My Ultimate OP System: Summoning All Dragons, Gods, Heroes & Villains

Right now, they were back in the living room. It had been a few minutes since Ethan told her about his demon side, and he had also confirmed he wasn’t pulling her legs about it.

The silence between them had stretched on for long enough that it was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"You’ve said nothing in almost ten minutes," Ethan finally said, breaking the quiet.

Isabella sighed and leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. "I just think you should have let me know sooner."

"Why? Would that have changed anything?" Ethan asked, his tone genuine rather than defensive.

"No." Isabella exhaled again, this time bringing one hand up to rub her forehead like she was trying to massage away a headache. "It’s just..."

Her voice trailed off into another pause.

Ethan waited for a few seconds before saying, "I’m going to need you to finish that sentence at some point."

Isabella dropped her hand from her forehead and lifted her head toward him, meeting his eyes. "Ethan, if you had mentioned it earlier, I guess I would have been more cautious bringing up your name or business with some other members of my family. My aunt and Ray."

Ethan looked at her for a second. "Okay?"

He assumed there was more to what Bella was trying to say, and he was right.

"Look, my father doesn’t exactly take well with that race," Isabella continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone now. "He alongside every other ruler or government on this continent have been anticipating and preparing for war against the demon continent for decades now. Ray only just returned from one of their scouting expeditions in fact."

Ethan’s eyebrows raised slightly at that revelation. "Okay... that does seem serious." He paused for a moment. "Why though? What’s driving all this preparation for war?"

Isabella then said. "No offense Ethan, but we all grew up knowing demons are the worst kind of savages, and left unchecked, they will attempt to expand into this continent as well."

Ethan tilted his head slightly, considering her words. "I don’t think that applies to everyone though. There’s Mr. Kieran who teaches at the academy, and so far I haven’t committed acts of savagery."

Isabella sighed, "Why does it feel like you’re not taking any of this seriously?"

Then she stood up from the couch in one abrupt motion and began pacing around the room.

"How do I even tell... no no..." She stopped, shaking her head as though arguing with herself. "Okay Ethan uhm... let’s do this, let’s never tell my brother, or my aunt or anyone else related to the Tudor family, that you’re part demon."

She turned back toward him, and there was visible concern on her face.

"Maybe nothing happens to you cause we all know the Starks," she continued. "But it complicates things for me as Tudor’s child, and the last thing I want is dear old King Carson giving me unsolicited attention."

Ethan watched her pace back and forth for another moment before he sighed and stood up from the couch as well.

He walked over to where she was moving and reached out, catching one of her hands to halt her frantic movements.

Then he pulled her closer toward him.

She came willingly, but her face was still turned away from him.

Ethan reached up with his free hand and held her jaw gently, guiding her face back toward his until their eyes met again.

"First off," he began with a small grin, "you’ve called me Ethan more times this morning than our whole time together."

Isabella’s expression broke slightly and a little smile appeared on her lips, then her face softened with remorse. "I’ll be honest babe, I get having a few secrets of your own, I just kinda wish you had told me earlier."

"I get it," Ethan said. "But you know now, so we good ey?"

She looked at him for a second, then her smile grew and she nodded. "Yeah, we’re good."

"And one more thing..." Ethan began. "Your brother knows."

Isabella’s eyes widened. "What?"

"Mhm hm." Ethan muttered with a confirming nod.

Right then, a few pieces clicked together in Isabella’s mind. A few days ago when Rayleigh had told her that Ethan wasn’t human.

"So that’s what it was about," she whispered to herself.

"What?" Ethan asked.

"Nothing really," Isabella said, refocusing on him. "I just realized, he hinted at that too."

She paused as another thought occurred to her. "But that’s strange, he didn’t tell me outright, and I don’t think he’s told my father about your demon nature either."

"What would happen if he does?" Ethan asked.

Isabella took a breath before answering. "Given your social standing, you’d most likely be summoned to the palace and be asked a few questions by Father himself. And once he confirms you are of no threat to the kingdom, he’ll let you walk free."

She paused, then added the more concerning part. "But if Ray mentions we are close, even as friends, my father would ask me to put an end to it."

"Would you?" He asked.

Isabella smiled at that. "Three out of the five wives he’s married to are not humans, so he doesn’t get to tell me who I should or should not be with."

"But the fact remains, he is the king, and disobeying him comes with really annoying consequences."

Ethan smiled at her answer. "Yeah."

"Oh and by the way," Isabella said, as though suddenly remembering something important, "Kieran works for my father. Kinda."

Ethan’s expression turned genuinely surprised. "For real?"

"Yeah," Isabella nodded, then her face took on a more worried look. "Hold on... I hope he isn’t aware you’re part demon? Cause if he is and hasn’t told my father yet, then it’s only a matter of time before he does."

Ethan shook his head. "I don’t think so, no."

"Okay okay," Isabella said, nodding with some level of relief.

Then she continued explaining, "Mr. Kieran came to this continent with one of the expedition teams a few years back, and he told Father so much about the demon continent. Lots of secrets and all of that. I don’t know so much of the details, but I do know that the next expedition had good results after using his information to their advantage."

Ethan thought of it for a moment. "I get the general idea but what do they actually do in these expeditions to the demon continent?"

"It depends," Bella began. "Sometimes, it’s an infiltration mission to gather intelligence. Sometimes it’s rescuing a human party stranded there. And very few times, it’s assassinations."

"Damn," Ethan said, genuinely taken aback by that last part.

Isabella nodded in confirmation, "but I don’t know the full details for most of these."

Then Ethan’s expression shifted as a thought occurred to him. He said quickly, "Don’t let Rayleigh know you’re aware of my demon hybrid part."

"Okay..." Isabella looked puzzled by the sudden request. "But why?"

"Short of it," Ethan explained, "he intends to speak to me about it at some point. I’m curious to know what this conversation would be about, what he wants to say. And I don’t want him changing his mind or doing something different should he find out that you already know."

Isabella nodded in understanding. "Alright babe. I won’t say anything to him."

Right then, a system notification appeared before Ethan’s vision, visible only to him:

[You have completed a self-imposed objective]

[Successfully confided in the Princess regarding your demon part: +6,000 XP]

[Experience Points Balance: 76,500]