12.

Aeryn sat on the cold, unfamiliar bed, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of the strange orbs embedded in the walls, casting an eerie light that did little to comfort her. Her mind was spinning with everything that had happened, with the weight of the words Alex had spoken before he left.

*You are special. You are more special than you realize.*

The words echoed in her head, but they brought no comfort. Aeryn had never wanted to be special. She had been perfectly content with her life back on Earth—working her job, spending time with her friends, and curling up with Sheriff, her loyal dog, at the end of a long day. But now, all of that felt like a distant memory, a life that had been snatched away from her without warning.

Aeryn squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the overwhelming sense of loss and fear that threatened to consume her. She wanted to go back, to return to the life she had known, where the biggest problems she faced were deadlines and bills, not strange alien prophecies and the expectations of a kingdom she didn’t even understand.

But deep down, she knew that nothing was the same. That she was no longer in a place where she had control over her life.

A sob escaped her lips as she buried her face in her knees, her body shaking with the force of her tears. The reality of her situation was unbearable. She was trapped in a world that was not her own, surrounded by beings she couldn’t comprehend, with no way to return to the life she once knew.

“Sheriff,” she whispered through her tears, thinking of her dog, the one constant in her life who had always been there for her. She could almost feel his soft fur under her fingertips, hear his happy bark as he greeted her at the door each evening. But that was just another thing she had lost, another piece of her world that was out of reach.

“I want to go home,” she murmured, though she knew it was pointless. There was no home to go back to, not anymore. The life she had known was gone, and in its place was this strange, terrifying new reality.

Aeryn cried until she had no tears left, her body exhausted from the effort. Eventually, she lay down on the bed, curling into a tight ball as she tried to find some semblance of comfort. But the bed was too firm, the sheets too unknown, and the air too cold. Everything about this place was wrong, and no matter how much she tried to block it out, the reality of her situation pressed down on her, suffocating her with its weight.

Eventually, she skipped into a restless sleep, her dreams filled with images of Sheriff, her friends, and the life she had lost. But even in her dreams, she couldn’t escape the feeling of being trapped, of being somewhere she didn’t belong.

The next morning, Aeryn was startled awake by a sudden flash of light that filled the room, blinding her for a moment. She sat up quickly, her heart pounding as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

The light dimmed, revealing a group of aliens entering her room. They were carrying various pieces of clothing, their faces expressionless as they approached her. Aeryn’s heart raced as she tried to understand what was going on. The clothes they carried were unlike anything she had ever seen—elaborate robes made of shimmering fabrics, adorned with jewels and intricate patterns that caught the light in mesmerizing ways.

“What is this all for?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear and confusion.

One of the aliens stepped forward, placing the clothes on the bed before her. But before the alien could speak, a familiar voice answered from the doorway.

“For your union,” Alex’s voice was calm, yet there was an undeniable edge of authority to it. The words made her breath hitch as she turned to face him.

Alex stood in the doorway, his presence commanding as ever. His eyes, still that haunting mix of green and blue, fixed on her with an intensity that made her heart race.

“My union?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” he said, his tone unwavering. “You will be presented to my people as the future queen. It is necessary for them to see you, to hear your thoughts, and to understand that you will be the one to fulfill the prophecy.”

Aeryn felt her stomach drop at his words. She had barely begun to process the idea that she was supposed to play some crucial role in this alien world, and now she was being told that she had to stand before an entire kingdom and convince them that she was capable of being their queen? It was too much, too fast. She wasn’t ready for any of this, she wasn’t even sure she understood what was happening.

“No,” she said, her voice trembling as she shook her head. “I can’t… I can’t do this.”

Alex’s expression darkened slightly at her words, though his tone remained controlled. “You must,” he said firmly. “There is no other choice! You are here for a reason, Aeryn. This is your destiny.”

“No,” Aeryn repeated, her voice stronger this time. She stood up from the bed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she tried to muster the courage to stand up to him. “I don’t care about destiny. I didn’t ask for this—I didn’t want this! I just want to go home!”

Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of something unreadable passing over his face. “You cannot go back,” he said, his voice cold and final. “Your place is here now, with us.”

Aeryn’s heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of fear and anger surging through her. “You can’t just decide that for me,” she said, her voice rising. “I’m a person, not a pawn in some game! You can’t force me to do this!”

But her defiance seemed to have little effect on Alex. If anything, it only seemed to strengthen his resolve. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them with a calm, deliberate stride. Aeryn instinctively took a step back, but there was nowhere to go—her back hit the wall, and she was trapped.

“Do not mistake kindness for weakness,” Alex said, his voice low and menacing. “You are here because you were chosen, and you will fulfill your role, whether you like it or not. I suggest you accept your fate, for your own sake.”

Aeryn’s breath came in short, panicked gasps as she stared up at him, her heart pounding in her chest. The reality of her situation was crashing down on her, suffocating her with its weight. She was trapped, alone, in a world she didn’t understand, with no way out. And now, she was being told that she had to stand before an entire kingdom and pretend that she was something she wasn’t—pretend that she was capable of being their queen.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized just how hopeless her situation was. She couldn’t do this—she wasn’t strong enough. She wasn’t special, no matter what Alex or anyone else said. She was just a normal person, caught up in something far beyond her control.

“Please,” she whispered, her voice breaking as the tears spilled over, streaking down her cheeks. “Please, just let me go home…”

But Alex’s expression didn’t soften. If anything, his eyes grew colder, harder, as if he were shutting down any remaining trace of empathy or understanding.

“Your home is here now,” he said, his voice as unyielding as stone. “The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for you.”

Aeryn’s knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, her body shaking with sobs. She hugged her knees to her chest, her tears soaking into the strange fabric of the gown she had been forced to wear. She felt so small, so powerless, and all she wanted was to wake up from this nightmare and find herself back in her own world, where things made sense, where she was safe.

But no matter how much she cried, no matter how much she wished for it, she knew that it wouldn’t happen. She was trapped here, in this strange, terrifying world, with no way out.

And as she wept, the reality of her fate settled over her like a suffocating blanket, crushing any remaining hope she had left.