16. Chapter 16

Mia

17. Chapter 17

Krakenos

18. Chapter 18

Krakenos

19. Chapter 19

Mia

20. Epilogue

Krakenos

Chapter 1

Mia

I blink slowly, my eyelashes fluttering against the harsh artificial light. A chill runs through me as I realize I’m trapped in some sort of pod, my breath fogging up the glass in front of my face.

What the hell?

My heart pounds as I try to recall how I ended up here, but my mind’s a total blank. Panic sets in as I shift, my joints creaking in protest. Just as claustrophobia threatens to overwhelm me, the pod hisses open. I stumble out, my bare feet slapping against the freezing metal floor.

“Shit,” I hiss, wrapping my arms around myself and rubbing vigorously, desperate for warmth.

Taking in my surroundings, I realize I’m in what can only be described as a cell. Dull gray walls surround me, broken only by the cryopod I just escaped. No windows, no furniture, not even a damn toilet. Just me and four walls closing in.

I spin around, searching for any clue about my location or why I’m here. Nothing. It’s like someone took a big pink eraser to my memories.

I stumble to the nearest wall, pressing my hands against it to steady myself. The cold, unyielding metal sends a chill through me, and I come to a horrible realization.

I’m trapped.

A sob bubbles up in my throat as I slide down the wall, hugging my knees to my chest. I rock back and forth, trying to control my breathing as tears stream down my face.

That’s when I notice what I’m wearing. Or rather, what I’m not wearing.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter, staring down at the scraps of fabric barely covering my body. It’s like someone raided the “sexy alien abductee” section of a Halloween store. The bikini leaves little to the imagination, and I wonder what sick pervert dressed me like this.

As I tug at the meager fabric, trying in vain to cover more skin, a terrifying thought hits me: This uniform was purposely built to tantalize.

But tantalize who?

A sudden pressure on my left temple catches my attention. Frowning, I reach up to investigate, my fingertips brushing against something cool and metallic.

What the hell?

As I trace the unfamiliar object, a memory suddenly flashes. The device—it’s a translator for alien languages. How could I have forgotten?

And with that memory comes a flood of others, my breath catching as the pieces fall into place.

That night walking home from work, the blinding light, and then… nothing.

Until I woke up in a cell block, with two other women as scared as I was.

Natalie and Chloe.

Their names echo in my mind, accompanied by vivid images of their tear-streaked faces.

I shiver as I recall a floating drone, its monotone voice delivering the gut-wrenching news: we were “prizes” in some twisted alien game show called The Loop.

We weren’t people to them—just objects to be won and used by alien warriors.

Then there was the Host. My skin prickles as I remember his bird-like appearance, that cruel beak and those calculating eyes that seemed to strip us bare. The memory of his leering gaze makes me want to scrub myself clean.

But the Host was just a small part of this nightmare.

I distinctly remember three towering alien warriors looming over us, each more terrifying than the last. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the memory, but it persists. They were there to fight over us, like we were some sort of twisted trophy.

I then recall the “voting” process. Of course, it ended in a tie. Each warrior had their sights set on a specific prize.

And the one who chose me?

I swallow hard, remembering those dark, ancient eyes that seemed to peer straight into my soul.

Krakenos, the Host had called him. The Aquarian Heir Apparent of some vast underwater kingdom. He looked like something straight out of a horror movie—gills, fins, and all. I clench my fists, forcing myself to hold on to these details. Knowledge is power, even in this hellish situation.

In the end, it came down to chance. Natalie was picked at random, and Chloe and I were shuttled off to be frozen until the next season, like produce in a freezer.

I hug myself tighter, willing the trembling in my limbs to stop.

The three of us had a plan, didn’t we?

We weren’t just going to take this lying down.

But I can’t remember it.

I huddle on the cold floor, my mind a whirlwind of worry for Natalie. The memory of her being chosen as the prize replays in my head like a horror movie. Did she manage to slip through the cracks of this prison, or did one of those alien warriors…

I can’t bring myself to finish the thought.