Krakenos stands tall beside me, his arm wrapped protectively around my waist. “We’re done with your games,” he growls. “We’ve reached the end. Now let us cross the finish line so we can leave this place.”
The Host steps into our path, holding up a clawed hand. “Not just yet,” he says, his eyes glinting with mischief. “There’s one more twist, a crucial decision that all the Mythos kings must make before returning home.”
My heart sinks.
Of course it wouldn’t be that easy.
“What decision?” Krakenos asks, his lips curled up in a snarl.
The Host grins. “Well, your world is suffering an awful plague, and our team of researchers have a cure. But in order to receive the cure, you must make a choice. You must choose between receiving a cure genetically crafted solely for the Aquarians, or you may pick a collective cure that will work for all races on Mythos.”
Krakenos frowns. “Why wouldn’t I pick the latter?”
“Well, the catch is, if one of you choose the single cure, the other two races don’t get a cure. And if all of you choose the single cure, nobody gets a cure. And if, somehow, all three of you choose the collective cure instead, then you all shall receive it. So it could be to your advantage to pick the single cure, if you believe the other two kings are foolish enough to be charitable. Then your people will have the advantage, and could rule the entirety of Mythos.”
Krakenos shifts his weight before asking, “What did Draven choose?”
The Host shakes his head. “Ah, but that would be telling. Draven’s choice will remain unknown until Vornas makes his own. It is only once all three kings have chosen that the outcome will be revealed. It is quite the dilemma, isn’t it? Can you trust your fellow kings to be honorable, or will they make the selfish choice just to ensure their own peoples’ future?”
Krakenos falls silent. I know how much his people mean to him, how desperately he wants to save them from the plague that has ravaged their population.
But I also know that he is a fair and just ruler, one who wishes to see a future of peace on Mythos.
“Then Vornas still lives?” Krakenos asks, breaking the silence.
The Host nods. “He’s already in the medical bay, recovering for the next season.”
I watch Krakenos’s chest rise and fall, his gills fluttering slightly. My stomach twists into knots, knowing that the fate of not just the Aquarians, but all the races on Mythos, hangs in the balance. I bite my lip, grateful that I’m not the one who has to make this impossible choice.
He turns to me, his gaze softening. “Mia, you have changed me in ways I never thought possible. Your strength, your compassion, your unwavering spirit… They have made me a better king, a better man.”
Krakenos then turns back to the Host, continuing, “I have faith in Draven, and that his female has had a similar effect on him. And I suspect that the remaining human female will straighten Vornas out as well.” He squares his shoulders as he declares to the Host, “I choose the collective cure.”
The Host’s eyebrows shoot up, a hint of disappointment in his expression, as if he had been hoping for a more dramatic outcome. But he quickly composes himself, nodding in acknowledgement.
“Then we will see what happens next season,” he says, his tone laced with menace. “Let us hope it wasn’t all for nothing, hm? Now, you may use one of our shuttles to return to your home planets. Farewell.”
I hesitate at the threshold. The finish line stretches before us, a glowing ribbon of light that seems to mock everything we’ve been through. Krakenos’s hand tightens around mine, his webbed fingers cool against my clammy palm.
“We have to,” he murmurs.
I grit my teeth, hating that we’re playing into this game, but knowing we have no choice. With a sharp nod, I step forward, and we cross the line together.
I don’t give the Host or the cameras the satisfaction of looking back. Instead, I tug Krakenos toward the waiting shuttle. Its doors slide open with a soft whoosh, and I pause. This is it—we’re leaving this nightmare behind.
Krakenos’s reassuring squeeze pulls me from my thoughts. I meet his gaze, seeing my own determination reflected there. Without another word, we step into the shuttle, done with Paradise Loop once and for all.
The shuttle’s interior is surprisingly spacious, with plush seats lining the walls and a large, circular platform in the center. Krakenos guides me to one of the seats, and I sink into the soft cushions, my body suddenly feeling heavy with exhaustion.
A light catches my attention, and I look up to see a holographic galaxy map materializing before us. The map is breathtaking, a swirling kaleidoscope of stars and planets, each one labeled with names I’ve never heard before. I scan the map, searching desperately until I find a tiny blue marble nestled in a far corner of the galaxy.
Earth.
My heart clenches with a sudden pang of homesickness, and tears prickle at the corners of my eyes. It feels like ages since I’ve seen my home, and the sight of it now, so small and fragile in the vastness of space, makes me ache with longing. I wonder what’s happening back on Earth, if anyone is searching for me, if they’ve simply assumed I’ve packed up and left yet again…
But then I look at Krakenos, and I know that my place is by his side. I know that my pattern of running away is a thing of the past. I’ve finally found where I belong.
“Mia,” Krakenos says softly, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “Would you prefer to return to Earth, or… would you like to rule the oceans of Mythos with me?”
I can’t hold back my laughter. The sound bubbles up, surprising even me.
After everything we’ve been through, the bond we’ve forged, how could he possibly not know my answer?
I lean closer, our foreheads touching. “You don’t really think I’d choose to go back, do you?”
Krakenos’ smile is warm as he pulls me into an embrace, and together, we choose Mythos as our destination.
As the shuttle hums to life, a peace settles over me. I know it won’t be easy. Hell, the Aquarians might not even accept me as their queen. I’ll have to navigate new customs, learn their language, and adapt to a completely foreign world.
But instead of intimidation, I feel a rush of excitement.
Because for the first time, I have something worth fighting for.
Chapter 17
Krakenos
