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Riley, sensing my distress, followed my gaze. “Who is that?” she whispered.
“Krexar,” I managed to choke out the name, memories flooding back.
We had trained together, back on our home planet, but where I had chosen a path of diplomacy, he had always been the embodiment of might and power.
His reputation was legendary, known for his ruthless tactics and merciless behavior.
“Five…”
Riley gripped my arm, her nails digging into the soft tissue between my scales. “I don’t understand. What’s he doing here?”
Her voice was tinged with fear, and I couldn’t blame her.
I wished I had an answer.
“Sometimes the Malquarans change the Game rules,” I told her. “Maybe they thought we had too easy a time of it.”
“Tooeasy?”Riley said incredulously.
“Four…”
Whatever the explanation, one thing was evident:
Krexar was not here to play fair.
Our eyes locked, a silent challenge passed between us.
There was no mistaking the cold, calculated glint in Krexar’s eyes, nor the predatory smirk that slowly formed on his lips.
It was a smirk that promised a thrilling hunt, a smirk that conveyed confidence and dominance.
“Three…”
Beside me, Riley trembled, her breath coming in short, quick gasps.
She banged her fists on the glass wall of our pod. “This isn’t fair! This isn’t right! We won the Games! We won already!”
I wrapped an arm around her protectively, pulling her close, trying to offer whatever reassurance I could muster. “We’ll get through this,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince her, or myself.
“Two…”
The room remained silent, save for the hum of the pods and the synchronized beating of our hearts.
Time seemed to stretch, every second felt like an eternity, as we waited for the next announcement, the next clue to this new twist in the game.
“One…”
As the pods began their launching sequence, a chilling realization washed over me.
The Mating Game wasn’t over.
It had only just begun.
“Launch.”
Riley
The tightening feeling of claustrophobia was palpable. The once familiar hum of the pod seemed louder, more overbearing.
