"You lost control again."
Zela's purring voice woke Zeth, and he found himself in the same bright void where he first met her. Even though there was no floor, he could feel the cold tile where he lay. Zeth sits up, realizing he is wearing nothing but his dignity.
"Do you have to undress me?"
Zeth rubs his eyes, yawning.
"Shut up!"
Zela roared. She tries to hide her blush, looking away from Zeth.
Meanwhile, Zeth glances around before stopping his gaze at Zela's voluptuous body. She wears the same transparent silk nightgown.
She sits with her legs folded, buttocks pressed against her thighs, and her soft toes pointed behind. Her posture has her chest thrust forward and her back arching perfectly straight. Unlike their first meeting, she's calm and graceful, yet retains her explosive personality through the pout she's expressing.
Her hands were placed restlessly on top of her thighs. Shaking in deep annoyance with Zeth's unintentional quips that Zela misunderstood as innuendos or advances.
Zeth found himself staring at her soft, shiny knees. Tracing her skin with such intent, not for lust, but wonder. Usually, people in the apocalypse have ashy, dry, or scarred skin, but not Zela. Even his skin, even after gaining a Zystem, is still a bit imperfect and pale.
But what aroused his interest was her figure. The shape she possesses can not be compared with the others in the Living World. There are women with above-average profiles in Burn Abbey, especially well-trained female Zoldiers, but Zela has a curvaceous outline as if she were gently molded from clay.
Continuing his extensive observation of the woman in front of him, Zeth caught a whiff of a fragrant scent, his nose perking up in delight. At first, it stung, but when the perfumed aroma settled, he thought it was enchanting.
Sure enough, it was pleasing, so much so that Zeth, for the first time in a while, was induced with such heat originating from his groins. It stirred the young man's senses, making his heart pump in excitement.
She must be a witch, he said to himself as he escaped his wandering thoughts. Alas, he has no time for nonsense.
Yet, his stimulated experience was evident. His engorged member is displaying a long, stiff shaft with its head begging for the eventual release.
Zeth himself was shocked; he had never explored the potent possibilities of his body before.
"What the hell!?"
Zela shouted, breaking from her initial reaction. Now, she is bewildered by what she is witnessing. She immediately covers her eyes with her hand, but intentionally leaves some gaps on her fingers to get a peek of Zeth's shamelessness.
"No! No! No! I'm sorry! It's not what you think it means, I swear!"
Zeth rushed to cover his precious jewels. It was so straight and sensitive that he struggled to hide it for a second. He turns away from her, showing his plump glutes instead.
"Ah! Are you not embarrassed by yourself!? This is so unacceptable!"
Zela kept peeking and looking, secretly admiring Zeth's build. After all, when she met him for the first time, he was far outside his now masculine scope.
"Why do you keep looking then!?"
Zeth shouted back. He is on the brink of bawling, and he starts to roll away from her, fleeing her judging eyes.
"I–I wasn't, you pervert!"
Zela finally turned around, with her legs still folded and arms now crossed. She also hides her reddened cheeks, pursing her lips, and scrunching her nose.
"You're the pervert! Why am I naked while you're wearing that thing? Were you trying to seduce me or anything?!"
Zeth said mid-roll as he stopped when he reached a far enough distance from her.
"Shut up!"
Zela shouted back, her teeth gritted with rage. But deep within her, she feels a small amount of joy. Not because she saw someone's private parts, but because of the whimsy that just occurred. In her mind, it has been a long time since she had fun with someone.
Same with Zeth, who hides a tiny smirk. He was practically born and spent his entire life in a hospital. He never had a proper connection with someone. Albeit he assumed that Zela was just a strange and mysterious individual inside him, it was still lovely to feel like he had a friend.
Moments passed, and silence took over between them.
Zeth remembered he was in a fight with Frank, and he wondered what had happened and who had won the battle. As the seconds passed, he grew increasingly worried about the outcome. He bolted up and turned to Zela to ask her.
But as soon as he sits up, Zela is already sitting beside him. Her face tells him what he needs to know: the situation is dire.
"Frank. The city. What happened?"
Zeth asked, eyes shooting straight at Zela's.
"Zeth, you lost control. That thing you blamed me for before took over your body and fought Frank for you."
Zela returns Zeth's serious tone.
"What? You mean I ate Frank!?"
"Err, no. No, I don't think so. But you got his powers. For now."
Zela nervously chuckled.
"Then… Did we lose?"
"No, not really."
"Then what!? Tell me!"
Zeth impatiently said, grabbing Zela's petite shoulders and shaking her.
"Ah! Stop! Apparently, Zach is still alive and did his thing with his fingers!"
Zela let Zeth rock her as she explained.
"Zach? How is that possible?"
Zeth stops and drops his arms from Zela, staring blankly behind her.
"Dunno. But he seems fine and alright."
"Wait, how did you know this?"
"I was watching. When Frank was about to release his Lifespark, you suddenly transformed into your ultimate form. I thought it was your doing, but it wasn't you who was controlling your body. It was something else!"
"And you didn't do anything about it!?"
"How could I possibly do something? I just exist inside of you. I can't possess you like how that thing controls you! Look, whatever that thing is, it's something I've never seen before. It's wild, it's hungry, and it's not human."
"If you exist inside me, then what are you? In fact, who are you, Zela? Why are you even inside me all this time, doing nothing besides being the nagging voice in my head?"
"Excuse me? I'm the one who gave you Assembly. Don't you remember that? You better be grateful, without it, you're just another dead Zeno!"
Zela begrudgingly points her finger at Zeth.
"Then help me understand! Tell me the things I don't know about my Zystem, about myself, and you! Tell me the reason why you're here!"
Zeth stood up, waving his arms around, feeling desperate to seek answers from her.
"Really? You just died out there, and you're worried about who I am? Can't you focus on how to keep us alive for once, instead of rushing into battle like it was your first time to live? Didn't you forget we helped you gain that second life, so you better preserve it!"
"But it was my first time being alive! I may have died once, but this is the first time I feel so alive, Zela! So, don't tell me how to live my life because I'm going to end it on my own terms!"
Zeth breathes heavily. Then he raised his brow upon realizing what Zela said.
"Wait. What do you mean by 'we'? Who's 'we' that you're talking about helping with my second life? And why the hell are you so obsessed with us surviving every fight we encounter?"
Zeth followed up on what he said, looking at Zela intensely.
"Uh, I didn't say that. Also, is it wrong to keep us, the two of us, alive?"
Zela stood up, backing away from him.
Visible cracks start to form in the bright void. Shattering slowly like mirrors, revealing a dark green shadow behind.
"Uh. I think something's wrong. That thing that's taking control of you, it wants to get inside my safe space!"
"What?! What are you talking about?! Just tell me now!"
"Fine. You want to know?! But first, you have to promise me that you'll keep yourself alive. I'm only going to tell you half of what I know, so you better listen to what I say if you want to know more!"
Zela grins mischievously as she continues to step backward away from Zeth.
"Tell me!"
Zeth growled, fist clenching. He bares his fangs.
"My Zystem, the Anatomical Assembly, contains an ultimate form called the Patchwork Queen—or King, when you learn how to use it, heh. Besides the things you already know, it's not just about shooting threads and making spider webs. Nice imagination by the way!"
Zela teases as more fragments of the void break and shatter.
"That's not what I want to know!"
Zeth said, still approaching Zela.
"But it's what you need! Heh, I'm sorry. I can't tell you who I am. Just know that I am doing this because it's what's best for us! That thing that's controlling you, it's trying to switch with me. Be careful. Be safe."
"Let me help you then! I can help!"
Zeth switched his expression, frustratingly pleading.
"No. I don't have time. I fear that, given what's happening lately, you will eventually find out anyway. I just wish it wasn't happening this fast. I was really having fun, Zeth."
Zela maintains her smirk as she slowly vanishes. Her legs begin to be engulfed by the dark green shadow that is now overtaking the bright void in which she resides.
"Wait. Zela! Wait, Zela!"
Zeth reached out for her, but he, too, was consumed by the dark.
Then, total darkness.
…
"Time to learn how to control your Zystem, friend!"
A rough, husky, and devilish voice suddenly said.