Chapter 1

"Sacrificed to save her family, Aeliana becomes the captive of Tharx—the galaxy's most feared ruler. In his icy fortress, she unravels his brutal empire's secrets and ignites a forbidden connection. As rebellion brews, their bond could shatter his throne... or forge a new dynasty."

Aeliana pulled her hair back, fastening the loose strands with a faded ribbon she had worn for years. The sun poured through the small window above the sink, casting a golden glow over the modest kitchen of her family's home. Dust particles floated lazily in the air, illuminated by the morning light. Outside, the cicadas buzzed, a familiar hum that had become a part of the rhythm of life in Willow Glen.

It was another day like so many others, yet Aeliana couldn't shake the unease that clung to her, an invisible weight pressing on her chest. She filled the sink with water, the warm stream washing over her hands, the sensation grounding her in a routine that was becoming more mechanical with each passing day. Life here remained slow, untouched by the chaos that gripped the world outside. But the news of alien invasions-cities overtaken, countries falling one after another-had turned the atmosphere brittle. The illusion of peace could shatter with the next breath.

Aeliana glanced out the window. The fields stretched as far as the eye could see, golden and green under the summer sun. They painted a picture of serenity, as if nothing had changed. In this quiet corner of the world, far from the devastation that had already consumed so many lives, it felt almost forgotten. Almost.

Her younger brother, Evan, raced past her with a toy spaceship clutched in his hand, making explosion sounds as he reenacted battles with invisible alien enemies. He was only eight, too young to fully grasp the gravity of what was happening around them. He lived in a world of imagination where he could fight the invaders and win. For a moment, Aeliana wished she could join him in that fantasy.

"Slow down, Evan," she called after him, though her voice lacked its usual warmth. The joy in her heart had dimmed with each passing day, each new rumor of another city gone.

Her mother, Lydia, entered the kitchen with an armful of laundry, her face drawn and tired. She had been up before dawn, as she often was, working through the chores with a quiet efficiency that Aeliana had come to recognize as a sign of deeper worry. Lydia used to hum while she worked, a soft tune that filled the house with warmth. Now, the only sound was the clatter of dishes and the creaking of old wood.

"Can you grab the milk before you head out to the store?" Lydia asked, her voice flat. She set the laundry down on the table and began folding with methodical precision.

Aeliana nodded, drying her hands. "Yeah, I'll grab it on my way." Her eyes flicked to the clock. She had another hour before her shift at Denny's General Store, where she had worked for the past three years. It was a small, unimpressive job, but in Willow Glen, there wasn't much else to do.

As she moved toward the fridge, her gaze shifted to the back window where her father, Marcus, was fixing the fence. He had become more obsessive about repairs lately, fixing things that didn't need fixing, as if by doing so he could somehow hold the world together. The fence had been perfectly fine yesterday, but there he was, hammering away at it like it was the only thing standing between their family and the horrors happening outside of town.

Aeliana knew why he did it. Marcus wasn't the type to express his fears with words, but his actions were louder than anything he could say. He had always been the steady presence in their family, the man who kept them together. But lately, even he had changed. There were moments when Aeliana caught him staring off into the distance, his jaw clenched, his eyes far away as if he were somewhere else-somewhere darker.

She grabbed the milk and set it on the counter, glancing toward her younger sister, Tara, who sat at the table with a half-hearted look at her phone. Tara was fifteen, old enough to understand that things were changing but still holding on to the hope that this was just another