Harem Stealer: Reborn with the God-Tier Sharing System Chapter 443 Half-broken

"I will take back my soul."

Maryam spoke these words as her hand moved toward Selene.

The latter remained frozen, her gaze fixed on the descending hand as if a mortal were witnessing the arrival of divine retribution.

Selene understood that resistance was futile. Her very essence seemed to want to desert her in favor of its original host.

Standing beside her, Luminara did not intervene. Instead, she watched the scene unfold with a mixture of reverence and awe, appearing almost impatient to see Selene reintegrated into Maryam.

Neither of them viewed this as a tragedy. In their eyes, Selene was merely a tiny splinter of Maryam’s being. It had been ordained from the start that she would eventually return to the source.

That had always been the grand design.

But had the plan unfolded as intended?

Though Selene was but a fragment of Maryam, that fragment had developed into a distinct individual.

To ensure her clone remained unrecognizable, Maryam had purged the soul of all memories and personality before using it to manifest Selene.

Consequently, every experience Selene had was filtered through her own heart. While certain traits were inescapable—such as her obsessive devotion to her son and the habit of calling Noah her baby—these were echoes of Maryam’s own nature.

Aside from those traits, Selene had forged her own identity. She was her own person, much like Luminara had become an individual despite being born from the eye of a Primordial.

To the Elysiari and to Noah, Selene was far more than a mere clone of Maryam.

She was Selene Weaverheart Vaelgrim.

A sister to the wives, and more crucially...

She was Noah's mother.

TAK-!

The flow of time seemed to halt.

Luminara and Selene both watched with wide eyes as Noah’s hand clamped firmly around Maryam’s wrist.

The First Soul slowly shifted her gaze from Selene to Noah. Tilting her head, she asked with parted lips,

"What are you doing, my baby?"

Maryam’s tone remained gentle. True confusion was visible within the depths of her vacant eyes.

She was genuinely baffled. Noah understood the reason: to Maryam, Selene possessed no value beyond her original function. She was a mere instrument designed to raise Noah until Brandon returned.

Strictly speaking, Maryam was right. Selene was a tool—one that had served its purpose and was now ready to be discarded.

But Noah would not allow it.

With steady movements, the Vaelgrim wives began to reposition themselves, forming a protective circle around Selene. Neko’s lips were pressed into a grim line as she glared at her mother.

The intensity of that stare caused Luminara to retreat several steps in fear. The other wives looked at her with the same murderous intent; they were prepared to kill.

"I am sorry," Noah declared, "but I cannot let you absorb Selene, mother."

"Why?" Maryam questioned. "She is my soul. She is a part of me. She was never meant to exist as an independent entity."

"But she is one now," Noah replied, gently pulling his mother’s hand to draw her closer.

Maryam offered no resistance. She welcomed the proximity to her son, even though her confusion lingered.

Soon, they stood barely an inch apart.

"Look at her, and then look at us," Noah urged, gesturing toward Selene and his wives. "Do you see them, mother? Can you see what is in their eyes?"

"What do you perceive when they look at Selene?"

She hesitated, giving them a fleeting glance. In truth, she didn't need to look; they were within her dominion, and their deepest emotions were laid bare to her.

She only looked because her son requested it.

"Love, anxiety, and a fierce desire to protect," the sovereign answered with an air of indifference, as if their loyalty meant nothing to her.

"Do you believe we would feel such things for someone who wasn't their own person?"

"I understand," Maryam said, reaching out to stroke Noah’s face. "I truly do. But my soul is required. Brandon, my baby, I am at war with the rulers and the Will itself. They all seek my destruction. I am currently vulnerable because I am incomplete."

She paused, allowing her words to carry weight.

"I must be whole again. I bestowed a significant portion of myself upon Selene so she could provide you with the best care. Now, I need it back, my baby."

She leaned her forehead against his, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. The love she radiated was so intense it felt suffocating to everyone but Noah.

They all heard her explanation. They understood her logic. Yet, understanding did not equate to accepting Selene’s demise.

None of them would ever agree to it.

The wives turned their collective gaze toward Noah, searching for a solution to this impossible dilemma.

Even Selene watched him, though her plea was more quiet. Her eyes shifted between Noah and the floor, terrified of placing a burden upon him.

She didn't want him to see her desperation to survive—to remain her own self and love him in her own way, even if that love had its roots in Maryam’s essence.

She had cultivated a love that was entirely her own.

Selene longed to tell him that she couldn't bear to leave her sisters, that she wanted to stay by their side forever.

She wanted to scream for him to save her, to hold her, and to love her just as he always had. She missed him. She needed him.

The trials they had endured had left them fractured. They appeared composed while protecting one another, but they were drained to the point of collapse. They stood on the precipice of total breakdown.

A sense of emptiness was gnawing at their insides, twisting their spirits painfully.

The presence of Noah and their sisters was the only thing keeping them upright.

In a way, shielding Selene was an act of self-preservation. They knew that if one of their number was lost, they would all shatter like glass ornaments.

And that destruction would be final.

So they held their ground, staring down both Luminara and Maryam, willing to sacrifice everything to ensure a part of their family remained whole. Their absolute devotion did not escape Noah’s notice.

A small, faint smile touched his lips. Despite its subtlety, his transcendent beauty and status were so great that the simple gesture caused everyone present to stare in amazement. They all thought, instinctively, of how magnificent he was.

The Prince felt a sense of pride. He was overjoyed to have built a family so tightly knit that they would die for one another.

As a husband and a father, this was his ultimate dream realized.

It was for this family that he chose his destiny. They drove him to surpass his limits and even claim the Will Eternal as his mother just to secure the necessary power.

Because of them, his core self remained unchanged.

Because of them, he had triumphed in his mission. Because of them, he sought to become a king in his own right, so he could better safeguard their lives.

The culmination of these efforts was a construct—a system. A system forged from his iron will and their boundless love.

And so...

"Mother," Noah whispered, leaning in until their breaths mingled like entwined serpents, "Do you have faith in me?"

Maryam’s heart fluttered dangerously. She fought the forbidden urge to press her lips against his, silently rebuking herself for such a scandalous thought.

Immortality had a way of warping one's emotions into strange shapes.

Nonetheless, her body leaned closer to him instinctively.

"I have faith in you, my baby. In you, and only you."

"Then," Noah pressed on, "will you accept my authority?"

Normally, a being of Maryam’s stature would weigh such a question with extreme caution. But Maryam was a mother who had been starved of her son’s presence for countless ages.

She was desperate for his affection and would do anything to earn his favor.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she opened her lips and gave her answer.

"Yes, I do."

DING!

-End of Chapter 443-