James glanced at her while he tried to make her forget this incident and that video by kissing her softly.

"Yet you didn't tell me anything," she smiled after a long moment of kiss.

"Well," he cleared his throat before adding, "it's something I can't explain or tell anyone right away."

"A secret it is?" she laughed like a little girl before adding, "C'mon, am I not your most loved wife?"

'It's a tricky question,' he said to himself before hurriedly replying, "Sure, you are my babe, but this… it has a great impact on me, you, everyone. Can't tell, not now at least."

"Then when?"

"Dunno," he shrugged, "but I bet many things would happen and the time to tell you is near."

"I'll wait for that," she jumped off his lap before painting a soft kiss on his lips, "keep yourself healthy and sane my little loveable dragon. After all I have none in my life but you," she then left the deck while he glanced at the droid who leaked the video to her.

"I… I was just worried about you, my emperor," the droid tried to reason himself, yet James only sighed. "Continue monitoring everyth…ing! What the hell!!!" he was midway in his words yet he noticed that everyone was paused in his place.

"Not again!" he groaned, before turning around to add, "didn't you say we can speak a…" he paused midway when he saw that man coming towards him.

"Who are you?!!" he was shocked, "how did you come here? And how all of these…"

"Stop, I have no much time here to waste on explaining these things one by one," the man said as he stood in front of James while adding, "you have met her, don't you?"

"Met… who?" James tried to act innocent.

"Yes, you met her," the man said before adding, "I just came here and froze everyone. Tell me, what's my ability?"

"Is this some sort of a game?" James asked while glancing all around, "is she watching right now?" he whispered.

"No I froze her too," the stranger said, "now answer my question please."

James glanced at him for a moment before saying: "The chick was a place magician, so you should be a time manipulator or magician, right?"

"Bingo," the man smiled before James felt part of his soul being sucked away. "What the heck are you doing?!!" he shouted before the man smiled as he moved his hand to gather all the dissipating soul parts from James.

"I'm trying to clean you from her filthy touch," the stranger said and when he finished speaking, a ball appeared in front of the two.

"This is my soul! She did nothing… yet," James said in a rushed tone and aggressive manner.

"She did," the stranger said in a strong tone, "and you were manipulated by her just before she met you."

"I can't believe that!" James said in denial.

"C'mon," the man smiled before pointing towards the ball as he just touched it and the next moment the ball started to twitch like it was coming to life. Its surface kept changing and its color went from pure white to pitch darkness before it popped open like an egg and the most hideous monster James saw in his entire life appeared right now.

"What is that?!!" he pointed to it as it had half body resembling an old and dying dragon and a half of scorpion-like shape. "This…was inside me?" he was shocked yet he tried to take out his artifacts.

"Don't!" the stranger warned, "I sealed the place so even if your artifacts came, they will only harm themselves not me," he added while he just waved his hand towards this hideous monster and killed it like he was stamping on a cockroach.

"How did this thing appear inside my soul in the first place?" James was panicked when he saw a small image of him floating off his soul like a burnt dry grass in midsummer.

"I told you," the man smiled as he waved to make everything disappear, "she did this to you."

"How? When? Why?" James was agitated, yet the man seemed calmer than the moment he entered this place.

"She is a place witch, belonging to the darkest academy in the entire universe," the stranger explained slowly while he moved to glance over the hologram. "Pathetic retarded tech," he muttered as if he saw something that made him feel disgusted.

"What? She told me she was the good guy!" James ignored his attitude or remark as he asked.

"She lied," the stranger said, "we are the good guys," he pointed to himself while moving around.

Under the light coming from a nearby star, James managed to see clearly his face. He had dark skin with sharp looking eyes and broad chin. He seemed strong, much stronger than the chick he faced before.

"What makes me believe what you say?" James asked.

"What do you mean by that?" the stranger said, while pointing to the place where that strange creature just died, "I just saved your soul from continuous agony. She planted this before she met you, and now after saving your life you didn't even thank me?" the stranger pointed to himself while showing off his anger.

"C'mon," James said before adding, "what makes me believe it wasn't you who did this to me!" he directly asked, accusing him instead.

"Who? Me?!! Hahaha, that's hilarious," the man laughed before adding, "alright, let me tell you something important, this creature is called the Stringate, a nasty monster that can kill and torture any soul; only belonging to the dark academies."

"Like yourself," James nodded as if he was appreciating the man's honesty.

"Like hers!" the man corrected in a strong tone, "this creature needs time to absorb the host energy. Saw how it looked slightly similar to dragons? Noticed the wisp of soul stolen from your soul?" the stranger pointed towards the ground where the monster was killed.

James knew all that, but he couldn't yet believe the man. "Has she gotten to your head or still not?" the man suddenly asked and that question, the question the puzzled James all this time, made him glance weirdly at that stranger.

"Oho, she did that, hehehe," the man laughed as he was enjoying his time, "she loves toying with her prey," he added.

"Preys? I'm not a prey, she wanted me to join her academy," James argued.

"Buddy, from a man to a man, don't let a chick cloud your judgement," the man said while adding, "she hailed from the strongest dark academy ever, and she lives on eating the souls of people like you using her pets. C'mon, don't tell me she said how she was speaking directly in your mind, did she?"

James felt much puzzled and greatly panicked. "Tell me, forget about this light and dark bulls*t thing and just think about this; will you sit idle when your soul is tainted? Your very existence is in danger?"

James swallowed his throat before he retreated a couple of meters to the back. "What makes you a good guy then? Huh?" he asked, aggressively doubting everyone and everything.

"Nothing," the man smiled, "I came here to do a favor for an old friend of mine, someone that… you'll know on time," the man waved his hand like he was saying nothing important. "Just remember, if she doubted you removed the pet, she would easily plant another," he laughed before adding, "and I'm not going to stick around to babysit you, right?"

"You didn't answer my question!" James was fixed on him, yet the man just smiled while taking out a small pill.

"This is a fake pill, one that will make you fake being affected by her spell all the time. The severed link between you two will be restored, and that would be enough to protect you," he threw it all of a sudden and James hurried to catch. "Just swallow it, and if you are in danger it will inform me about it and I might come to save your as*."

The man smiled before he started to walk away. "Wait, won't you stick around like her?"

"Remember to swallow this pill before I vanish, or else she will regain her senses and will know you severed the link somehow and will interfere again."

James glanced at the pill before shouting back: "Why are you in a hurry? Won't you prove the truth of your words?"

"I just told you, I came for the favor of a friend, and I did what I needed to do. I didn't need to convince you, neither do I care. I have a war to attend right away, and staying here will only complicate things out there," the man said before turning and glancing at James, "I don't know why this friend said these great words about you, for me you are worthless pathetic human being that needs nothing but a slap on the face and be a lowly soldier on the battlefield, tsk."