Chapter 16

Aeliana sat near the window of her quarters, staring out at the alien city below. The view from the fortress was breathtaking in a cold, eerie way-the dark skyline with its towering spires, glowing faintly in the greenish light of the strange sky. It felt otherworldly, as if the city itself was alive, pulsing with an energy she couldn't understand. She had spent countless hours gazing out at the city, wondering about the life she had left behind, trying to make sense of the world she was now trapped in.

But something was different lately. Tharx, the imposing king who had once kept her at a distance, had started to lower his guard, even if only slightly. The subtle shifts in his behavior hadn't gone unnoticed. At first, it was small things-the way his gaze lingered on her longer than before, the way he seemed to seek her out more frequently, as though he couldn't help himself. Then, the questions had started. Questions about Earth.

Aeliana wasn't sure what to make of it. She had spent so long trying to understand Tharx, trying to make sense of his coldness, his refusal to let her go. But now, it felt like he was turning the tables on her, trying to make sense of her-not out of any kindness, but out of a desire to understand what made her human. And for all his attempts to keep his distance, she could see his curiosity growing.

It was late in the evening when the door to her quarters slid open with a soft hiss. Aeliana turned to see Tharx standing in the doorway, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the room. He didn't say anything at first, his glowing eyes fixed on her as though he was trying to decide whether or not to enter. After a long, tense moment, he stepped inside, the door closing quietly behind him.

"Do you ever miss it?" he asked, his voice low but clear. There was a weight behind his words, as if they had been building up for some time.

Aeliana blinked, taken aback by the suddenness of the question. She hadn't expected Tharx to start with something so personal. "Miss what?"

"Earth." Tharx's gaze didn't waver as he spoke, his voice carefully controlled. "Your home. The life you had before."

Aeliana swallowed, her throat tight. It was the first time he had ever asked her something about herself, about her past. For so long, she had been nothing more than a possession to him, an object to be kept, but now he was asking about her life.

She nodded slowly, unsure of how much to say. "Yes. Of course, I miss it."

Tharx moved closer, his footsteps almost soundless on the cold floor. He stopped a few feet away, folding his arms across his chest as he studied her. "What was it like? Your life there."

Aeliana hesitated, unsure of where this sudden interest was coming from. "Why do you want to know?"

His expression hardened slightly, but not in the usual cold, commanding way she was used to. It was more like he was fighting an internal battle, struggling to justify his curiosity. "Because I want to understand," he said after a long pause. "I want to know why humans cling so desperately to a place that is, by all accounts, insignificant in the grand scheme of things."

Aeliana raised an eyebrow, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Insignificant?" she repeated, her tone sharper than she intended. "You think Earth is insignificant?"

Tharx's eyes narrowed, but he didn't back down. "Compared to the rest of the galaxy? Yes. Your people are fragile. Your world is fragile."

Aeliana crossed her arms, matching his stance. "Just because we're not as advanced as you doesn't mean we don't matter. Earth is our home. We have families, cultures, history. It's where we belong."

Tharx's gaze softened slightly, though his expression remained unreadable. "You speak of belonging as though it is the most important thing."

"Isn't it?" Aeliana shot back. "Isn't that why you're so obsessed with keeping control over this empire? You think I don't see how much it weighs on you, the way you're always brooding, always on edge? You care about this place, just like I care about Earth."

For a moment, the room was filled with silence, the weight of her words hanging between them. Tharx's jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with something she couldn't quite place.

"And what would you have me do, Aeliana?" Tharx asked quietly, his voice softer now. "Let you go back to a planet that no longer exists as you knew it? Your people are scattered. Many are dead."

Her heart clenched at the reminder. It wasn't as though she hadn't known it, but hearing it from him-so blunt, so final-made it all the more real. Still, she wasn't going to let him brush her off that easily.

"Then why am I here?" Aeliana asked, her voice quieter but no less forceful. "Why keep me alive if Earth doesn't matter to you? Why haven't you killed me like you've done to so many others?"

Tharx's eyes darkened, and for a moment, Aeliana thought he wasn't going to answer. He turned away, moving toward the window where she had been sitting moments before. His hands rested on the ledge as he stared out at the city, the tension in his body visible.

"You are different," he said finally, his voice barely more than a whisper. "You challenge me in ways I didn't expect."

Aeliana frowned, stepping closer to him. "Challenge you how?"

Tharx's shoulders tensed, but he didn't turn to face her. "I have ruled for many years. I know what it means to lead, to make decisions that no one else can. I do not question my judgment. But you" He paused, his hands tightening on the window ledge. "You force me to question things I have never questioned before. About myself. About this world."

Aeliana's heart skipped a beat. It was the most vulnerable thing he had ever said to her. For so long, she had seen him as this cold, unfeeling ruler, a man who kept his emotions buried deep beneath layers of control. But now, standing in the dim light of the fortress, she could see the cracks in his armor.

"Is that why you keep me alive?" she asked softly. "Because I challenge you?"

Tharx finally turned to face her, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath catch in her throat. "Yes," he admitted, his voice low and rough. "And because I cannot bring myself to end your life, even when I know I should."

The admission hit her like a punch to the gut. She had suspected as much, but hearing him say it so plainly, so honestly, was another thing entirely. Aeliana stared at him, unsure of what to say, unsure of how to respond to the weight of his words.

After a long, tense silence, she finally spoke. "You're not as detached as you pretend to be."

Tharx's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with something like anger. "I am not your equal, Aeliana. Do not mistake my curiosity for kindness."

"I don't," she replied, her voice steady. "But you can't hide it. You can't hide that you're fascinated by me. By Earth. By what we are. I see it every time you look at me."

Tharx's eyes darkened, and for a moment, Aeliana thought he might lash out at her, but he didn't. Instead, he took a slow, measured breath, his gaze never leaving hers. "You think too much of yourself," he said, but there was no venom in his voice. It sounded more like a warning, like he was trying to convince himself more than her.

Aeliana stepped closer, her heart racing. "Do I?"

They stood there, the air between them thick with tension, neither of them willing to back down. Aeliana's pulse quickened as she saw the way his eyes flickered, the way his body tensed as though he was fighting some internal battle he couldn't win. She could feel it-the pull between them, the growing fascination he was trying so desperately to suppress.

After what felt like an eternity, Tharx finally broke the silence. "You may continue to use the library," he said, his voice quieter now. "But stay out of matters that do not concern you."

Aeliana raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "And what if I want to concern myself with them?"

Tharx's expression hardened, though there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Do not test me."

Aeliana shrugged, her tone teasing. "You're the one who keeps me here. If you wanted me to stay out of things, maybe you shouldn't have brought me so close to them."

Tharx's lips twitched, as if he was suppressing a smile, but his eyes remained serious. "I keep you alive because you are useful to me, Aeliana. Do not mistake that for anything more."

Aeliana crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips. "Keep telling yourself that."

For the first time since they had met, Aeliana saw a faint crack in his cold exterior-a moment where Tharx almost, just almost, seemed human.

He turned away from her, his posture rigid, but she could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he lingered just a little too long before walking out of the room. "Remember what I said," he called over his shoulder, his voice distant now. "Stay out of matters that don't concern you."

As the door slid shut behind him, Aeliana let out a long breath, her heart still racing. Tharx was changing-slowly, but undeniably. He was no longer just the cold, emotionless king who had taken her captive. He was something more, something deeper, and for the first time, Aeliana felt that maybe, just maybe, she was beginning to understand him.

But what did that mean for her?

And what did it mean for the world around them?