Kyle stepped through the door of light and into a room that was a mixture between extravagant and cozy. The floors of the room were wooden and tapestries depicting what seemed to be different races lined the walls and hung from the ceiling as they shimmered with their own faint light, serving as decorations and lighting for the room they found themselves in.

A large area filled with tables lay before him while he could see cooks busy themselves further back, he was sure he saw an octopus preparing a creature that looked much like itself on a cutting board.

Yeah, I'm definitely staying away from whatever that is.

He put that thought into his brain folder labeled, 'important notices' as he continued to look around. He didn't see Freya as she once again disappeared even though he had walked through the door of light almost immediately after her but he once again just used magic as the reason for that happening.

A hand was placed on his shoulder just as he was about to see the foods that this alien world had to offer.

"Can you believe this guy? He gets a hot date and just forgets his friends, tsk tsk." Ethan said with a big smile etched across his face.

Kyle turned to see his friends who he'd seen sit not far from himself and Freya when they boarded the shuttle. They were practically boring holes into the back of his head as he was having his conversation with Freya.

"What are you even talking about, I even asked her if she had friends that would be interested in having a date with a very rare species of men." Kyle said in mock confusion.

"Holy shit! Really dude!?" Haji asked, his eyes sparkling.

"No." Kyle deadpanned. "If you hadn't noticed she's the biggest big shot that we know on this planet, are you insane?"

"I prefer the term desperate," Haji responded. "Besides, that didn't stop you from shooting your shot." He shot back.

"We need information," Kyle shrugged. "And if cozying up to an alien baddie with the say so and know how gets us that, I'd say it's a win-win situation."

"Yeah sure, out of the way will you, I've got my own hot date with that burger looking specimen over there." Ethan stared at one of the counters that had what seemed to be meat patties and stepped around Kyle with Haji, and Dami following him.

"You sure about this?" Malachi who stayed behind asked. "It's not that I don't agree with the idea, but we don't need you to do something like that if we're going to be trained here for 6 months anyway."

Kyle stayed silent for a few seconds to consider what he'd said before shaking his head lightly.

"Maybe before the shuttle ride I would have agreed, but she mentioned something that could help us all but especially me considering the skills I have."

"Hey, we'd have already graduated if we were back on earth, you can make your own decisions. Just make sure to keep it in your pants though, it'd be bad to get magic aids." Malachi bumped Kyle with his shoulder with a light chuckle before walking toward Dami and the others.

Kyle froze for just a second in shock before shaking his head and chuckling and following Malachi, or at least he was going to before his arm was grabbed by a pouting Freya.

"Magic aids is a bit harsh, I'm a maiden and those mundane diseases couldn't effect my race anyway." She said with a hurt expression.

Kyle winced after seeing her expression and he couldn't help but throw a glare toward Malachi, only to see that all of his friends were pointing and laughing at his predicament.

Those traitorous bastards knew!

With a final glare towards his betrayers he turned to Freya ready to pacify her, only to see that she was on the verge of exploding in laughter.

"This will never get old, your expressions are just rich." She said with a grin causing Kyle to release a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"Let's go, I know just the place for our date." She said as she pulled his arm.

Kyle finally got a good look at her as he was pulled along and noticed that she wasn't in her robes anymore and was dressed much like any other teen girl would dress.

She wore black pants and a long sleeved white blouse and everything that she had on, fit just right in all the right places. She wore shoes that looked much like all white low-top vans and some shades that sat on her head, ready for use.

He stopped admiring her as they once again passed through the door of light and back into the shuttle and took the first seat they saw since no one was there.

"I'd honestly thought that you couldn't look any better before you changed out of your robes." Kyle said as he got seated and looked to start a conversation.

"Hehehe, you just haven't seen any of my friends." She said with a mischievous smirk causing Kyle to smile wryly.

I guess she heard that part too. Kyle thought as he decided to not dodge the response and take it head on.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they looked good too, but it's a different story altogether if you say they looked better." He smirked.

"Hmph, glib tongue." she responded but didn't say much more.

The two continued their talk as the shuttle moved and soon came to their destination.

The door of light appeared once more and Kyle got up but took a step back to let Freya walk ahead.

"Lead the way fair maiden." Kyle jested.

"Why thank you, most courteous sir." she said in turn.

"Do nobles on Reles act in such a manner?" Kyle asked as they neared the door of light.

"It's not to the point where every protocol has a protocol on how to treat noblemen and royalty but they do speak and act like that. Especially knights." She said as she disappeared through the door.

Kyle followed close behind and stepped out into a lobby that was largely empty as he walked a bit faster to catch up to Freya who was a few paces ahead of him.

"It's a bit empty here despite the size of the tower." Kyle mused out loud.

"The tower has many uses along with its many names, but its greatest purpose is in case of Armageddon on Reles. If the planet were to be at risk of destruction we, at the tower would do what we can bringing at least 2 of every race in the world to the world tower before we set off to another planet in the universe." Freya said as she made a beeline for the massive doors.

Kyle stopped and stood rooted for a second before he caught back up to her and asked a question that would clear his mind enough to let it drop.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"The other name is The Ark, right?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, it seems that even this was documented in some form in your history as well." Freya smiled.

"Yes, and with religious zeal." Kyle said before thinking of the priestly attire that Freya wore before she changed. "Is that common here too? And also what was Noah supposed importance in all of this because his name was largely attached to the creation of it." He continued.

"I'll have to ask more about that some time. It was Noah's idea to create the world tower and there is a sense of worship for the system in many places on Reles, and the tower is at the forefront of that. Noah was particularly pious and the system appreciated his initiative and made him the first oracle officially at the towers completion." She explained.

Kyle let those revelations rattle around his brain as he thought about what other Myths, Legends, and Religions were rewritten and spread on earth as the years and centuries went by.

He was snatched out of his musings as light shone on him prompting him to raise his hand to shield his eyes so that they could adjust.

Kyle squinted his eyes and lowered his hand as he looked upon a city that could only be called, bustling. People of all races came and went in droves, some rode beast in the skies while others were on the ground walking or in what seemed to be cars if he wasn't mistaken. Roads were viewable from where he stood on top of massive stairs that moved like an escalator leading down to what seemed to be a sidewalk.

The city was massive, it stretched far into the distance and Kyle couldn't see the end of it. He took a deep breathe and released it and couldn't help but think that the air didn't seem to be contaminated by any industry, he'd once again just chalk that up to magic.

"It's amazing, right?" Freya said from beside him.

Kyle had to admit, amazing was an understatement. Aside from the views, what surprised him more was the sheer amount of different races he could see from where he stood.

"That and so much more. It's amazing that the atmosphere isn't full of tension or at least a feeling of discontent. Everyone is just...living." Kyle was at a loss for words.

On earth sure everyone went about their business and the cities were bustling and could rival this, but most of the people were moving with stress or something else weighing them down. What he was witnessing now was a far cry from that, everyone moved with a purpose, sure of what they would do today or even the rest of their lives.

Freya seemed to understand him despite his lackluster explanation.

"When your path is solidified on your soul like the system offers, all thats left is for you to dive in. A purpose that comes from the soul is hard to deny interest in." She said as she stepped onto the escalator, followed by Kyle.

They made it to the bottom of the stairs and Freya led the way while Kyle took in the views. Not that he was disappointed that he didn't get to experience a more fantasy like setting but he really couldn't believe that a world this advanced had magic. From his admittedly limited understanding, magic made hard things like construction, insanely simple and that should in turn make innovation take a back seat, or at least thats what he would expect.

That didn't exist on Reles, and he had asked Freya her views on the matter and the answer he got was simple. Races from other planets didn't always have magic and once they did and made their way into exploring the universe they at some point found Reles or a planet that knew about Reles and the information was passed along or brought directly to the Reles. This would always ensure that innovation held prominent importance to the inhabitants of Reles.

Kyle saw stores that followed the same format as those of earth and many other institutions he found familiar on their way to whatever their destination was.

After a couple more minutes of walking they reached their destination with Freya smiling as she turned to him and pointed to a sign on the building.

"We're here, your first meal on a new planet will be at my favorite tavern, The Yellow Rabbit." she proclaimed as she marched into the doors, and Kyle followed.

When he stepped into the tavern he was glad that it wasn't as dirty or uncivilized as the fantasy novels he'd read had said it would be.

"Hey, grumpy old man tell me that you've got a good table open for me." he heard Freya say as he stopped his inspection and turned his attention to her and who she was talking too.

"Come sit with us Freya, I've gotta' earn my money back from you anyway and I've been practicing." A fairly handsome man said from his table as his friends, two women and another man also seemed eager to gamble

"Sorry guys, I can't take your Midas's this time. I've got a hot date." Freya responded as she pointed a thumb towards Kyle who managed to show a wry smile at her antics.

What he didn't expect was that after her words not only did the enormous guy behind the counter turn to him, the people she was talking too, and everyone else who heard the conversation started appraising him like a slab of meat.

"He doesn't look like much." One of the women at the table with the guy said.

"You wound me." Kyle spared her a glance and said apathetically.

She raised an eyebrow at his reaction or rather his lack of reaction. Kyle wouldn't say that she was ugly but she definitely wasn't anything special herself so he settled on the joke while also making it clear that he wasn't amused. He could have said harsh words, but who knows if she'd shoot lighting from her fingers in retaliation, he wasn't going to find out.

"Play nice, he's going to be a household name in a few years, a man of great ambition." Freya linked her arm into his with a mishcevioius smile cutting her eye to Kyle.

Kyle shook his head at her antics for the umpteenth time.

"Your regular area is empty, you know where it is. Nancy will be by to take your order soon enough." Kyle turned to look at the man who Freya had called grumpy and old as he spoke from behind his bar while wiping a glass.

He was MASSIVE.

He stood around 6'8 and was practically exploding with muscles that betrayed his profession. He had black hair that was pulled back into a semi-long pony tail, and he had grey eyes that were piercing. All of this while dressed in a casual white shirt and black pants, that seemed to be the casual wear fashion on Reles from what he could tell.

"Thanks Beru, you big teddy bear." Freya said as she pulled him towards a corner where a booth was, only getting a grunt in response from the massive man whose name was revealed as Beru.

As he was dragged to the booth, Kyle took a look around seeing that the place had quite a bit of people but not enough to make it feel crowded, just the right amount that light conversations created an ambiance of constant low murmurs aside from the occasional shout or loud laughter.

He took his seat in the booth on the opposite side of Freya as he spoke.

"Well that wasn't the best first impression." he said.

"Don't mind Kris, she's just looking out for me. Not too unlike your friend." She said while raising an eyebrow and sitting a small crystal on a metal tray that sat in the center of the table that let up faintly as all noise faded except them.

"Fair point, also was that a sound barrier?" he both admitted and then asked a question.

"Yep, makes sure that our conversation is ours alone." she smiled.

Cool. Kyle thought.

"Is Beru's class seriously a tavern owner?" He couldn't help but ask.

Freya let out a laugh and answered.

"I won't tell you what his class is because that's private, but it's definitely not 'tavern owner'." she said.

"Now tell me about this Noah story." She asked.

He told her the story and while they were talking about it, Nancy, who looked to be a year or two older than himself came to take their order and he just let Freya choose for him and Nancy was back a few minutes later with their order that was identical to a burger and some fries. The fries were orange though the burger was much the same.

They continued like such telling stories, and asking each other questions about all manners of things, during this time Nancy came by a few times to take their orders or to refill a drink that was sweet but not overbearing and went down as smooth as water or juice so Kyle never bothered to ask what it was, practically downing the first and finishing a few after that before he started feeling like the world was moving around him even though he was sitting down.

"Do you think the others will adapt to this world as quickly as you have? The all seemed too frightened to process reality." Freya asked. Kyle approached his new world with a, "I will succeed" attitude that she hoped the others would adopt, for their sake and many others.

She wasn't expecting his next spiel though.

"Me adapting well? I'm fucking terrified." Kyle said as he stared into his tankard. His confident facade all but shattered as he looked at his reflection in the liquid that allowed him to relax enough to speak these words.

Freya's smile faltered as she stared at the boy who she thought was ready to grab the world by the collar just moments ago.

"I'm supposed to be graduating right now with my friends, taking pictures to send to my parents before throwing a party that'd definitely get me in trouble with my parents despite them being halfway around the world. Now I'm who knows how many light years and galaxies away from them with the choice to fight or die? I'm terrified because I know there's only one choice and I'm the worst of the batch of help that got pulled over." He continued.

His drunk words grated on Freya's ears because they were clearly sober thoughts, and she became increasingly conflicted on how they arrived.

"They'll be fine," Kyle suddenly said, "and I'll be even better." He lifted his head and looked at her with a lopsided smile that cut through the tension causing her to involuntarily sputter with laughter.

"After all, I'm a man of great ambitchin." Kyle said as he passed out, drifting off into a deep sleep as Freya regained her smile and looked at his slumbering form with a bit more understanding.

"Yes, I'm sure things will be just fine." She reached forward and ran her fingers gently through his hair before her eyes flashed and the stars within them dimmed significantly,