33.

The black foam enveloped Aeryn, swirling and thick, making it impossible to see anything around her. It felt like being submerged in a void, her senses dulled by the suffocating darkness. Her breath quickened as panic set in. She stretched her arms out, trying to feel her way through the dense air, but there was nothing. No walls, no edges, just endless black.

*Where am I?* she thought, her heartbeat growing louder in her ears.

Suddenly, a chilling, manic laugh echoed through the space, and Aeryn’s body tensed. The sound was filled with malice, sending shivers down her spine. She turned, trying to locate the source of the laughter, but all she saw was more black foam, twisting around her like a living thing.

"Who’s there?!" Aeryn shouted, her voice trembling with fear.

The laughter grew louder, closer, almost as if it was circling her. She shrieked and stumbled backward, her heart hammering in her chest. She had never felt so alone, so helpless.

Then, a voice, smooth but sinister, cut through the darkness. “Ah, poor little human... scared, are we?”

Aeryn gasped, her body shaking as the realization hit her. It was Jack. He had taken her. She tried to steady her breath, but it felt like the black foam was tightening around her throat.

"You don’t belong here," Jack’s voice whispered, now so close she could almost feel his breath. “But that’s what makes you so perfect for my plan.”

Aeryn tried to move back, away from the voice, but the foam seemed to block her every move. “What do you want from me?” she asked, her voice cracking under the weight of her terror.

Suddenly, the foam thinned just enough for her to see Jack’s shadowy figure standing before her. His eyes glowed with a dark amusement, and his lips curled into a wicked smile.

“Oh, I don’t need much,” Jack said, his voice dripping with mockery. “Just a little insurance.”

Aeryn swallowed hard. “Insurance? Against what?”

Jack chuckled, stepping closer. “Against Alex, of course.”

Hearing Alex’s name sent a jolt through Aeryn. She didn’t know what Jack was playing at, but the venom in his voice made her blood run cold.

“You think he cares for you?” Jack sneered, leaning in so close that Aeryn flinched. “You think you mean something to him?”

Aeryn wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was wrong, but the words caught in her throat.

Jack’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. “He’s just using you, Aeryn. He’ll keep you close as long as you’re useful to him. But once you’ve served your purpose... well, let’s just say Alex doesn’t keep loose ends.”

Aeryn shook her head, refusing to believe it. “That’s not true,” she whispered. “He—he saved me.”

Jack’s laughter echoed once more. “Saved you? Oh, sweet little human, you’re just a pawn in his game. He doesn’t save people—he uses them. And when he’s done... he discards them.”

Tears welled in Aeryn’s eyes as Jack’s words twisted in her mind, filling her with doubt. Could Alex really be that heartless? Could she have been wrong about him?

"You're lying," Aeryn said, her voice trembling but defiant.

Jack’s smile widened. “Am I? Think about it. Why would someone like him risk everything for you? You, a mere human. Do you really believe you mean that much to him?”

Aeryn’s chest tightened. She wanted to scream, to fight back against Jack’s poisonous words, but the uncertainty gnawed at her. Could there be truth in what Jack was saying? The thought of Alex using her, of manipulating her for some twisted purpose, sent a wave of nausea through her.

Jack stepped back, watching her with satisfaction as doubt clouded her features. “You see, Aeryn, Alex isn’t your hero. He’s a prince—he plays the long game. And you? You’re nothing but a piece on his board.”

Aeryn blinked back the tears, forcing herself to think clearly. *No. Alex wouldn’t do that. He can’t be like that.* But Jack’s voice was unrelenting, planting seeds of fear deep inside her.

“Soon enough, you’ll see,” Jack continued, his tone smooth as he paced around her. “He’ll come for you, but not because he cares. He’ll come because you’re useful to him right now. But when you stop being useful... well, I think you already know what happens.”

Aeryn felt her body trembling as Jack’s words clawed at her mind. But before she could respond, the door to the chamber burst open with a deafening crash.

Aeryn’s heart leapt as a figure stood silhouetted in the doorway, tall and imposing. She recognized him immediately—Alex.

His eyes were blazing with fury as he stormed into the room, his gaze locking onto Jack. “Let her go.”

Jack’s smile faded, though the smugness in his eyes remained. “Ah, right on time,” he said, stepping back from Aeryn. “I told her you’d come.”

Alex’s face hardened, and Aeryn saw the barely contained rage in his expression. “You’re going to regret this, Jack.”

Jack laughed, his confidence unfazed. “Am I? Or are you going to prove me right? You’re only here because she’s useful, aren’t you? Tell me, Alex, what happens when she’s no longer necessary?”

Aeryn’s breath caught in her throat. The same question had been running through her mind ever since Jack planted the seed of doubt. She looked at Alex, searching his face for answers, for any sign of what Jack had been talking about.

But Alex’s gaze never wavered from Jack. “Enough,” he growled, stepping forward.

Jack raised his hands in mock surrender. “Ah, the protective prince. How noble. But we both know the truth, don’t we?”

In a flash, Alex lunged at Jack, his movements swift and filled with purpose. Jack barely had time to react before Alex had him pinned to the ground, his arm pressed against Jack’s throat.

“You don’t know anything about me,” Alex hissed, his voice deadly.

Jack chuckled weakly, even as he struggled under Alex’s grip. “Maybe not. But she’ll never trust you now, will she?”

With a final shove, Alex released Jack and stood over him, breathing heavily. Jack stayed on the ground, a twisted smile on his lips despite the pain.

“I’ll always be in your head now, Aeryn,” Jack said, his voice soft but menacing. “You’ll always wonder.”

Alex’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t give Jack another glance. Instead, he turned to Aeryn, his expression softening as he knelt beside her. “Are you okay?”

Aeryn stared at him, her mind swirling with doubt and fear. She wanted to trust him, wanted to believe that everything Jack had said was a lie. But the seed of uncertainty had been planted deep.

“I... I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Alex’s face fell, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. “Aeryn...”

But before he could say more, Jack’s laughter echoed one last time from the shadows. “Good luck, prince. You’re going to need it.”