The silence in the small room stretched like a blade. Liam's breath still came ragged, his chest rising and falling as if he'd sprinted a marathon. The weight of her last words sat on him like an anchor dragging him to the bottom of an ocean.
The girl sighed. Her eyes flickered with something softer, something almost human. She looked down for a moment, then back up at him.
"Look," she said quietly. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to put your life in danger."
Liam froze. He wasn't expecting remorse from her.. not after everything.
She continued, her tone steady but edged with genuine regret. "It wasn't my intention to force the system on you. Things… weren't supposed to happen like this."
Liam swallowed hard, steadying himself. The storm inside him hadn't settled, but her words gave him something to cling to.
His brows furrowed, suspicion mixing with curiosity. "What are you talking about?"
The girl took a slow breath, as though steadying herself for a confession. "I should probably start by introducing myself." She straightened her shoulders, as if reclaiming a mantle she'd set aside.
"I am Xena Von Nebula. Princess of Von, and the next ruler of the Vonite Empire."
For a moment, Liam just stared. Then, despite himself, a startled laugh bubbled out of him. "Wait…you're a princess?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "You don't seem very princessy to me."
Xena frowned. "Shut up."
Liam smirked faintly, but she pressed on.
"As I was saying… I am Vonite royalty. And as you already know, we Vonites are at war. It's why we came to your fucking planet in the first place. But you humans…" her lip curled slightly, "…you betrayed us. After everything we gave you. After we offered you a better life."
Liam's smirk died. His eyes darkened, jaw tightening as anger resurfaced. "A better life?" His voice was sharp. "You didn't give us a better life, you gave us death. And it was all because of the Awakening Pill you claimed would make us better."
Xena's chin lifted. "The pills were truly meant to create a better version of humans," she defended.
Liam chuckled darkly. "Well, all they created were monsters. And those monsters are the reason the whole world went to shit."
Xena exhaled through her nose, closing her eyes briefly. "Yes. I'm aware of Earth's… current dilemma,"she said. Then a humorless chuckle slipped from her. "After all, we met at the hands of thugs who practically stabbed us both to death."
Liam didn't find it funny. He let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What are you doing here? And why did you merge a death machine with my soul?"
"First, it's not a machine," Xena retorted. "Second, I expect you to show a bit of gratitude to the girl who saved your life and dragged your unconscious ass home… twice."
Liam blinked, her words catching him off guard. Then his thoughts sharpened again. His brows furrowed, panic rising. "Wait… how did you even get into my house? Where's Lila?" His body tensed, already half rising from the bed.
Xena's voice turned calm, almost soothing. "Relax. Your sister's fine," she assured. "And how I got in doesn't matter. What matters is why we're both in this mess to begin with."
Liam stilled, still tense but listening.
Xena exhaled deeply, her gaze drifting away as if replaying years of history in her mind. "The rebellion that tore your world apart… it didn't just affect you. It affected my people as well," she began. "We put enormous resources into helping humanity ascend, and when your governments betrayed us… it was like watching decades of investment vanish in an instant. A loss beyond calculation. I'm sure you can imagine what that feels like."
Liam shook his head with a playful smirk. "No, not really. Trading's not exactly my strongest suit."
Xena's eyes narrowed, unimpressed by his joke. "Anyway," she continued. "To put it simply… we were broke. Our empire was drained of resources. Temporarily, of course." She added quickly, as though she couldn't bear the shame of the word. Then her voice sank. "But our enemies didn't wait for us to recuperate. They struck while we were weakened. And we lost even more."
Xena's voice cracked slightly. "We were going to lose the war. Our empire was on the brink of annihilation. It was either submit or die." Her hand clenched into a fist, trembling faintly. "So we hid. Like cowards."
"And we've been hiding ever since," she added. "But hiding couldn't last forever. We needed to fight back. And to do that, we needed a weapon. A trump card. Something to tip the scales of war."
She looked back at Liam, her eyes lingering. "And so… we created the Universal System. A tool forged from the essence of the universe itself. An ultimate weapon designed to grant its host unparalleled power."
Then she exhaled. "But just like with the awakening pill, the system wasn't compatible with a Vonite. Or any other specie for that matter. Except for one."
Liam's lips parted. "…Humans."
Xena chuckled darkly, nodding. "That's right. And once again, we were forced to rely on the very malevolent creatures that betrayed us," she muttered. "We were forced to resort to your kind."
Liam scoffed. "So let me get this straight… you decided to hand over an all-powerful weapon to a human. One of the same bastards that screwed you over the first time."
Xena inhaled sharply. "We had no choice. And make no mistake, we are not fools. Of course we don't trust your kind. Not anymore," she muttered sharply. "But we knew that even among the savage lot of you, there were still some that were pure-hearted and willing to do the right thing. Humans who were willing to change the state of the world."
Liam burst into laughter, shaking his head. "And you thought I was one of them?"
Xena tilted her head, lips curling into a smirk. "No. Not even close." She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "I see your thoughts, Liam. I see your desires. Your mind is clouded with hate. With vengeance." She paused, her voice firm. "And that's exactly the kind of host I need."
Liam froze, words failing him.
"My father told me to find a hero. A selfless fool who'd sacrifice himself to save others." She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "But I believe heroes are overrated. I wanted someone willing to sacrifice everything to protect those they hold dear. That is what we need to win a war."
Her tone grew sharper. "So I came to Earth. I studied your histories, your cultures, your habits, your strengths and flaws. And I began searching for a host as soon as possible." Her gaze locked with his. "Then I saw you."
"You think you found me that night, but I was the one who found you," she added. "I knew you wouldn't stand by and watch those men harass me… and not because you wanted to save me. But because you hated them. You hated what they represented. You hated what the world had become because of their actions."
Her voice softened, but her words cut deep. "And I knew, then… you were the one. The one who could change your broken world… and save mine. Because I could see it… beneath all that hate, Liam, you're still a good person."
Liam stared into her eyes, his voice low. "So you think I'm some semi-righteous anti-hero? That's why you forced the system into my soul?" he asked
Xena scoffed. "I didn't force the system on you, I chose you to wield it. If anything, you should be grateful… because I just gave you the chance to become powerful."
"Powerful?" Liam barked out a bitter laugh. "All I've seen from this system so far is a sex guide telling me I'll die if I don't get laid."
Xena chuckled… a muffled, amused sound that made Liam's jaw drop.
"Are you seriously laughing right now?" he snapped.
She shook her head, trying to stifle her grin. "No. It's just… no one forced you to pick the Lust System. You chose it yourself."
"No, I didn't." Liam's voice was sharp. "It was a mistake. I only said it out loud because I was curious. But the stupid system took it as my choice."
Xena tilted her head, pretending to believe. "Hm. I see." A chuckle slipped from her again.
"You don't believe me," Liam muttered.
"Oh, I do." Her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "But I'm not judging. Honestly, I'm even glad you picked it. Because out of the three, the lust system is the easiest path."
"What?" Liam's eyes narrowed.
She explained calmly, almost like a teacher. "The Hero System would demand things you're too weak to do. And the warlord system would ask you… to kill."
Liam's eyes widened. "What?! I don't wanna kill anyone."
"Which is why you should be grateful you selected the lust system by mistake. Because all you have to do is engage in lustful activities to get points," Xena said matter-of-factly. "See it like this… the more you have sex, the stronger you get."
Liam groaned, rubbing his temple. "Please don't say it like that."
"Why not?" Xena chuckled. "If there's one thing I've learned about humans, it's that you love indulging in fleshly pleasures."
"Well, I'm not like other humans." Liam retorted quickly.
Her smile faded. She nodded slightly. "Oh, right. You're a virgin."
The words cut him deeper than he wanted to admit. He laughed darkly. "And apparently, if I don't fix that soon, I'm going to die."
Xena's amusement vanished. Her m eyes softened. "Well… there's still time, right? Can't you just… go to one of those brothels out there? Get yourself a woman to lay with?"
Liam sighed heavily, shaking his head. "It's too late. Going out now is asking to get myself killed, or worse. And even if I did get to a brothel… I don't have the money."
A silence settled between them.
Xena's lips pressed into a line. "Oh…" For the first time, she looked… conflicted.
Liam sighed, panic gnawing at him from inside. He didn't know what else to do. The countdown to the end of his life was literally flashing in his eyes.
Xena was also in turmoil. Her gaze lingered on Liam, thoughts racing behind her eyes. The thread that had been tying her thoughts together started to fray. Liam was going to lose his life, and she would fail her mission. Neither outcome was acceptable.
She clenched her fist, whispering to herself. "I don't have a choice. I have to do it… for the sake of my people."Her decision was made.
She stepped closer, her voice low. "I… I have an idea."
Liam blinked, hope flickering through the panic. "What?" he asked desperately.
Xena hesitated, then exhaled. "The system doesn't specify that you lose your virginity to a human woman. So I was thinking…" she hesitated at first, then spoke. "…maybe I could be of assistance."
Liam's blood ran cold. His eyes widened, his breath catching. "What are you saying?" he asked, his heartbeat beating faster than normal. He knew exactly what she was saying. He just didn't want to believe it.
Xena's lips trembled faintly. Her sapphire eyes locked onto his as she whispered, "I'm saying…"
Her hands reached for the zipper of her jacket. With a smooth motion, she unzipped it and slipped it off her shoulders, revealing a black bra beneath.
Then, quicker than Liam's brain could process, she tugged at the zipper of her pants, letting them fall in a soft heap to the floor.
She stepped close enough that he could see the faint pulse at her throat, the unexpected warmth of her skin so near he felt its heat on his face.
"…Let's have sex."