Kala never thought of herself as a foolish woman. She came from a good family, graduated from a prestigious university, and worked at a reputable lab doing work she was passionate about. Despite being a woman of science, she held steadfastly to her religion and her faith in Ganesha, drawing strength from her beliefs when the world felt chaotic. Her life was simple, and she was content.
Then everything changed.
A surprise marriage proposal was enough to rattle anyone's foundation, but Kala's life was far from ordinary. She wasn't just grappling with her engagement to Rajan, a kind and successful man her family adored—her mind had also been inexplicably linked to seven strangers scattered across the globe. Suddenly, she wasn't living just one life but eight.
And then there was Wolfgang.
He was the complete opposite of everything she had been taught to value. Where Kala sought order, Wolfgang thrived in chaos. Where she clung to her ideals, Wolfgang's mere existence challenged them. His violent past, his criminal exploits, his unapologetic defiance of morality—all of it should have repelled her. Instead, it drew her in.
She questioned her sanity countless times. Were Wolfgang and the others real? Or was she simply losing her mind? But even in her doubts, she couldn't ignore the pull she felt toward Wolfgang. When her thoughts were in turmoil, his presence steadied her. When her emotions spiraled, his touch calmed her. He ignited a fire within her she hadn't known existed, but he also brought a sense of peace she couldn't explain.
She thought about him constantly. The memory of his intense blue eyes, the rasp of his voice, the rare but genuine curve of his lips when he smiled—all of it lingered in her mind. Knowing he felt something similar for her, even a fraction of what she felt for him, sent little butterflies fluttering in her chest.
But love wasn't simple, and Kala clung to the life she had built. She convinced herself that if she pretended everything was normal, it would eventually become so. That was why she married Rajan—a man who adored her, who was perfect on paper, even if her heart belonged to someone else.
At the time, it felt like the logical choice. Her family believed it too. But if her father knew the truth—that his daughter was homo sensorium, a different species hunted by a shadowy organization—would he have pushed her toward Rajan? Kala doubted it.
The weeks in Paris had brought everything to a breaking point. She had faced danger, explosions, and impossible odds alongside her cluster. And through it all, Wolfgang and Rajan had somehow coexisted. It felt surreal, like living in a dream where her fractured reality finally fit together.
In the days leading up to their departure, life had been blissful. Kala allowed herself to indulge in the fantasy of having both men in her life. She kissed Wolfgang freely while holding Rajan's hand, whispered sweet nothings to her husband while stealing heated glances at her lover, and fell asleep nestled between the two of them.
But no one had said anything.
She should have realized that silence was a warning. Wolfgang and Rajan weren't truly at peace with the situation; they were appeasing her, terrified of losing her after almost losing her life. Fear, Kala knew, made people do irrational things—like marrying someone out of duty instead of love. Or sharing the woman they loved just to keep her close.
It didn't hit her until they were at the airport.
Rajan was unusually quiet as they waited, his gaze distant and his hand resting lightly on hers. Wolfgang, on the other hand, stood a few feet away, his jaw tight and his eyes fixed on her.
She felt the familiar pull of their connection and didn't resist it. One moment, she was standing in the bustling terminal; the next, she was in Wolfgang's mind, wrapped in his arms. His scent enveloped her—a mix of leather, old smoke, and something uniquely him. She inhaled deeply, letting it wash over her.
"Come with me," he murmured, his breath warm against her ear.
The words sent a chill down her spine, and she pulled away slightly, reality crashing down around her. Her immediate answer was yes—she wanted to follow him anywhere. But her responsibilities tugged at her heart, pulling her back to India, to her family, to Rajan.
"Wolfgang, I can't," she whispered, her voice trembling.
He stepped back, his expression unreadable but his pain evident in the dimming of his eyes.
"My family is worried," she continued, her words spilling out in a rush. "My father's been calling and emailing nonstop. I don't know how to explain this to them—or if I even should. Rajan barely believed it until he saw it for himself. And… I have to go back. I can't just leave."
Wolfgang's gaze hardened. "After everything, nothing has changed then."
"Wolfgang, I—"
But before she could finish, the connection broke, and Kala was back in the terminal.
Rajan's hand tightened on her wrist, pulling her toward their gate. "We will be late for our flight," he said curtly. Over his shoulder, he added, "Have a safe trip." The words weren't friendly; they were sharp, a line drawn in the sand.
"Rajan, slow down," she protested, but he didn't respond.
Kala glanced back, expecting Wolfgang to be gone. To her surprise, he was still there, arms crossed and watching her with an unreadable expression. Her chest ached as she tried to decipher the emotions behind his stoic mask. Finally, he shook his head and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
It hurt to be away from him, just a few feet, and soon they would be thousands of miles apart again. The separation loomed ahead of her like a vast chasm, and Kala dreaded it.
She had been foolish indeed.
Rajan had been unusually quiet since arriving at the airport. Not that he was the most talkative man in recent months, especially after discovering that his wife was homo sensorium—a type of human he hadn't known existed, with seven other people constantly inhabiting her mind. He had asked enough questions to grasp the basics, kindly interacted with the real-life versions of her cluster when necessary, and kept his reservations mostly to himself. But now, sitting beside him, Kala couldn't ignore the subdued demeanor that had taken root in the man she had married.
He wasn't himself. She knew Rajan as a charmer, a man who could diffuse tension with an easy smile or lighten a heavy mood with his quick wit. But this new Rajan, the quiet one who stared straight ahead, his hands fidgeting in his lap, felt distant—like a stranger.
She knew it wasn't just the recent revelations that weighed on him. It wasn't just the discovery that his wife belonged to another species or even that she shared her mind with others. It wasn't even the fact that she'd been shot in Paris, though that had left its mark. No, the real weight—the silent elephant in the room—was Wolfgang.
It was one thing to learn your wife was part of an extraordinary cluster of minds. It was another to discover she was in love with one of them. Kala had tried to ignore the reality of her situation in Paris. She'd been so desperate to be near Wolfgang after rescuing him from BPO's clutches that she'd barely hesitated to ask Rajan for something unthinkable. And to her shock, he'd agreed.
She still blushed when she thought about it. The three of them—her, Rajan, and Wolfgang—sharing something intimate, something she could never have imagined herself doing. She had been ready, eager even, to give herself completely to Wolfgang despite her husband's presence. And Rajan had allowed it, watching from the sidelines of her heart with a kind of resigned dignity she hadn't fully understood.
It had been surreal. Wolfgang's rough hands, his intensity, had ignited something primal in her, while Rajan's quiet acceptance had broken her heart. She could still feel the phantom touches of both men, her body betraying her as she thought of it. Kala had always believed herself to be composed, a woman in control of her desires and emotions. But Paris had unraveled her, and she wasn't sure she could ever tie herself back together again.
The days following had been blissful—too blissful, in hindsight. The two men had managed to coexist, even laugh together at times. They had shared meals, stories, and, for a brief moment, her. But beneath the surface, tensions simmered. Neither man had spoken openly about their feelings, and Kala had foolishly believed their silence meant acceptance.
Now, as Capheus drove them to the airport, the tension in the air was palpable. Kala had been too caught up in teasing Will and Wolfgang about their ongoing debate over weapons versus hand-to-hand combat to notice the shift at first. Even Sun had chimed in, smirking as she firmly sided with hand-to-hand combat. The lighthearted banter had made Kala smile, and every so often, Wolfgang would lean over to kiss her curls, sending warmth blooming in her chest.
Rajan, however, hadn't said a word.
"Rajan, is everything alright?" she asked now, placing a hand over his on the armrest and leaning forward to study his face.
He turned to her slowly, his warm brown eyes darker than usual, filled with something she couldn't quite place. "Do you love him?"
The air seemed to leave the cabin, the question hanging between them like a sharp blade. Kala felt her breath hitch as her mind scrambled for a response.
His gaze held hers, unwavering, as though he had already accepted the answer and only needed to hear it aloud.
"Yes," she admitted softly, her voice barely audible. "But Rajan—"
"Do you love me?"
The question struck her like a physical blow. Her heart ached as she stared at him, the man who had been her husband, her partner, the person who had vowed to stand by her through thick and thin. She wanted to answer him, but the words wouldn't come.
"Why are you asking me these things?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Rajan swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as he looked away briefly before meeting her eyes again. "The way you kiss him," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "You kiss him like…" He trailed off, struggling to find the words. "You kiss him like he's your soulmate."
She froze, her mind racing as her chest tightened with the weight of his observation.
"We should get a divorce," Rajan said finally, his tone quiet but firm.
Kala's breath caught, her thoughts spiraling as the world tilted around her. Divorce. The word sounded foreign coming from Rajan's lips. She had imagined this conversation countless times, played out scenarios in her head where she was the one to bring it up. In every version, Rajan had been the hurt, blindsided party. She had never envisioned him being the one to suggest it.
For a moment, everything felt off-kilter. The world seemed to blur, and then, in the blink of an eye, Rajan was gone, replaced by Sun.
Kala found herself sitting in first class on a plane to Korea, the hum of the engine beneath her a stark contrast to the chaos in her mind. Sun sat beside her, calm and composed as always, her presence a balm to Kala's frayed nerves.
"Of course, I am here with you now," Sun said, tilting her head slightly as she observed Kala's turmoil.
"Is that a bad thing?" Kala asked, her voice exasperated.
"No," Sun replied after a moment, "though perhaps it means you are avoiding something."
Kala sighed, rubbing her eyes vigorously. "Rajan deserves someone to fight for him," she whispered. "But he's giving me what I want. Freedom to be with Wolfgang. So why can't I accept it?"
"Because it means you failed at something," Sun said matter-of-factly.
Kala blinked at her. "Explain, please."
"You have lived your life based on everyone else's expectations," Sun continued. "It chooses your clothes, what you studied at university, your job, and even your husband. Validation from those around you is important to you. You think you will disappoint them."
"I know I will," Kala admitted, her voice cracking as she felt a tear slip down her cheek.
"What's more important?" Sun asked quietly. "Your happiness or theirs?"
Kala sat back, letting the question hang in the air as she mulled it over. Rajan, for all his flaws and struggles, had been patient with her. He would continue to be patient, even now, probably wondering where her mind had drifted. But that patience wasn't enough—not for her, not for him.
"I'm scared," she admitted, a tear sliding down her cheek. Her voice was barely above a whisper, heavy with the vulnerability she rarely allowed herself to feel. She blinked hard, willing herself to stop crying, before turning to look back at Sun for guidance.
But Sun was no longer there.
The sterile light of the airplane faded, and suddenly, Kala found herself in a dimly lit bar booth. Her heart skipped a beat as her surroundings shifted to the familiar space of Wolfgang's mind. There he was—the man who had upended her entire world—sitting across from her.
His intense blue eyes locked onto hers, piercing through her defenses. He leaned forward, his movements deliberate, and brushed the tear from her cheek with a rough yet tender hand. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver through her. He didn't speak immediately, letting the silence stretch between them. But his gaze held a question, one she wasn't sure how to answer.
She tilted her face into his palm, her tears falling faster now, unbidden. "I am afraid," she said softly, her voice trembling as the weight of her emotions pressed down on her.
Wolfgang nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching in understanding. Those three words were enough—they explained everything.
"I will always protect you," he murmured, his voice low and steady.
"You can't protect me from this," she whispered, her breath hitching. Her eyes searched his, pleading for a reassurance she wasn't sure anyone could give. "I'm leaving the life I've always known behind. Everything is going to change." She hesitated, swallowing hard, before continuing, "But promise me something?"
"Anything," he said without hesitation, his voice unwavering.
The certainty in his tone unleashed a wave of emotion in her—love, desperation, hope—and she reached for him instinctively, her hands cradling his face. "Come with me."
"Yes."
The single word was her undoing. She closed the gap between them, their lips colliding in a kiss that carried all the unspoken emotions swirling inside her—fear, longing, and the overwhelming love she felt for him.
Wolfgang responded with equal fervor, his hands finding her waist and pulling her closer. She shifted, scooting into his lap, her leg swinging over to straddle him. The space between them vanished, replaced by heat and the intensity of their connection.
His tongue brushed her bottom lip, and she opened to him, a soft moan escaping as his skilled fingers tangled in her hair. He tugged gently, sending sparks of pleasure coursing through her. Her hips moved instinctively against him, drawing a hiss from his lips that made her moan again.
Her body burned with want, her skin hot under his touch, as though her every nerve was attuned to him and him alone. She didn't care about where they were—whether it was his mind or hers—or about the chaos waiting for them in the real world. In that moment, there was only Wolfgang.
"Wolfgang, we have to go! Tell the Indian Princess she has to wait."
Felix's voice shattered the moment like glass hitting the floor. Kala gasped, her surroundings shifting again as she was thrust back into her own reality.
She was back on the plane, her chest heaving as though she had been running. Her pulse thundered in her ears, her cheeks flushed from more than just the flight's temperature.
Thankfully, Rajan's seat beside her was empty. She glanced around, realizing he must have excused himself to the restroom. A wave of relief washed over her; there was no way she could have explained where she had just been—or who she had been with.
But Rajan wouldn't have asked. He already knew.
The realization settled heavily in her chest. He had seen her slip away into Wolfgang's world countless times. Even if it wasn't physical, even if it was only in her mind, she knew it must have hurt him deeply. How could it not?
Biting her lip, she closed her eyes briefly, the truth settling in her heart. A divorce is needed, she thought, the words ringing like a bell toll.
Meanwhile, in Wolfgang's mind, he leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as Kala's presence faded. He turned to Felix, who was watching him with a suspiciously raised brow.
"That's creepy," Felix said, waving a hand in front of Wolfgang's face. "What's going on in that twisted head of yours?"
Wolfgang's smirk widened as he took a sip of his drink. "India plan, bruder."