Shortly afterward, a knock came on his door. Alex slowly turned his head and rose from his bed; the stiffness in his limbs attested to his prolonged meditation. The room seemed different now, somehow sharper, more defined. His senses felt heightened, almost painfully acute. The faint ticking of his clock, the distant hum of the city, the subtle scent of dust motes dancing in the sunlight—all were amplified, brought into stark relief.
He opened the door to see Mori and Kiara. Mori smiled warmly; Kiara, blushing, looked away. Alex's expression remained stoic.
"What do you want?" Alex asked calmly.
"Amelia asked us to get you because we're about to eat," Mori said, smiling.
Alex nodded. "Very well, lead the way," he said.
Mori and Kiara exchanged a quick glance before Mori led the way down the hallway. "Right this way!" Mori said, gesturing. "Amelia, Ina'nis, and Gura are already at the table, waiting for you."
Alex nodded, closed the door, and followed. Kiara, still slightly flushed, trailed behind, her gaze occasionally darting toward Alex. His expression remained stoic.
"Damn it, Mori…" Kiara thought, pouting. "This is my chance to be alone with him, and you decided to come along…"
While Mori and Kiara walked ahead, Alex followed, his heightened senses picking up the subtle sounds of their footsteps, the gentle creak of the floorboards, and the faintest whisper of their conversation. The air hummed with a low-level energy, a residual effect of his transformation, or perhaps something else entirely. He couldn't quite place it, but the feeling of being watched persisted.
As they reached the kitchen, the scent of food hit him full force. Amelia, Ina'nis, and Gura were setting the table. Upon seeing Kiara, Mori, and Alex enter, Gura greeted them with a wave. "Hey guys! Finally, you're here!" Gura called out.
As Amelia and Ina'nis turned, Amelia said, her voice calm and warm, "Alex! We were starting to think you weren't going to join us. We thought you'd fallen asleep."
Alex smirked. "Sorry if I kept you waiting," he said. "I was just relaxing in my room."
Amelia's calm demeanor didn't quite reach her eyes, which held a spark of something Alex couldn't quite decipher—concern? Relief? Perhaps a touch of both. Ina'nis, ever observant, paused her pancake battle with Gura, her gaze briefly settling on Alex before returning to her food with a subtle nod. Gura, oblivious to the undercurrents of tension, simply chirped, "Welcome, Alex!" and shoved another pancake into her mouth. Kiara, still blushing furiously, mumbled a quiet greeting, avoiding Alex's gaze. Only Mori seemed entirely unaffected, her warm smile unchanging as she pulled out a chair for Alex.
The meal was surprisingly normal, filled with the usual banter and playful teasing among the friends. Alex, however, remained largely silent, his heightened senses picking up on every nuance of their conversations, every shift in their body language. He listened intently, carefully observing the dynamics between the girls; a subtle tension underlay their easy camaraderie. He knew they were more than just friends; they were a team, each member possessing unique strengths and weaknesses. The weight of IRyS's words pressed heavily on him; the knowledge of the impending war was a constant, unwelcome presence at the edge of his consciousness.
A new energy crackled in the air, a sense of shared purpose transcending their individual backgrounds and abilities. The five girls had formed a new bond with Alex, united by their desire for answers, for justice, for a world where they could understand and fight together.
All five girls looked at Alex as he ate a large amount of food, stopping what they were doing. They seemed shocked by how much he ate, thinking he must be very hungry.
"Wow, you eat a lot…" Gura said with a chuckle.
Alex took a bite of his meat and swallowed it. "Yeah, sorry, my body requires a lot of protein…" He said stoically.
Amelia chuckled and spoke. "Yeah, I can see that, for a physique like that, I'm guessing it needs a lot of protein."
"Yeah…" Kiara giggled and smiled mysteriously. "I wonder where all that protein went…" She said, looking boldly at Alex's muscular physique beneath his turtleneck.
The unspoken question hung in the air, thick with unspoken implications. Alex, despite his stoic exterior, felt a blush creep up his neck. He cleared his throat, a low rumble in his chest. "It… fuels my training," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact. He could feel the collective gaze of the five girls on him, a mixture of amusement, curiosity, and something else… something harder to define.
Ina'nis, ever practical, broke the charged silence. "More pancakes?" she offered, gesturing towards the nearly depleted stack. Her tone was light, but her eyes held a knowing glint.
Gura, still happily oblivious, enthusiastically agreed. "More pancakes for everyone!" she chirped, already reaching for another. The tension eased slightly, replaced by the comfortable rhythm of their usual playful interactions.
The conversation shifted to lighter topics – the upcoming stream, a new game they were all eager to play, a silly inside joke only they understood. Alex participated more freely now, the initial awkwardness fading as the warmth of their friendship enveloped him. He found himself laughing at Gura's antics, exchanging witty remarks with Amelia, and even sharing a brief, shy smile with Kiara, who still occasionally glanced at him with a mixture of boldness and shyness.
The playful teasing subsided, replaced by a comfortable silence punctuated by the clinking of cutlery and the satisfied sighs of full stomachs. Alex, despite his heightened senses, felt a surprising sense of peace. He'd been bracing himself for suspicion, for questions about his newfound abilities, but the girls seemed content to simply enjoy the meal and each other's company.
"So, Alex," Gura said, breaking the silence, her voice full of curiosity. "How's life in the monastery?"
Alex didn't hesitate. "Unforgiving," he said stoically.
The five girls were confused. "What do you mean…?" Mori asked.
Alex sighed, calmly placing his spoon and fork on his plate. "At first, in the monastery, my brothers—taken from their parents as children—were raised and trained as warrior monks. I was different; I was already in the monastery as a baby," Alex explained, reminding them of his earlier comments at Kiara's restaurant about being sent to Earth as a baby and landing in the monastery's holy grounds, where he was raised by the Forsaken monks.
He continued, "We trained from birth. Our lives revolved around discipline, duty, battle, and death. Life was grim; we greeted it grimly. We fought for food or starved. Our masters beat us mercilessly for even skipping training. At night, they left us outside, naked, to fend for ourselves against wild animals. We trained our minds, bodies, and spirits daily, enduring hellish, unforgiving training without breaks. The only respite was sleep. We trained our minds through academic and battle strategies; we trained our bodies through hellish training, such as pushing and pulling boulders and trying to lift and push construction carts carrying pails of rocks, the size of cement bags. We trained our spirits through meditation, and we also trained in martial arts to learn discipline. That's the Forsaken monks' mind, body, and spirit training," he explained.
"But as we grew up, our training methods changed. Our training focused more on improving our martial arts to maintain our discipline. We might be warriors, but our warrior side was secondary, as we focused more on peace and harmony through meditation training. Even though we were machines of war, there was also humanity within us. We learned humility, respect, and honor… That's how Forsaken monks are made." Alex finally finished explaining his life in the monastery.
A heavy silence descended upon the kitchen, broken only by the gentle clinking of cutlery. The girls absorbed Alex's story; the casual cruelty of his upbringing was a stark contrast to their own relatively sheltered lives. Ina'nis, usually gentle and soft-spoken, was unusually quiet, her eyes fixed on her plate. Amelia, though energetic and playful, subtly tightened her grip on her fork. Even Gura, usually cheerful and somewhat clumsy, seemed subdued, her usual cheer replaced by thoughtful quietude. Even Kiara, usually energetic and bubbly, couldn't help but feel saddened by Alex's life experience. Only Mori, who usually maintained her composure, now wore an expression of sympathy and determination, her face turning serious.
"That's...so brutal. I can't imagine someone having to experience a life like that…" Amelia said sympathetically, her voice thick with emotion.
Alex looked down at his half-eaten plate; his stoic demeanor didn't waver. The warmth of their empathy, the silent acceptance of his story, was a balm to his hardened heart. For the first time since leaving the monastery, he felt a sense of belonging, a connection to people who understood, even if they couldn't fully comprehend.
"It wasn't all bad," Alex said, his expression unchanged. "The training I endured in the monastery made me strong. It taught me discipline, honor, and resilience…things I wouldn't trade for anything." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "And even though my brothers and I lived that harsh life, there were moments of brotherhood—small acts of compassion that showed us there was still good in us, even amidst that brutal environment."
Alex recounted a few brief anecdotes: a shared piece of bread with fellow monks on a particularly hungry day, a whispered word of encouragement from an elder during an especially grueling training session, the quiet solidarity they found in shared suffering. These small acts of kindness, like scattered stars in a vast, dark sky, illuminated the stark reality of his past, offering glimpses of humanity even in the unforgiving landscape of the monastery.
However, Gura, who had remained quiet until now, couldn't help but feel angry at what Alex had endured. She knew they had only recently met Alex, but that didn't negate the fact that the five of them were becoming close to him. She stood up, slammed her hand on the table, and said, "But that's so horrible! No child should experience that type of life!" Her expression was angry.
Alex didn't respond; he only looked down at his half-eaten plate. He knew Gura was right—no child should ever experience that kind of life. His stoic expression remained unchanged.
Gura continued, "I know we just met you, Alex, and I know we don't have the right to dictate your life choices, but that life in the monastery…it was horrendous."
Alex sighed softly and said, "I agree. The life in the monastery was horrendous. But, as I said, I wouldn't be who I am if I hadn't experienced that life. It made me the honorable warrior I am today. So I don't regret a bit of what I experienced in the monastery…" He said this calmly, his stoic expression unchanged, his eyes closed.
"What about love?" Kiara asked, her voice filled with intrigue, a mischievous smile on her face. "Did you ever find anyone special in your travels? Someone to share your life with?"
Alex shook his head, his expression still stoic. "No," he said. "A Forsaken monk isn't allowed to form a relationship unless dismissed from the monastery. We can't have girlfriends."
"Not allowed?" Mori raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with disbelief. "That seems a little unfair, don't you think? You and your brothers aren't robots. You're people. You deserve to have someone special in your life."
"It's a rule of our order," Alex explained. "A rule designed to keep us focused on our training and mission. Love and relationships are seen as distractions and obstacles that hinder our growth and development."
"But what about personal happiness?" Amelia asked, her voice filled with concern. "Isn't there a balance between duty and personal fulfillment?"
Alex's expression remained stoic. "Dying with honor on the battlefield was considered the most glorious death for a Forsaken monk. That's what it meant to be one—a warrior of honor and pride."
Ina'nis, ever the pragmatist, spoke quietly, "But surely, even warriors need moments of peace, moments of connection. To deny that entirely seems…inhuman."
"We did find our peace," Alex said stoically. "When not deployed on the battlefield to fight the Hunters Blade Shinobi, or hired by other nations, we spent our lives training and meditating to achieve peace and enlightenment…as I said earlier, our warrior side was secondary, but that doesn't mean we weren't allowed to engage in combat. The Forsaken monks are not just a brotherhood but also military warriors. We are only allowed to fight when defending our monastery, deployed on the battlefield, or hired as mercenaries by other nations."
The girls listened carefully, remembering Amelia's earlier account at Kiara's restaurant—that the Forsaken monks trained like Spartans, and their conflicts with the Hunters Blade Shinobi, gleaned from online documents as part of her detective work.
A comfortable silence settled over the kitchen, the weight of Alex's story hanging heavy in the air. Each girl processed the information in her own way. Ina'nis, ever practical, began clearing the remaining dishes, a quiet hum of activity filling the space. Amelia, ever observant, watched Alex with a thoughtful expression. Gura, still simmering with righteous anger, quietly chewed on a piece of leftover pancake, her usual boisterous energy replaced by thoughtful quietude. Kiara, her earlier mischievousness gone, watched Alex with a mixture of concern and admiration. Only Mori seemed unaffected, her usual calm demeanor unwavering as she refilled her glass with water.
"So," Mori said, breaking the silence, her voice soft yet firm, "the Hunters Blade Shinobi…what are they?"
Alex hesitated, then began to explain. "They are assassins—elite warriors, trained from childhood, much like us, but their methods are far more brutal. They are ruthless, efficient, and operate in the shadows, their motives often shrouded in mystery. Our conflicts with them were infrequent, but always deadly."
Alex continued, "The Hunters Blade Shinobi were our opposites. Unlike us, the Forsaken monks, who adhere to a moral code, they had none. While we fought with honor, glory, and justice, they fought with dishonor, disgrace, and injustice. They laughed at our code, dismissing our values as nonsense, claiming we shouldn't pray to a God who wouldn't protect or lead us to enlightenment." His stoic expression deepened into a frown; he remained looking down at his plate.
Alex paused, letting the weight of his words hang in the air. The girls exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. They had heard tales of ruthless assassins before, but Alex's description painted a far more chilling, far more personal picture.
"They were…relentless," Alex finally said, his voice low and gravelly. "They didn't fight for glory or honor. They fought for power, for profit, for the sheer thrill of the kill. There was no code, no mercy. It was…a brutal dance of death, every encounter a struggle for survival."
Amelia, ever inquisitive, leaned forward. "But why? What was their ultimate goal? What were they fighting for?"
Alex shrugged, weariness evident in his posture. "They wanted to destroy our values and beliefs. They wanted to convince us that the God we prayed to was a fraud. That was their entire motive."
A long silence followed Alex's explanation, the weight of his words settling heavily upon the group. The casual atmosphere of the kitchen had vanished, replaced by a somber reflection on the brutal reality of Alex's past. Ina'nis, her hands still clasped around a now-empty mug, stared thoughtfully into the distance. Gura, her anger having subsided into a quiet grimness, looked at Alex with newfound respect. Even Mori, her usual impassivity cracked slightly, showed a flicker of empathy in her eyes. Only Kiara seemed to be struggling, her usual playful demeanor replaced by a deep furrow in her brow.
Finally, Kiara spoke, her voice barely a whisper, "So...they were essentially nihilistic?"
Alex nodded slowly. "In a way, yes. They didn't believe in anything beyond their own power and desires. They saw our faith, our dedication to a higher purpose, as weakness. They reveled in chaos and destruction."
Amelia, ever the strategist, asked, "Did you ever try to understand them? To find a common ground, even a sliver of understanding?"
Alex shook his head, a faint sadness clouding his stoic demeanor. "We tried. We offered them peace, even offered to help them find some purpose beyond the violence. But they laughed in our faces, spitting on the very ideals we held dear. There was nothing we could do to reach them; their hearts had become as hardened and unforgiving as the weapons they wielded."
"I have a question, Alex," Gura said, still unclear about the Forsaken monks and Hunters Blade Shinobi.
"What is it?" Alex replied, his expression stoic.
"Who were the nations that hired you? Powerful nations? Wealthy kingdoms?" Gura asked.
Alex leaned back, a faraway look in his eyes. "Both, and more. But most often, it was smaller kingdoms or nations that couldn't afford a standing army but needed protection from rivals. Sometimes, it was powerful nations vying for control of a region."
"But why would rich and powerful nations hire you guys? It makes sense for poor and weak kingdoms, but why them?" Gura asked; the other three girls nodded in agreement.
Alex didn't hesitate. "Because we Forsaken monks are super-powered soldiers, masters of Ki. A single Forsaken monk could eliminate a nation, regardless of its power. Our Ki mastery gives us that power," he explained. The girls recalled Alex's earlier fight against the Xenomorph in the city.
Alex continued, "Our Ki abilities allow us to fly, rivaling fighter jets. We can fire Ki blasts and unleash Ki beams, rendering their guns, tanks, battleships, and nuclear weapons inferior." He explained the reason for the nations' interest in hiring them.
Hearing this, Gura stood up, her eyes wide. "I was right! You can fly, I knew it!"
"Of course I can fly. Why do you say that?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because someone here told me you were using levitation," Gura said, looking at Amelia, who had witnessed Alex floating in the air, looking down at the Xenomorph. Gura mimicked Amelia's earlier statement in a mocking tone: "'He's not flying,' 'He's using a form of levitation ability.'"
Amelia blushed, looking at Gura and saying, with an angry expression, "Hey, I was just guessing, okay, Gura? I didn't know Alex could actually fly!" She pouted.
The tension in the room, momentarily broken by Gura's playful mockery and Amelia's defensive outburst, quickly dissipated. A shared chuckle rippled through the group, easing the weight of Alex's earlier revelations. Kiara and Ina'nis giggled at Amelia and Gura's exchange, while Mori simply sighed.
Alex, surprised by their interaction, turned to Mori, Kiara, and Ina'nis and asked, "Are they always like this...?"
Mori chuckled, a rare, warm sound that softened her usually composed demeanor. "Gura and Amelia… they're… a unique pair. They have their moments, but they're good friends. Don't let their antics fool you; they have a strong bond."
Kiara, still giggling, added, "Yeah, they're like fire and ice. Always bickering, but fiercely loyal to each other."
Ina'nis, ever practical, simply nodded in agreement. "They balance each other out, in a way. Gura's impulsiveness is tempered by Amelia's careful planning, and Amelia's sometimes rigid approach is softened by Gura's spontaneity."
Alex, looking back at Gura and Amelia, said calmly, "I see…"
Mori turned to Alex. "So, what other training did you Forsaken monks do, besides mind, body, and spirit?" she asked, wanting to know more about their training.
Kiara and Ina'nis, also wanting to know, leaned closer. Gura and Amelia stopped arguing and also listened.
Alex continued calmly. "Well, besides the training of mind, body, and spirit, we also trained ourselves to be immune to a woman's physical touch…" He said calmly.
A stunned silence fell over the group. The casual atmosphere evaporated, replaced by a mixture of disbelief and… something else. A strange mixture of shock and a hint of… intrigue?
Kiara's jaw dropped. "Immune to a woman's touch? Seriously?" she finally managed to gasp, her playful demeanor completely gone.
Gura, ever the pragmatist, leaned forward, her eyes narrowed in curiosity. "What do you mean, 'immune'?"
Alex sighed, rubbing his temples. Explaining this was going to be… difficult. "It wasn't complete immunity, more like… a resistance. A very high level of resistance. Years of rigorous meditation, combined with specific exercises and techniques, allowed us to control our physical and emotional responses to outside stimuli. Part of that training involved suppressing responses to physical touch, especially from women."
"Why women?" Amelia asked, her voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
"It was part of our training to cultivate discipline and focus," Alex explained carefully. "We were taught that physical intimacy could be a distraction, a weakness that could be exploited by enemies. The training wasn't about rejecting women or viewing them as lesser, but about honing our control over our bodies and minds to resist manipulation and maintain our unwavering focus."
The silence that followed hung heavily, punctuated only by the soft rustle of Kiara's dress as she shifted. The gravity of his words sank in: immunity to physical contact from women...it sounded almost mythical, a skill honed in the crucible of some ancient, brutal training regime.
Ina'nis, ever the voice of reason, broke the silence. "So, essentially, it's a form of self-defense against a specific type of attack?"
Alex shook his head. "Not exactly; it's more about resisting manipulation through seduction. It's about refusing to be persuaded or coerced into doing something against one's will by attractive or persuasive means. It's also about self-discipline to avoid addiction to such things." He took a bite of his pancake.
Amelia, ever the observer, spoke up, her voice quiet but sharp. "So, it's about controlling your desires and resisting manipulation, regardless of the source's attractiveness?"
Alex nodded slowly. "Exactly. It's about managing your desires and maintaining self-control, trying to remain calm in such situations. It's a constant, lifelong process of self-awareness and discipline." He paused. "It's not about denying attraction, but about controlling how it affects your actions and decisions. It's about recognizing manipulation, even when it's cloaked in charm or allure."
Kiara tilted her head. "So, essentially, it's about mental fortitude, honed through rigorous self-control and awareness?"
Alex nodded again. "Yes, and it requires constant vigilance. One slip-up can have dire consequences. The training wasn't just about resisting seduction; it was about maintaining self-control in all aspects of life. A lapse in judgment, even in a seemingly insignificant situation, could be exploited."
Ina'nis asked, "What kind of training methods did you use?"
Alex hesitated, reluctant to detail the methods, especially given his audience. He felt it inappropriate to discuss certain aspects. He could only say, "It involved intense meditation, rigorous physical training to build mental resilience, and… let's just say certain… exercises designed to test your resolve under pressure. Some of it was… unpleasant, to say the least." He shuddered slightly.
The girls noticed Alex's hesitation. "What's wrong? You seem hesitant to tell us the full detail," Mori said calmly.
Alex sighed. "It's not a good topic to be discussed around you all," he said with a stoic expression.
Kiara smiled mischievously. "Oh, what's wrong? Are you embarrassed to tell us?"
"It's not that I'm embarrassed; it's not a topic to discuss in the presence of women," Alex said, his expression unchanged.
Mori, intrigued, pressed further. "If it's not about embarrassment, then what is it? Is it something...dangerous? Something you're not supposed to talk about?"
Alex remained silent for a long moment, then said, "Tell me, how would you five feel if you were discussing your bodies while a man was listening? What would you feel?" His expression turned serious.
The question hung in the air. The five women exchanged glances, a mixture of surprise, discomfort, and understanding passing between them. Kiara was the first to respond. "Well, it would be incredibly uncomfortable, to say the least. It would feel like a violation of privacy, a breach of trust."
Alex nodded slowly, a grim expression settling on his face. "Exactly. That's why I can't go into detail about the training methods. It's not something that's meant to be discussed in the presence of women, for the very same reasons you've just articulated. It involves situations that would make you profoundly uncomfortable to hear, involving intimate details and power dynamics that would be deeply inappropriate to share." He paused. "It is a very delicate matter that goes beyond simple embarrassment. However, if I were in the presence of men, I would gladly explain the full details of the training method."
The women sat in thoughtful silence. Ina'nis broke the silence. "So, we understand. We won't press you for details. But," she added, "this raises another question. If this training is so… sensitive, so potentially violating, why are you even telling us this much?"
Alex replied, his expression stoic, "So you five will understand the kind of training we underwent at the monastery."
A comfortable silence settled over the group. They each understood the profound significance of what he'd shared and the careful balancing act required in the aftermath of such intense experiences. Each of the women began to develop a neutral respect for Alex. They found him not only attractive but also well-mannered and disciplined, different from any man they had previously met. Although they disliked his austere lifestyle in the monastery and the brutal training he endured, his immunity to physical contact, especially from women, intrigued and saddened them, even Kiara, who was developing a crush on him.
This meant they couldn't easily make him fall in love with them, even as they were already falling for him. Gura was starting to like Alex, not just for his looks but for his discipline. Ina'nis felt more comfortable around him. Amelia also began to respect Alex more. Mori found Alex extremely captivating. And Kiara, not only falling for him, also increasingly respected him. Even knowing Alex was immune to physical contact, she still wanted to test it herself.
"So, let me get this straight… you're immune to physical contact from a woman, right?" Kiara said mischievously.
Alex nodded. "Yes, I am."
Kiara continued boldly, "So if I pressed myself against you and got… intimate, you wouldn't feel a thing, not even get aroused?" Her mischievous expression remained unchanged. The four other girls blushed. Alex frowned, anticipating Kiara's forwardness.
Alex sighed. "Yes…"
Kiara's boldness, while shocking, didn't entirely surprise Alex. He'd encountered similar directness during his solitary journey, though usually from women who wanted to test his resolve in far less pleasant ways. Due to his immunity, he simply ignored their lustful gazes; he wasn't interested.
Mori, blushing furiously, said, "Kiara, what the heck? Why did you have to say that?"
"What, what's wrong with what I said? I was just clarifying if he indeed is immune to physical contact," Kiara said, her mischievous expression unchanged.
Ina'nis, still blushing furiously, responded, "Yeah, but you could have said it less… explicitly."
"Oh, come on, I'm just being honest here," Kiara said. "And besides, I'm pretty sure you guys wanted to test his immunity out, right?" Her mischievous expression remained unchanged.
The other four girls, still blushing, nodded in hesitant agreement. The air crackled with awkwardness and suppressed excitement. The unspoken question hung in the air: would Kiara actually try?
Alex remained impassive. He'd faced far worse during his training; Kiara's boldness didn't faze him. He'd learned to compartmentalize, to separate his physical experiences from his emotional responses. The monastery had honed that skill to a razor's edge.
"So," Kiara continued, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "does that mean… you've never experienced… physical intimacy?"
Alex, his expression serious, replied directly, "No."
"Well," Kiara said, a gleam in her eye, "I suppose we'll just have to see, won't we?" She stood, her movement graceful despite her sudden intent. She moved toward Alex, her eyes fixed on his. Alex met her gaze, his stoic expression turning serious.
The four girls watched, a mixture of apprehension and morbid curiosity etched on their faces. Gura gasped, Ina'nis held her breath, Amelia stared in stunned silence, and Mori covered her mouth, her eyes wide.
Kiara reached Alex, her hand brushing his arm. She sat on his lap, leaning in close. She put both arms on his shoulders, her breath ghosting across his cheek. She pressed herself against him, her body subtly emphasizing her curves. She remained there for a long moment, both she and Alex staring at each other—Kiara's mischievous expression unchanged, Alex's serious expression unwavering. Her eyes searched his face for any reaction, any flicker of emotion or sensation.
Alex remained still. His expression didn't change; not even a muscle twitched. He didn't flinch, didn't react, and didn't even breathe differently. His calm demeanor, in the face of such blatant provocation, was both unsettling and strangely compelling.
The four other women remained frozen, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief. Finally, Gura broke the silence, her voice trembling slightly, "He… he didn't react at all."
Ina'nis nodded, her eyes wide. "Not a single flicker. It's… unbelievable."
Amelia, still speechless, stared at Alex as if trying to decipher some hidden code in his unwavering expression. Mori, her hand still covering her mouth, finally managed a shaky breath, "I… I don't know what to think."
Kiara and Alex were looking each other in the eyes—Alex with a stoic expression, Kiara with a mischievous smile. But little did Alex know, Kiara was the one getting aroused.
Kiara, looking at Alex, still smiled mischievously, but a blush was starting to form on her cheeks.
"What the hell, why is this turning me on so much? I was only supposed to tease him, to test him. But instead, I'm the one feeling aroused…" Kiara thought to herself.
Kiara, surprised by her own unexpected arousal, slowly pulled back from Alex, her blush deepening. The mischievous glint in her eyes was replaced by a look of bewildered confusion. She hadn't expected this reaction at all. The experiment, intended purely as a test of Alex's immunity, had backfired spectacularly.
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken emotions—surprise, confusion, and a touch of something else. The other four girls watched, their initial shock slowly giving way to a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
Gura, ever the pragmatic one, was the first to speak. "Well, that's… certainly unexpected," she said, a slight chuckle escaping her lips.
Ina'nis, still slightly breathless, nodded in agreement. "I… I guess Kiara's immunity test backfired," she said, a playful smile spreading across her face.
Amelia, finally finding her voice, added, "It seems the only one affected by the… proximity… was Kiara herself." A giggle followed her words.
Mori, her hand still hovering near her mouth, let out a relieved sigh. "I… I thought something might go wrong," she confessed, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Kiara, still slightly flustered, stammered, "I… I didn't expect that. I mean, I knew he was immune, but… this is different. I'm the one who's… well…" She trailed off, unable to articulate her unexpected feelings.
Alex, who had remained utterly impassive throughout the entire episode, finally spoke. His voice was calm, even, lacking any trace of amusement or surprise. "It appears my immunity is not absolute," he said, a slight hint of curiosity coloring his tone. "It only affects my physical sensations, not the reactions of others."
This statement hung in the air for a moment before the weight of its implications sank in. The girls exchanged surprised glances. They had been so focused on Alex's immunity, they hadn't considered that his unique condition could still affect them in ways they hadn't anticipated.
Kiara, now completely at ease, let out a hearty laugh. "So, it's like… a reverse effect?" she said, her initial embarrassment replaced by amusement. "My attempt to test his immunity ended up testing mine instead. How ironic."
The awkwardness had completely dissipated, replaced by a shared sense of wonder and laughter. The initial tension was gone, replaced by an unexpected camaraderie.
Alex, sensing the change in atmosphere, spoke for the first time since Kiara had sat on his lap. "I… apologize if my… lack of reaction caused any… inconvenience," he said, his tone formal and somewhat awkward. He didn't understand the nuances of the situation, but he sensed he had unintentionally caused discomfort.
Kiara, still slightly flustered, offered a small smile. "It's… alright," she said, her voice softer than usual. "It was… an experiment. A rather unexpected one, I admit." She paused, considering her words carefully. "Perhaps… we all learned something today."
"Well," Gura said, grinning, "that was certainly an… interesting experiment."
Kiara shrugged, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Well, that answers that question. I can't believe you didn't react. You really don't find me that attractive." Her eyes, however, still held a hint of disappointment, though it was quickly masked by a renewed spark of mischief. "But," she added, a glint in her eyes, "that doesn't mean we can't try other things. There's more to intimacy than just physical touch, isn't there?"
A slow grin spread across Mori's face. "She's got a point," she said, a mischievous glint mirroring Kiara's. Amelia, ever cautious, looked from Kiara to Alex, then back to Kiara. "Are you… sure about this?"
Kiara winked. "Absolutely. Consider this… phase one of Operation: Win Alex's Heart. Besides, we're not going to let this good-looking guy deny us, right girls?"
Gura, still slightly shell-shocked, managed a shaky laugh. "I'm… not sure I'm ready for phase two," she confessed, but there was no fear in her voice, only slight trepidation.
After what felt like an eternity, Kiara slowly pulled back, a look of fascination and disappointment crossing her face. The test was over, and the results were clear: Alex's immunity was absolute.
A heavy silence fell over the group, broken only by Mori's shaky sigh. The already tense atmosphere now held a new element—a strange mix of respect, admiration, and awe. They had witnessed firsthand the depth of Alex's discipline, forged in a brutal and secretive training regime. This only made him more intriguing.
To be continued.