Triple X System

Elara’s eyes locked onto Kyle’s, her gaze piercing. ”You and I need to talk, Kyle. About everything.”

Kyle’s expression was guarded, his eyes narrowing slightly. ”What about, Elara?”

Elara’s smile was small, her blonde hair glimmering in the soft light of the cottage. ”About everything. Your past, your present, your ambitions. And mine.”

[Ohh~ And the plot thickens.. Will Kyle fall in love with this mysterious witch? Will she betray him? What secrets lie ahead for our naive, young master with a perverted cultured degree!] Snow inwardly expressed her excitement, tingling with anticipation and and adrenaline.

’You know,I think I liked it better when you were offline.’ Kyle joked, earning a puff sound from his cheeky system guide.

[Hmph!] She pouted, in a cute innocent, yet offended tone. [You bet. To be technical, I was your first wife! Before that pervert demon stole my reward from me.] Snow mischievously spoke, leaving Kyle stunned with a blank expression.

’Hopeless~’ That was the only word that came to mind, thinking about her level of lewdness.

.....

Kyle’s posture remained tense, his shadows stirring restlessly around him. ”I’m listening.”

’I still can’t control them.’ He grunted, struggling to ascertain dominance over his shadow ability. Which backfired on him, the little control he had slipping.

The shadows acting with a mind of their own, moving with life. Refusing to succumb to Kyle’s grip on them.

Elara gestured to a pair of chairs, her eyes never leaving Kyle’s face. ”Shall we sit?”

Kyle hesitated, then sat down, his movements economical. Elara took the chair opposite him, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.

”So, Kyle,” Elara began, her voice low and husky. ”Tell me about yourself. What makes you tick?”

”Why do you ask? Do you plan to seek a way to kill me?” Kyle retorded with a weird smile, forcing a staged chuckle from elara.

”So tense. Yua did mention that about you.” She said, making Kyle’s strict expression waver slightly.

’Why does my heart sink in guilt every time I hear one of their names.’ A light sigh escaped his mouth, feeling his heart thumping against his chest.

’I vowed to do everything in my power to reunite with my women and help them grow stronger. But why does it feel like I’m already too late.’ The thought sent a stinging sensation to his heart. His failure at vaanderwood and his weak state, rendered him helpless against some lethal foes.

But now he was growing stronger, and was finally on a path to reclaim his lost property, it felt vague to him.

”Sighs~” Kyle’s expression was wary, his eyes scanning Elara’s face. ”What do you want to know?”

Elara leaned forward, her voice taking on a silky tone. ”Everything, Kyle. I want to know everything about you.”

Kyle’s gaze locked onto Elara’s, a spark of tension igniting between them. ”I don’t think that’s a good idea, Elara.”

Elara’s smile grew, her eyes flashing with amusement. ”Oh, Kyle. You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

Kyle’s expression was flat, his voice low. ”I don’t know what you’re playing at, Elara, but I’m not interested.”

Elara’s laughter was low, her eyes sparkling with mirth. ”Oh, Kyle. You’re so deliciously wary. I like that.”

The air between them thickened, the tension palpable. Kyle’s shadows swirled around him, a dark, protective aura.

Elara’s eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on the shadows. ”Tell me, Kyle. What are your ambitions? What do you want to achieve?”

Kyle’s expression was guarded, his voice measured. ”I want to protect my friends, and find a way back home.”

Elara’s smile was small, her eyes glimmering with curiosity. ”And what about Kraken, Kyle? What do you think about this planet?”

Kyle’s gaze locked onto Elara’s, a spark of defiance igniting in his eyes. ”I think Kraken is a place of darkness, Elara. And I think you’re hiding something.”

Elara’s laughter was low, her eyes flashing with amusement. ”Oh, Kyle. You’re so quick to judge. But what do you really know about Kraken?”

The conversation was a dance, a delicate balance of power and tension. Kyle and Elara exchanged words, their voices low and husky, their eyes locked in a battle of wills.

.....

”Are they seriously quarrelling right now?” Layla muttered with a slight frown, seeing the duo engaged in a heated conversation.

”It appears to be the case, but why do I sense connection between them?” Lucias chipped in, placing his hand to his chin thinking of something.

”Connection? Y-you’re not saying they have a thing for each other, right?” Layla’s frown deepened, slightly tilting her head back. Peeping in on Kyle and the fierce woman, that could summon those three dangerous wolf beasts.

Stopping, elara abruptly shifted her head to the side. Her gaze locking onto the prying noses, like roaches fleeing at the sight of light.

”B-bad, we’re caught.” Layla stuttered, her face a bit pale. Even lucias bore a resident shocked expression.

Elara’s expression was firm as she turned to Layla and Lucias. ”You both need to stay here for three days, to allow the Luminaria plant to fully take effect.”

’Thud!’

That was all she had to say, the door automatically shutting close from an unseen force. Not a push in breeze, a change in atmosphere, but an undetected source closing the door shut.

”Creepy.” Layla uttered, her eyes still dazed. While Lucias proceeded back to the bed, sitting on it.

”I’m going to try and get in touch back to central command.” Lucias proceeded to bring out a small circular device, about the size of the index finger.

Dipped into the side of his half functioning space armour, in need of repair with diminishing energy power.

”Come in central command. This is expenditure team T-55, we encountered some trouble which was dealt with. But, we suffered a huge loss, everyone in the crew is dead except me, Layla and the peasant.” He spoke into the device, waiting some seconds for a response which never came.

”It’s fried.” Layla approached, glancing at the small black metallic device. Emitting a faint burnt smell.

”We’ve lost connection back with the kingdom. We’ll stay put for now with the peasant, and hopefully complete our mission. While securing a way out.” He ordered to which Layla gave a sharp nod of acknowledgement.

........

Elara smiled, her eyes warm. ”Good. Now, Kyle, can I have a word with you?”

Kyle nodded, following Elara to a small, cozy room adjacent to the cottage. The room was filled with strange, glowing artifacts and books with worn covers.

Elara sat down on a cushioned chair, gesturing for Kyle to do the same. ”Make yourself comfortable, Kyle. We have a lot to talk about.”

Kyle sat, his eyes curious. ”What’s on your mind, Elara?”

Elara leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. ”Let’s start with you, Kyle. What’s your story? Where are you from, and what brought you to Kraken?”

Kyle took a deep breath, weighing his words.

[I’d suggest you play along and try to gain her trust. So you can obtain relevant information about you, witches, and this planet.] Snow broke the ice.

”I’m from Earth, Elara. I...got transported here, along with some friends. We’ve been trying to find a way back, but it’s not easy.”

Elara’s eyes narrowed. ”Transported, you say? That’s quite a tale, Kyle. What about your ambitions? What do you want to achieve?”

Kyle’s expression turned thoughtful. ”I want to protect my friends, and find a way back home. And...I want to stop whatever is happening on Kraken. It feels like there’s something big going on, and I need to be a part of it.”

Elara nodded, her eyes glimmering with approval. ”I like that, Kyle. You’re driven. What about your past? Anything you’d like to share?”

Kyle hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. But something about Elara’s warm, curious gaze put him at ease.

”I’ve...got a bit of a complicated past, Elara. I’ve been through some tough times, but I’ve also had people who care about me. Friends, family...they’re what keep me going.”

Elara smiled, her eyes soft. ”I understand, Kyle. Family is important. As for me...I’ve been on Kraken for a long time. I don’t remember correctly, but I think I was born here.” A soft chuckle escaped her mouth, but Kyle could feel the burden surrounding it.

”I’ve studied the planet’s magic, and I’ve made it my mission to understand its secrets.”

Kyle’s eyes widened. ”That’s amazing, Elara. What drew you to Kraken’s magic?”

Elara leaned back, a faraway look in her eyes. ”I’ve always been drawn to the unknown, Kyle. And Kraken is full of mysteries. The magic here...it’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s powerful, and it’s changing me.”

Kyle’s curiosity piqued. ”Changing you? How?”

Elara’s smile was enigmatic. ”Let’s just say...I’ve made some...arrangements, to tap into Kraken’s energy. It’s given me abilities, but it’s also come with a cost.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed. ”What kind of cost?”

Elara’s expression turned serious. ”A cost I’m willing to pay, Kyle. But that’s a story for another time. What about you? What do you think about the magic on Kraken?”

Kyle thought for a moment. ”I think...it’s powerful, and it’s scary. But I also think it’s a tool, like any other magic. It depends on how you use it.”

He tried to come off as truthful as possible, while retaining his suspicious yet thankful tone.

Elara nodded, her eyes sparkling with approval. ”I couldn’t agree more, Kyle. You’re a wise one.”

The conversation flowed, with Elara asking Kyle about his friends, his interests, and his goals. Kyle found himself opening up, sharing stories and laughter with the witch.

As the hours passed, Elara leaned forward, her expression serious. ”Kyle, I have to ask...what do you think about Yua?”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, his mind racing. ”Yua? What about her?”

Elara’s eyes glimmered with curiosity. ”I know she’s looking for you, Kyle. What do you think she wants?”

Kyle’s expression turned thoughtful. ”I think...she wants to join forces, Elara. She’s powerful, and she’s got her own reasons for wanting to take down Kraken’s current leadership.”

Elara nodded, her eyes sparkling with interest. ”That’s what I thought. Be careful, Kyle. Yua’s not one to be underestimated.”

”Why do you say that?” He raised a brow at her remake in Yua.

”Because, she’s not the same person you remember Kyle. This planet, it changed you in ways I can’t explain.” Elara spoke in a low spooky tone, piquing Kyle’s thoughts.

Kyle smiled, his eyes confident. ”Don’t worry, Elara. I can handle Yua.”

As the conversation drew to a close, Elara stood, her eyes warm. ”I think that’s enough for today, Kyle. Get some rest, and we’ll talk more soon.”

Kyle nodded, feeling a sense of camaraderie with the witch. He left the room, his mind racing with thoughts about Kraken, Yua, and his own destiny.

As he walked back to the cottage, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Elara was hiding something, something big.

But for now, he just smiled, feeling a sense of belonging on this strange, magical planet.

As the hours passed, the air between them grew thicker, the tension palpable. Kyle’s shadows swirled around him, a dark, protective aura, while Elara’s eyes glimmered with curiosity and amusement.

As he stood to leave, Elara’s voice stopped him. ”One more thing, Kyle.”

Kyle turned, his eyes locked onto Elara’s. ”What is it?”

Elara’s smile was small, her eyes glimmering with mirth. ”Be careful, Kyle. The shadows have eyes, and the darkness is watching.”

Kyle’s expression was flat, his voice low. ”I’ll keep that in mind, Elara.”

As he left the cottage, Kyle couldn’t shake the feeling that Elara was hiding something, something big. And he was determined to uncover her secrets.

The seconds passed, with Layla and Lucias recovering, and Kyle growing increasingly wary of Elara. He watched her, his shadows on high alert, as she moved around the cottage, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.

But despite his caution, Kyle couldn’t deny the spark of attraction he felt towards Elara, a spark that threatened to ignite into a flame.