"Are you guys ready?" Asher Eli asked, his voice tinged with determination as he prepared to make another attempt to reach the sky.
"Yes," Arlyne replied, her grip tightening on the massive humanoid armour she held in her hands.
"Then, Three...
Two...
One!!!" Eli counted down before launching himself into the dark expanse above.
"SSHHHHHHHH!!!"
Arlyne's hands bulged as she hurled the armour skyward, aiming for the sparkling portal looming overhead.
Eli followed the trajectory of the armour, his gaze fixed on the portal's shimmering surface.
'Spark, Spark'
But just as the armour was about to reach the portal, a bluish, sparkling light struck it, and...
"Spprttttt"
The armour disintegrated into countless particles, scattering across the sky.
'Sigh' Eli let out a heavy sigh as he descended back to the ground.
"So, what happened?" Pearl inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Even the bones shattered," Eli explained, shaking his head in frustration.
Hearing this, both Pearl and Arlyne grimaced, their hopes dashed once again.
It had been several days since they were trapped inside the dungeon, and despite their numerous attempts, they had been unable to breach the barrier imposed by the mysterious sparkling object that destroyed anything attempting to reach the portal.
Today, they had hoped that by enclosing a skeleton within the armour, they could test whether the unknown entity would destroy the contents as well. However, their plan had failed miserably, leaving them back at square one with no viable means of reaching the portal.
Thus..... their plan to send Eli first was halted.
"THUNDER!!"
The distant rumble of thunder signalled an approaching thunderstorm, prompting the trio to retreat to their makeshift shelter amidst the skeletal remains scattered about the cave.
"W-What?"The question caught Pearl off guard, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment. Before she could even respond, Eli interjected with a teasing tone,
"What do you think?"
Pearl turned towards Eli, her cheeks still flushed, and stammered, "W-What do you mean by that?"
"Hmm? It means...." Eli leaned in closer, a mischievous glint in his eye, preparing to whisper something when suddenly,
"Cough, Cough," Arlyne interrupted with a forced cough, her eyes darting between Eli and Pearl.
"What?" Eli tilted his head, a questioning expression on his face as he glanced at Arlyne, sensing her unease.
"Nothing," Arlyne shrugged her shoulders, feigning nonchalance as she turned her attention back to the dancing flames.
As she watched the flickering fire, her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to Eli, and she couldn't help but feel a flush of embarrassment as she caught him staring at her intently. She couldn't deny the butterflies fluttering in her stomach when he looked at her, no matter how much she tried to suppress them.
Arlyne wanted nothing more than to put Eli in the ground, just as he had done to her before..... But despite her frustration, she found herself unable to act on her impulses, especially after his teasing remark "You look cute when you're embarrassed!".... She couldn't pull herself to do anything.
Glancing over at Pearl, who was comfortably nestled against Eli, Arlyne couldn't suppress a pang of jealousy. It had only been yesterday that Pearl had asked Eli to let her sit between his legs like a child, and Eli had readily agreed, leaving Arlyne feeling left out.
"Pervert, don't you have wives?!" Arlyne muttered under her breath, her irritation mounting as she stewed in her own thoughts.
To make matters worse, after Eli finished healing Pearl's neck, Pearl remained close to him, basking in his warmth and care.... as if they were lovers or something.
If this wasn't dating, then what else could it be?!
After Eli finished healing Pearl's neck, he observed her still fuming with anger, though she remained nestled against him, unwilling to move away.
Eli, sensing her tense state, decided to break the tension by slowly wrapping his arms around her hips in a gentle embrace.
Pearl initially flinched, her eyes widening as they landed on Eli's warm hand encircling her waist. However, to Eli's surprise, she didn't recoil or express any sign of disgust as she had before. Instead, she remained still, her body gradually relaxing into his touch.... she didn't feel disgust unlike before.
"Hehe..." Eli couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at Pearl's reaction, finding amusement in the situation. Despite her initial reaction, Pearl seemed to be growing accustomed to his presence, which pleased Eli more than he cared to admit.
As the silence stretched on, Arlyne lifted her head to observe the scene before her,
"W-What are yo---" Before she could complain,
Continue your adventure at m|v-l'e -novelhall.net
"BOOMMM!!"
An explosion occurred outside.