Perhaps not everything went well for the escapees…

“…So, just to confirm, you want me to join my brother’s harem and get transformed to better suit his harem?” Sarah confirmed of the being before her. She had already regained her emotions and had heard the specifics of the competition she was being invited to.

After getting on the ski lift, she and Sam had watched in horror as one of the monsters chased Maria and their mother away into the forest. Unable to do anything other than worry in terror while they were dangling from the lift, neither had been prepared for one of the supporting poles of the lift to be struck and destroyed by one of the obsidian towers raining from the sky.

As the entire lift came crashing down, Sarah had been unlucky enough to get thrown from her seat and fall onto a particularly large boulder. It hadn’t been a fun way to die, but it had at least been quick. She only hoped Sam had managed to land in the soft snow and make it out okay.

Presently, the being before her, who seemed to have supernatural powers to control the dead and warp reality, nodded in agreement to Sarah’s question.

“Alright, then I’m in, with one caveat. Don’t show or tell my brother how I acted before this, okay? It’s enough that he knows I’m in.”

The being was surprised. “You have already deduced that I would be conveying our conversation to your brother?”

Sarah snorted. “Of course, you’d have to or he’d be too chickenshit to touch me or any of the other women you’re dragging on the show. Too worried about them being mind controlled or **** into agreeing. There was a bitch at one of his jobs that accused him of stalking her, like she even had a chance with him in the first place, and ever since he’s been super conscious of consent.”

“Ah, yes, you speak of Haley Barnett. I can see how the Master’s interaction with her might have created a small trauma. Very well, that is acceptable. If I can just get verbal confirmation from you? Do you consent to becoming a Contestant and competing for a position in the Master’s harem?”

“Yep,” Sarah said. “Seriously, bro, I’m in, let’s get this harem shit started.”

Perhaps still taken aback, the entity nevertheless pushed onward. “Very well, then welcome to the latest season of Harem Hotel: Harem Heroes edition.”

“Saraaaaah…” Nate facepalmed. “Damn it. Why are you so cavalier about things like this?”

Sarah had always had an… interesting take on the concept of modesty. He couldn’t count the times he’d tried to talk her around to a more modern take on things.

It wasn’t that Sarah was easy, though. In fact, she had a pretty high criteria for who she’d be willing to date or sleep with – she’d only gone out with two people that he was aware of. It was more that she was the kind of girl to sunbathe topless and not bat an eye when he or Sam brought friends over to hang out. Or to walk through the house bottomless because she needed a fresh toilet paper roll for the upstairs bathroom. Or to pull him into her room and quiz him on what types of lingerie she looked best in.

And if the rumors he’d heard while in school was right, she was the kind of person that put out on the first date. When he’d first heard that, he’d first gone over to threaten her date and make him shut his lousy trap about it, then gone to her and asked about it. To his surprise, she’d confirmed it as true. After all, she had said, I wanted to see if we were compatible or wasting time. That first time she’d decided it was the latter.

Taking a deep breath, he looked over at Serena. “Are you really not going to show me the first part of that?”

Serena shook her head. “No. I considered it, and believe the mystery will prove entertaining for both you and the audience, so will be leaving the first half of our conversation out for the time being. Perhaps sometime in the season it will make sense to air it.”

“Fine, fine. Keep your secrets. So who’s next? You already exhausted the women in my family, what other unfortunate souls are you going to drag into this mess.”

“Well, you’re right, we have gone through all of the women in your family. But…”

“But…?” Nate suddenly gasped, “No!”

“Yes.”

Sam had, more fortunately than his sister, landed in a soft enough snow bank that he had managed to escape relatively unscathed. Unfortunately, he had gotten turned around enough that he hadn’t been able to find his sister afterwards (though given her fate, perhaps that was more of a blessing). Still, he had set out away from the resort and up towards the top of the mountain, in hopes of finding survivors either on the way or at the top of the lift.

Sadly, that was not to be his fate. Another obsidian tower had descended before him, and despite trying his level best to escape the monster, his end was no better than the rest of his family.

Similarly, he’d found himself as a soul conversing with an indescribable being dressed as a secretary.

“So, it’s not that I don’t understand what you’re saying, it’s just… Why would my brother even want me in his harem? I’m fairly certain he isn’t gay.”

Yes, the sticking point Sam had run into. He could get past the ****, get past the harem, and get past the fact that he’d be essentially expected to seduce his brother of all people. But this, this was a little harder to get past.

“Putting aside how human sexuality is far too complex to be graded on anything other than a multi-dimension plane, if there are any parts of you that the Master finds unattractive, that will be remedied during the intake transformation. You are guaranteed to be given a form that is pleasing to the Master’s sensibilities.”

“So… you’re going to turn me into a girl?” That might be okay. Sam had never told anyone but he’d tried on some of his sister’s clothes on occasion, just to see what it felt like. It had felt incredibly naughty, but he’d never been able to shake how warm he felt inside when he had done so.

“I cannot provide any further details on your possible transformations until the transformation round.”

Sam’s swallowed.

“Okay. I’m in. I’ll take part in your harem transformation game.”

Nate sighed as he watched Sam give his consent and be welcomed onto the season. Some part of him was numb to the shock.

“You even roped in poor Sammy, huh? You planning to take my brother and turn him into my sister or something?”

“Possibly,” was all Serena responded with.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m not gay.”

“You are indeed not traditionally gay, master.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I have seen your search history. Even the incognito stuff.”

Nate blanched. Shit. She really did have his number. And if she knew all that, then the transformations that might be coming…

Nate again sighed and rubbed his glabella. “Alright, let’s get this over with. Show me how you **** Alex and Viv into this.”

“Oh? What makes you so certain those two are the final two Contestants?”

“I’m not an idiot, Serena, please don’t treat me as such.”

“Yes, Master.” Serena smiled, and turned back to the television