Chapter 8

The days blurred together, each one as gray and cold as the one before. Aeliana had lost track of time in Tharx's fortress, the oppressive silence of the place making it feel like time itself had slowed. The fortress was vast, but no matter how far she ventured, it always felt like a prison. Each corridor was a winding maze of alien architecture, twisting stone and metal that pulsed with faint light, as if the walls themselves were alive.

Her room-if it could be called that-was comfortable enough. The alien bed, with its strange, organic texture, had grown familiar beneath her weight. The window provided a view of the alien city below, but even that had lost its allure. The dark, jagged skyline, dotted with faint green and purple lights, seemed to stretch on endlessly, its alien structures looming over her like silent sentinels. There were no signs of life, no comforting bustle of human activity-just the occasional flicker of movement from the distant towers.

Aeliana had spent hours staring out that window, trying to piece together what her new life would be. But the more she tried to understand this world, the more alien it felt. She was isolated, cut off from everything she had known, and every interaction she had with the world outside her room reminded her that she didn't belong here. She was alone, a stranger in a place that wasn't hers, among creatures who saw her as nothing more than a tool, or worse, a threat.

Her contact with King Tharx had been minimal since their first encounter. He hadn't visited her since the day she arrived on his homeworld. In fact, she rarely saw him at all. It was as though he had forgotten her existence, leaving her to rot in this cold fortress, her only company the occasional guard or servant who came to bring her food or supplies.

Yet, despite his absence, Tharx's presence loomed over everything. Aeliana knew that it was by his command that she was here, kept in relative safety while the world outside shifted and moved. Her needs were met-she had food, shelter, and clothing-but it all felt like an empty gesture. She was still a prisoner, and the thin veneer of comfort did little to mask the chains that bound her.

The fortress itself was a place of cold efficiency. Every hallway, every chamber, every door seemed designed to impose a sense of order, of control. The guards who patrolled the halls were as cold and silent as the walls around them, their armor gleaming black under the dim light, their faces hidden behind masks. They never spoke to her. They never even looked at her directly. It was as if she were invisible to them, just another object in the king's collection.

Occasionally, Aeliana would catch glimpses of the alien court. She would hear murmurs of conversation in the corridors, voices raised in discussion about politics or military matters she didn't understand. The few times she had ventured beyond the confines of her room, she had felt the weight of their gazes-curious, hostile, calculating. The aliens who served Tharx viewed her with suspicion, their glowing eyes following her every movement, as though she were something dangerous, something that didn't belong.

And perhaps they were right. Aeliana didn't belong here. She was human, and in their world, that made her a threat-an anomaly in the order they had created. It didn't help that Tharx himself seemed to be avoiding her. For all his talk of possession and protection, he had kept his distance, leaving her to navigate this cold, hostile environment on her own.

The more time passed, the more Aeliana began to wonder if Tharx regretted keeping her alive. Perhaps he had only claimed her in a moment of cold calculation, a way to assert his dominance over the other humans who had been captured. Maybe now, with the decision made, he found her presence inconvenient.

It wasn't long before she began to notice the way the others spoke about her-quiet whispers that echoed through the halls when they thought she wasn't listening. Tharx's guards and advisors viewed her with a mix of distrust and disdain. They questioned why she was being kept in the fortress at all, why the king hadn't disposed of her like so many others.

One evening, as Aeliana walked the dimly lit halls, she overheard a conversation between two guards stationed outside one of the central chambers. Their voices were low, but their words carried a sharp edge that sent a shiver down her spine.

"She's still here?" one of them muttered, his voice thick with disbelief.

"Apparently," the other replied. "Don't know why the king keeps her around. She's human. Weak. They all are."

Aeliana pressed herself against the wall, her heart pounding. She knew they were talking about her, but she didn't dare reveal herself. Instead, she strained to hear more.

"It's dangerous," the first guard said, his voice laced with suspicion. "Bringing a human here-keeping her in the fortress-it's asking for trouble. She's a liability. A distraction."

The second guard grunted in agreement. "The advisors are worried. They think she's a weakness. If word gets out that the king is harboring a human it won't be good for him. The council might see it as a sign of weakness. They'll start questioning his judgment."

Aeliana's stomach churned. A weakness. A distraction. Was that what they thought of her? Was that what Tharx thought? Her mind raced, trying to piece together what this all meant. She knew that Tharx ruled with an iron grip, but if his people began to see her as a threat to his power, what would he do? Would he get rid of her to maintain his control? Was she expendable?

The guards continued their conversation, unaware of her presence.

"I heard one of the advisors say they're going to talk to the king about it," the first guard continued. "Try to convince him to send her away-or worse."

Aeliana's blood turned to ice. "Worse." What did that mean? She didn't want to find out.

Later that night, as she lay in her bed, Aeliana's thoughts churned. She had been brought here under the guise of protection, but now she wasn't so sure. Her fate was tied to Tharx, but he was distant, unreachable. She didn't understand why he kept her here, why he hadn't thrown her to his enemies or simply disposed of her like the guards had suggested. He had claimed her as his possession, but his actions-or rather, his inaction-confused her.

Was it possible that Tharx felt nothing for her beyond ownership? That she was just another tool in his vast empire, to be used when needed and discarded when no longer useful? The thought twisted her gut, but she couldn't deny the growing sense of unease that gnawed at her. He had made no effort to see her, to speak to her. He had made no demands, but he also had made no promises beyond her survival.

The alien king was an enigma, one that she couldn't unravel. There was no cruelty in him, at least not directed toward her, but there was something far worse-indifference.

Aeliana sat up, pulling her knees to her chest as she stared at the window, the dark alien skyline flickering with distant lights. She didn't know what Tharx wanted, or why he kept her here, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was little more than a pawn in whatever game he was playing. And in the cold, vastness of this fortress, she was completely alone.

Her only connection to Tharx was through the decisions he made about her fate-decisions that seemed distant and impersonal. Aeliana didn't know what kind of king he truly was, only that he ruled with absolute authority. His people feared him, and she could see why. But fear wasn't the same as respect. Fear bred resentment, and Aeliana had already overheard too many conversations suggesting that Tharx's decision to protect her was seen as a mistake. His advisors, his guards-they all questioned it. They saw her as a threat to his power, a weakness that could be exploited.

And the worst part was, Aeliana didn't know how much longer Tharx would be willing to protect her. What if one day, he decided she was no longer worth the risk? What if the whispers grew too loud, and he decided to listen?

What would happen to her then?