared. "How... How do you know that? I never told..."

"Password’s your parents’ wedding date, right?" Magnus pressed, heart pounding against the memory.

Her expression froze. "How do you know all that?"

He could tell from her face, he’d remembered right. That was something she’d only told him once. He quickly fished Taylor’s phone from her bag, grabbed all of Sarah’s cards and both mobiles, and stuffed them in his coat.

Magnus turned to them one last time. "Whatever you think of me right now doesn’t matter. Just stay here. Five hours. That’s all I ask. In five hours - I’ll come for you. Trust me or don’t. I’m doing this to protect you. You’ll understand soon. Got it?"

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and slammed the door behind him. Then he found three old steel bars and jammed them into the handle, sealing the door shut.

The room had no windows - probably meant for monitoring cameras. Magnus glanced over one final time, certain they couldn’t escape, and took off.

Running back to the car, he fired up the engine, drove out of the underground lot, pulled the shutter down, and relocked that same rusty padlock tight.

Four hours and thirty-six minutes left.

He’d used up 24 minutes - got Emily’s car and Sarah’s cards. Not bad. Now, every second counted. He had one goal left - grab as much post-apocalypse gold as he could!