This is my story. From the journey into the vast universe and through endless twists of time. A future illuminated by sparkling stars of hope; clouded by wars born out of infinite hatred. Entwined intrigues, deep love, and loyal friendship accompany me on my path.
Let me start at the beginning when I am just turning 16 years old.
Let's begin with my abduction to the stars.
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I am Janine, a completely normal girl who is currently in the tenth grade. My hair is shoulder-length and has an intense black color, silky and shining with a slight blue shimmer. The color of my eyes, on the other hand, is an unusually light gray. Many girls envy my figure, for which I don't have to do much. At a height of 1.75 meters, I have the perfect measurements of a runway model. This is the goal I am striving for.
There are a few things I like to do. These are normal hobbies and dreams that many my age probably have. Among them, especially going out with my friends, shopping, singing - if someone suggests karaoke, I'm in right away! - dancing, acting - although so far, I've only been in front of the camera for other students' projects - and modeling. I've had a stroke of luck that others dream of. I've participated in a few small fashion shows. At one of them, I met my current - or rather future - agent. Even without a contract, she has arranged several photo shoots for me, though not entirely selflessly.
She thinks I have talent. My parents, on the other hand, are worried and would prefer if I aimed for something else. There is also their distrust towards my agent. Nevertheless, I have convinced them to agree to a contract with her. I will sign this contract after my 16th birthday.
And when will that be?
In front of me on the table is a huge cake with 16 burning candles. 'Happy 16th', it says written in icing. At the table are the girls from my clique and my parents.
My mother has black hair like mine, which she wears very long and is her pride and joy. Her eyes are a slightly darker gray than mine. I have clearly inherited my looks from her. She may be over 50, but she still looks great.
I seem to have inherited nothing from my father. He has brown hair and brown eyes, is very corpulent, and somehow, I just don't see any resemblance to me, no matter how often I look.
Everyone is eagerly waiting to see if I will manage to blow out the candles. But I have to wait two more minutes. My father switches our system from mobile to radio. I'm curious to see what will come next.
What is he up to?, is my question. And the answer follows immediately.
"Now a birthday greeting from Herbert to his daughter Janine on her 16th birthday," says the moderator. "And of course, our whole team wishes you a happy birthday with the following song."
At the end of the announcement, my favorite song is played. I look joyfully at my father. This is really a nice birthday greeting. The best I've ever received in my life.
I lower my head to the candles, take a deep breath, and blow them all out at once. Then I close my eyes. I fervently wish for my modeling career to be a complete success. That I get many assignments outside of town and finally experience more than in this boring small town.
Suddenly the radio volume drops.
"Uh." A clearing of the throat is heard, then a tapping on the microphone. "Can they really hear this?" It is the voice of a woman with a sweet sound.
"You can start, it's working!" says the voice of a man, impatience evident.
"So, this is supposed to be a warning. I don't want any resistance, like with Kjarto back then."
"Kaia!" comes from another man, sounding slightly angry. "Either say your lines now or you're banned from your games."
"Alright, but I don't want another failure," she sulks. After a short clearing of her throat, the woman continues. "Dear inhabitants of this planet. I am Kaia and I announce to you that our army will be abducting some of your children in the next three days. And now back to the program."
Pause.
"Didn't you forget something?" asks the second man.
"Do they really need to know that the end of their existence has begun?" she asks moodily.
"Alright, back to the program," says the first man shortly. Then the music starts playing again.
Everyone looks puzzled. No one has the slightest idea what this announcement was about. I look at my mother, whose eyes reflect fear and despair. How quickly the mood can change, and on my birthday of all days!
I barely get to distribute the cake pieces to everyone when my mother asks to end the party. Shortly after the guests leave, Mom rushes to the phone. Crying, she calls my uncle.
Everything was so nicely planned a few days ago. Sadly, I look down at my cake.
The next few days don't get any better. This announcement has been broadcasted throughout the country. Not just on the radio, but also on television. Only one of the people can be seen in it. This young woman.
She looks strange. The iris of her eyes sparkles fiery red and dangerous. Her short hair also has this intense red color. Her figure appears very slender on TV. I estimate her to be barely older than 20.
The authorities have dismissed this announcement. Nutcases, they say. Young people who have nothing better to do than scare others for fun.
Is that really true?
Their first prediction has come true. Repeatedly, one hears in the news about the mysterious disappearance of various children and teenagers between the ages of six and twenty. For this reason, my parents have forbidden me from going outside. They think it's too dangerous.
It's strange. They are so worried about me. They are so afraid of a threat that supposedly comes from nutcases. After all, it was dismissed from all sides, only the media are said to be blowing it up and exploiting it. Even my parents say it's a prank by some young people who have too much money and time. But their behavior, their obvious fear, speaks against it, just like the disappearances of the children and teenagers.
Who is supposed to be planning this and why? Some secret organization that now has sinister plans with the kids? Or maybe little purple men from Venus, as has also been speculated on TV.
But such things don't exist. Or do they?
Now I am in our kitchen. My mother is sitting opposite me, staring incessantly at the phone. She is surely expecting a call from my uncle. He works for a company that closely collaborates with the military. I have the impression that something is fishy here. What is all the fuss, the prohibitions? Even my father, who really doesn't believe in the supernatural and life on other planets, is scared. What is going on here?
The phone rings. My mother beams as she answers.
"Anton?" she asks the caller. A pause. "What's going on? Why didn't you tell us what was going to happen? Is this all because of that damn day?" She turns to me. "Janine, my dear, please go to the living room."
Oh, damn it! I want to finally know what's going on here! What does all this have to do with that radio announcement? Why doesn't anyone tell me anything when everyone is acting so strangely? I want to know why my parents are so worried. What's with all the secrecy?
Reluctantly, I follow my mother's instructions and retreat to the living room. I throw myself onto the sofa, take the remote control in my hand, then glance at my mother. She is desperate and crying. I don't know how to cheer her up, don't know why she is so sad. What is going on? Tell me something, finally!
I turn on the TV and zap through the programs. Reports about this incident are everywhere. The whole country is in turmoil. Some don't believe it, others think it's a conspiracy, others are hoping for salvation by highly intelligent beings, and yet others don't know what to make of it.
And me?
I belong to a group that wants to know if they should be afraid or if it's really just a prank by some nutcases. My parents and my uncle know, but they just won't tell me anything.
My mother's conversation with my uncle seems very heated. She yells at him to do something. When my mother sees me watching her, she falls silent.
After that, her voice becomes quieter.
So quiet that I can't understand anything anymore.
What kind of day are they talking about? It was a snippet of many conversations that reached me. Of course, I understand this as little as the rest. It's probably my birthday they mean. Are these people really that dangerous? After all, it's just three. At least those are the only voices we heard.
All I can do is wait and listen to the reports, hoping that someone will finally speak out.
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It is the second day after this announcement. A Sunday. Today is the meeting with my future agent, which is why I'm already super excited in the morning. When the alarm clock rings, nothing can stop me from getting up and getting ready for the meeting. I laid out my things last night. A floral summer dress that I bought especially for this meeting. Then it's time for hair and makeup. I decided to put my hair up and wear minimal makeup.
As I happily run to the door and open it, I see my mother's surprised face.
"My darling why are you awake?" she asks. She's still wearing her nightgown. She probably just got up. I actually expected my mother to be ready. After all, she's supposed to drive me to this appointment today!
"For the signing of my contract," I help her remember and practically shout at her.
I've been looking forward to this for so long! How could my mother forget?
"God, Janine, it's better if you stay home," she says calmly. My mother looks at me with sad eyes. I realize that she was distracted by the events and forgot about it. This fact doesn't make me happy, but it does calm my anger.
"What is this?" I demand to know. "What's going on? Why are you all suddenly having panic attacks? I thought what was said in the announcement was nonsense."
I plead for answers, wanting to finally know what's going on.
In my desperation to get an answer and the hope of finally getting one, I forget my anger for a moment. I can give them a lecture about how important this contract is to me when they are normal again. And that happening is the most important thing to me right now.
My mother starts crying. She slides down the wall and sits on the floor.
"I so wished we were safe from those bastards on this planet." A stream of tears runs down her cheeks. "But now..." She stops. Her gaze falls on my father, who has come to us. "We should tell her everything," she says to him.
My father leans against the wall.
"Damn it!" he yells. "Sara, is there no way this is all just an intimidation tactic?"
My mother shakes her head.
"His father did the same thing before," she explains, trembling.
I kneel down next to my mother. Even though I don't understand any of this and look at both of them confusedly, I have to comfort her somehow.
"Makos always destroyed the most strategically important cities on a planet to demonstrate his power," my mother continues sadly. "Those who survived were lucky." Her voice stops, her eyes fill with despair. "He's his son; why wouldn't he do the same?"
What is my mother talking about? This planet? And who is this Makos? I look at her in astonishment.
"The only thing we can do is pack everything," she continues, crying. "Then we can only try to flee the city as far as possible. And pray."
"Why flee?" I try to find out.
My mother's gaze falls to the floor.
"Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that we can escape it."
Escape from whom or what? I don't understand any of this!
"Please tell me what's going on," I beg my parents.
"Oh Janine, I hoped to protect you from all this." My mother smiles at me through her tear-filled eyes.
Then she begins to tell.
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It all happened in a galaxy far, far away, she begins her story.
Her family was very poor, so they agreed to sell their sons to the army of their ruler Makos. When my mother was born, a similar fate threatened her.
To ensure her parents survived, she was sold into slavery. My mother was four years old when she came to Tormahs, Makos' slave planet.
There, she was raised as a slave.
In an establishment that offered slaves to its guests for their pleasure. In her childhood, my mother only had to do small things. Bring them food or other items the guests called for. A few years later, however, she would have faced the same fate.
A love slave, at the service of those who desired her.
My mother was spared from all this when she caught the attention of Makos' favorite slave, Shalia. Shalia helped the young slave get a job in the palace of the ruler at the time. There she was one of many other slaves who served Shalia and the ruler's two sons.
My mother served there for several years until a warrior fell in love with her. And she with him.
He gathered as much money as he could to buy his beloved out of slavery.
They lived together for a few years until a rebellion broke out in the ruler's domain, in which Makos was killed. In the chaos of the war, my mother and her lover fled along with a scientist couple.
My mother was pregnant with me at the time of the escape.
My biological father didn't even live to see the first year on this planet where they landed.
My mother then met my father. They married and lived happily together until my 16th birthday, without fear of the future.
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I sit and listen to my mother's story, not knowing what to make of it.
The two other refugees, that scientist couple, are supposed to be my uncle and aunt, who have recently started taking care of their son.
Just like my mother and I, they also have gray eyes and raven-black hair, but their hair lacks the subtle blue shimmer that ours has.
But even though I see no resemblance to my father… I cannot believe that we descend from an alien race.
At this moment, I cannot imagine that a single event from this night will dispel my doubts.
On the lawn directly below my window, hidden from the neighbor's house and the street by a thick hedge, stand my neighbor Nora and her boyfriend Andy, as they do almost every night. As always, they are arm in arm, tightly embraced and lost in passionate kisses.
Nora's father is very strict, so Andy can only give his girlfriend a goodbye kiss in this hidden spot under my window.
I have to laugh to myself.
They both know the procedure, but they still risk it again and again.
"Janine!" calls my mother. She thinks I should pack my things. Still, it's hard for me to believe that aliens are after us.
My mother watches me as I go to the bathroom with a bucket in hand.
I run to the sink and place my hands on the faucet lever. As a strong stream of water flows into the bucket, I talk to her.
"You act like all of this is happening because of you."
She is trembling all over. Tomorrow will be the first time I skip school, even though she has always made sure I am punctual and bring home good grades.
I look joyfully at the water, which continues to rise.
"What if this whole escape is just a waste of time?"
"It's better to leave than to be slaughtered," is her opinion.
I nod, sighing.
The bucket is finally full. This time, I am even kinder to the lovers. Only Andy on his motorcycle will get cold.
As I turn off the warm water, my mother smiles at me. "Can't you spare Nora just once?"
I shake my head. "I've told her so many times, but she won't listen."
My mother follows me as I lug the bucket of water upstairs.
"Poor Nora. What does her father say when she always comes home soaking wet?" Even she can't suppress a smile at this moment. I'm glad about that. Apparently, I've finally managed to distract her from her fear a bit.
"He pays me for the water," I laugh in response to my mother.
"And why don't your parents see any of that money?" she asks me.
"I have to work hard to carry the water upstairs, and I'm very expensive."
My mother stands in the doorway. She watches curiously as I look out the window.
Nora and Andy are still in the same spot as before.
"Is that priss home?" Andy asks.
"I haven't seen her in the last few days," Nora replies. There's no light on in our house. Everything looks completely deserted.
My ace up the sleeve.
I place the bucket on the windowsill and then pour the contents over the heads of the blissfully in-love couple.
"You bitch!" the girl shouts up at me.
"You know what, Nora?" Andy calls. "I've had enough!" He seems quite angry this time. Behind me, I hear my mother laughing. "If you don't sort things out with your father, we better forget it!" He shakes himself to get rid of at least some of the water on his body, but it doesn't help much. "I don't like showering outdoors."
"Are you satisfied now?" Nora yells at me.
I can hardly stop laughing.
"What does Nora's father pay you for all this?" Andy demands to know.
"I do it because it's fun," I reply, which is true. The money is just a nice bonus.
"Enough, Janine," he says in a clearly annoyed tone. "I saw Nora's father give you money with the words water fee the other day."
"Next time I'll insist on a bank transfer," I sigh. I glance at my mother. I'm visibly uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Fifty bucks," I admit quietly. Not only my mother looks at me in surprise.
"Okay," Andy says. "Nora, either you forgo this farewell or find someone who can pay the snake."
He's about to head to his motorcycle when suddenly a man dressed in black from head to toe steps in front of him.
The tight black suit reveals the man's muscles, and on his head, he wears something that looks like a helmet with a shiny silver visor.
He grabs Andy roughly by the arm. "You're coming with me, boy," the man says. I hide in my room so that I can still see out the window to watch what happens, but no one outside can see me.
"What's going on?" my mother asks. "Is Nora threatening you?"
She falls silent when she sees my pale face.
"Hey, let go of me, you jerk," Andy curses. He tries to break free from the man's grip.
One punch and the boy falls unconscious.
"Andy!" Nora screams. "Leave or I'll call the cops." Her voice trembles with fear.
I look to my mother for help. She stands in the doorway and has started trembling again.
The man shows little interest in the girl's threat.
Suddenly, another man dressed in black appears behind Nora. He knocks her unconscious.
"Can you tell me why we're also supposed to capture women?" the second man in black demands to know. "And everyone from the surrounding areas."
"Let me explain something to you," the first man says. "We are just warriors. We receive tasks, follow them, and don't ask questions." He sighs. "I overheard our commander's conversation with our lovely fury the other day. She said our ruler is looking for an old acquaintance."
I am almost speechless. I look at my mother in disbelief.
Internally, I pray that their conversation didn't reach Mum, but to my relief, the two men didn't speak loudly enough for her to hear. Now I have to admit that my mother is right. It's better to leave than to wait helplessly for death.
"Did they say anything?" my mother asks worriedly as I panic and close the window. I grab my suitcase to pack some of my things.
"No," I lie to her. But I can't look her in the eye with this lie. I don't want to tell her the truth either; it would only scare her more. "The fact that two men in black just kidnapped Nora and Andy is enough for me to think you might be right."
She is satisfied with my answer. I continue packing my things, but my parents notice that they have infected me with their fear.
Now, like my mother, I am trembling all over.
What do these people want from us when my mother was just a slave?
But still, I don't dare tell her about the men's conversation. Thinking about it makes my thoughts go wild.
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The next day, we sit silently in the kitchen, unable to have any conversation.
I'm afraid of saying something wrong. Something that would scare my parents even more about what's to come.
Nora's father visited us last night. He wanted to know if she met with Andy under my window that night.
My parents forbade me from talking about it.
Now he thinks she ran away or that Andy did something to her.
"You think this is all happening because of you," I bring up a topic that has been on my mind since last night.
My parents look at me questioningly.
"Janine," my mother says. She looks sadly at the tabletop.
"We'll see if everything turns out the way your mother thinks," my father says.
"It will happen!" Tears well up in her eyes.
"If those guys are after our family, then the question is why," I stick to the topic. "Mother said she was just a slave and my father a warrior. Or are they after my uncle and aunt?" I pause briefly. My parents look at me confused, then I add quietly, "I'm just trying to understand why this is happening."
"Janine, is there something you should tell us?" my mother demands to know. She looks at me angrily, and I inevitably look guiltily at the table.
I can no longer avoid the truth.
"Okay," I force myself to answer. I really don't want to panic them even more. "Those two guys from yesterday – those men in black – they said something."
My parents look at me expectantly. "What did they say?" my father demands to know.
I swallow.
"One of them asked why they should also capture women," I begin to explain. "The other responded that their ruler is looking for an old acquaintance."
I don't even need to look at my mother to know she has turned pale.
"I've thought about it and asked myself a question," I continue. "They say only young men and women have been kidnapped. If they are looking for you, why all this?" My parents seem little interested in my theory, but I continue speaking anyway. "Maybe they do this to scare you. Maybe it's all because they don't know where you live. And all this is happening only in the surrounding cities." I hastily add, "I mean the kidnapping of young women."
My mother looks uncertainly at the table. "If it's to scare me, then he's succeeded." She lets her head sink onto the table and begins to cry again.
"What I'm getting at is this," I continue. My father looks at me with interest. "You said that guy's father always did that. Destroyed cities and such." I pause briefly. "That he acted on the motto, 'whoever survives is lucky.'" My mother looks at me with tear-streaked eyes. Now she seems interested too. "Maybe it's all just to make you flee so they can ambush you."
"A nice theory, but we can't rely on that." My mother manages a smile that looks quite strained. "That guy would certainly not hesitate to destroy a planet."
I decide to leave it for now and ask her about it again later. I still believe we should stay here. Somehow I feel that my parents are making exactly the mistake this unknown guy is waiting for.
My parents don't want to see that.
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As evening falls, they call for departure. They want to leave the car. My parents believe that a car stands out more than three fleeing people making their way through the forest.
"Mom, why are they after you?" I ask as we reach the forest. I drag a suitcase behind me, stumbling now and then over a branch, hill, or stone. It's not pleasant to walk through the forest without a shred of light.
I sit down on a fallen tree. "Such an operation isn't staged for a few insignificant people." My mother sits next to me. "So why are you being hunted?"
She looks up at the round moon. A tear rolls down her cheek.
"I think he's hoping to find my deceased husband and your brother here," my mother replies.
"Brother?" I look at her questioningly.
"You had an older brother a long time ago," she begins to explain. It seems like there's pride in her voice. "My son was once supposed to be the savior of the universe, but he sacrificed himself for our small group."
At the moment, it's all quite a lot for me and very confusing. I can't even believe her old story now, then there's my father, and now a brother too. Still, I listen intently to her tale.
"My husband was a great warrior who only made the mistake of trying to kill Makko's youngest son. He tampered with the boy's spaceship, which the boy liked to use for small ventures. Unfortunately, the boy managed to make an emergency landing on a planet where he befriended two creatures of a species that could kill a person with their thoughts alone."
Some of what she's telling sounds more fantastical to me than it could possibly be true. But I trust my mother to tell me the truth, even if it sounds incredible.
"No one ever found out who committed the attack. Who wouldn't have been fascinated by the idea of killing the boy back then?" A smile crosses her lips at the thought. I can't imagine it amuses her, perhaps only out of nostalgia.
"After that, he never tried again, but I did," my mother continues after a short pause. "Schalia was a slave, but as Makko's mistress, she had dozens of servants. I was one of them and enjoyed her full trust. While she met her servants' mistakes with the harshness of a true ruler, she was blind to my actions, and I took advantage of that." She pauses again, looking down.
As she speaks, I can see a play of different emotions on her face. Deep shadows of sorrow and despair, which are dismissed by an amused laugh the next moment.
"I remember it was the 13th birthday of that fury Kaia. This little monster was constantly jumping around me. The girl never missed a chance to try out her newly discovered abilities on me, and she learned from my thoughts that I had poisoned the food of the entire ruling family. Makko and his sons could still be treated with an antidote. Schalia died."
My mother laughs.
"I could easily intimidate Kaia. Makko had threatened the girl with death if she tried to read anyone's thoughts or play with her power. So she remained silent. It might have been a way to get rid of her, but I valued my life. Maybe she told her friend about it, and that's why he's trying to find me. No idea."
Suddenly, we hear an explosion behind us. My father runs off to see what it was. My mother knows what he'll find there. Merciless flames consuming the houses. The end of our home.
"I told you so." A disturbed smile lies on her lips as she says it. "The only thing we can do is flee."
My father returns.
"The whole village is burning," he tells us, panic in his voice. Behind him, the sky is bathed in the red of many blazing fires.
I don't like any of this!
"I still think it was a mistake to leave the village," I mention. Fear rises in me. "It all seems like the sole goal is to capture us alive. Why else would the entire village be destroyed?" My panicked gaze sweeps through the darkness of the night, as if searching for signs of a trap. "I don't understand any of this."
My mother strokes my black hair, gently freeing my neck. Then I feel a slight prick.
My father rushes to catch me, looking questioningly at my mother.
"A sedative," she explains. "It's better if she sleeps for now. Anton said he would send someone to bring us to safety. We just need to reach the edge of the forest and find the car."
My eyes close, my whole body goes limp, but I don't fall asleep. Apparently, the drug doesn't work as it should.
I feel paralyzed and remain aware of everything happening around me.
"We need to get out of here quickly," my mother calls out in panic. "The suitcases are unimportant, but we need to get to the car."
My father starts running. His steps are hectic.
"If we get away from here, then he can't do anything to you anymore?" my father asks. Suddenly he stops, his grip on me tightens.
My mother doesn't answer his question; someone else does.
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As evening falls, they call for departure. They want to leave the car. My parents believe that a car stands out more than three fleeing people making their way through the forest.
"Mom, why are they after you?" I ask as we reach the forest. I drag a suitcase behind me, stumbling now and then over a branch, hill, or stone. It's not pleasant to walk through the forest without a shred of light.
I sit down on a fallen tree. "Such an operation isn't staged for a few insignificant people." My mother sits next to me. "So why are you being hunted?"
She looks up at the round moon. A tear rolls down her cheek.
"I think he's hoping to find my deceased husband and your brother here," my mother replies.
"Brother?" I look at her questioningly.
"You had an older brother a long time ago," she begins to explain. It seems like there's pride in her voice. "My son was once supposed to be the savior of the universe, but he sacrificed himself for our small group."
At the moment, it's all quite a lot for me and very confusing. I can't even believe her old story now, then there's my father, and now a brother too. Still, I listen intently to her tale.
"My husband was a great warrior who only made the mistake of trying to kill Makko's youngest son. He tampered with the boy's spaceship, which the boy liked to use for small ventures. Unfortunately, the boy managed to make an emergency landing on a planet where he befriended two creatures of a species that could kill a person with their thoughts alone."
Some of what she's telling sounds more fantastical to me than it could possibly be true. But I trust my mother to tell me the truth, even if it sounds incredible.
"No one ever found out who committed the attack. Who wouldn't have been fascinated by the idea of killing the boy back then?" A smile crosses her lips at the thought. I can't imagine it amuses her, perhaps only out of nostalgia.
"After that, he never tried again, but I did," my mother continues after a short pause. "Schalia was a slave, but as Makko's mistress, she had dozens of servants. I was one of them and enjoyed her full trust. While she met her servants' mistakes with the harshness of a true ruler, she was blind to my actions, and I took advantage of that." She pauses again, looking down.
As she speaks, I can see a play of different emotions on her face. Deep shadows of sorrow and despair, which are dismissed by an amused laugh the next moment.
"I remember it was the 13th birthday of that fury Kaia. This little monster was constantly jumping around me. The girl never missed a chance to try out her newly discovered abilities on me, and she learned from my thoughts that I had poisoned the food of the entire ruling family. Makko and his sons could still be treated with an antidote. Schalia died."
My mother laughs.
"I could easily intimidate Kaia. Makko had threatened the girl with death if she tried to read anyone's thoughts or play with her power. So she remained silent. It might have been a way to get rid of her, but I valued my life. Maybe she told her friend about it, and that's why he's trying to find me. No idea."
Suddenly, we hear an explosion behind us. My father runs off to see what it was. My mother knows what he'll find there. Merciless flames consuming the houses. The end of our home.
"I told you so." A disturbed smile lies on her lips as she says it. "The only thing we can do is flee."
My father returns.
"The whole village is burning," he tells us, panic in his voice. Behind him, the sky is bathed in the red of many blazing fires.
I don't like any of this!
"I still think it was a mistake to leave the village," I mention. Fear rises in me. "It all seems like the sole goal is to capture us alive. Why else would the entire village be destroyed?" My panicked gaze sweeps through the darkness of the night, as if searching for signs of a trap. "I don't understand any of this."
My mother strokes my black hair, gently freeing my neck. Then I feel a slight prick.
My father rushes to catch me, looking questioningly at my mother.
"A sedative," she explains. "It's better if she sleeps for now. Anton said he would send someone to bring us to safety. We just need to reach the edge of the forest and find the car."
My eyes close, my whole body goes limp, but I don't fall asleep. Apparently, the drug doesn't work as it should.
I feel paralyzed and remain aware of everything happening around me.
"We need to get out of here quickly," my mother calls out in panic. "The suitcases are unimportant, but we need to get to the car."
My father starts running. His steps are hectic.
"If we get away from here, then he can't do anything to you anymore?" my father asks. Suddenly he stops, his grip on me tightens.
My mother doesn't answer his question; someone else does.
"If you could get away, I wouldn't have bothered to look for you again."
I recognize the voice of one of the men from the radio transmission.
"Oh Janera," he sighs. "Look behind you."
I feel my father turn around and suddenly tense up. He falls to his knees.
"Bastard!" my mother snarls at the man.
I hear the crunch of branches under approaching steps.
"Your little girl is smart," the man calls out. He stops just in front of us. "You should have listened to her and stayed in your house. You would have been safe there all this time. Nothing would have happened." The man pauses briefly, then asks mockingly, "How did you like that projection?"
"Damn bastard!" my mother yells at him. My father pulls himself together. He takes a few steps and then leans my limp body against a tree.
"I didn't intend to greet you personally," the stranger explains. His voice sounds arrogant. "But as I took a closer look at the area, I noticed three people. Well, you can imagine I expected more, dearest Janera."
Janera. Is that my mother's real name?
"Your story was quite nice," the man says. "Wait a moment." He pauses before clearing his throat. "Sweetest of all women," he coos. "It was said earlier that someone familiar to you and me was responsible for Schalia's death, and you, my dearest friend, knew about it." He pauses again. "Aha, and why didn't you tell me about it later?" Another pause.
Is he alone, or is there someone else here? I suspect he's alone. He seems to be communicating with this friend through a device.
"What do you mean: thought it wasn't important to you!" Now he sounds shaken. "You better move your sweet ass here so I can lecture you on what's important to me and what's not. Otherwise, you'll have too much time to think up something for me to forget everything."
The man sighs.
"Okay, what's new to me?" He starts listing. "Your son is dead, so I can forget the hoped-for fight with him. I knew the prophecy would never come true. Superstitious people! You want to show them personally that it's all nonsense, but then the hope-bearer is already dead."
He sounds disappointed by my brother's death, yet there's a lot of scorn in his voice.
"That I have Malgard to thank for my dear friends is also news to me. Unfortunately, I can't thank him anymore. This little girl seems to have inherited only your beauty. Nothing else."
Under normal circumstances, such a thing would flatter me. But this moment is not normal.
"The lucky one! She must have inherited her intelligence from her father. I wouldn't have thought Kaia's plan would work. It wouldn't have either if Malgard were still alive."
This Malgard must have been my father.
"Well, I had hoped that my warriors would find your little daughter." He laughs loudly. "I'm not one for waiting around. At least you were smart enough to protect her."
"Please, Torsos, don't harm my daughter," my mother pleads. "She has nothing to do with all of this, nor does my husband."
"Husband?" He seems genuinely surprised. "So you've fallen in love with this Earthling, dear Janera." He pauses briefly. "I can't really do much with the man," Torsos admits. "But I am interested in what Malgard and your son died from. I hope this isn't a trap."
"No!" my mother answers, her voice filled with pain. "My husband died less than a year after we arrived on this planet from some disease. Our son died because his capsule was defective. Any of us would have traded places with him, but he chose to kill himself rather than decide which one of us he would kill."
"He doesn't take after either of his parents," Torsos states with contempt.
My mother slaps the ground with her hand. "Let's go," she begs him. "My son died a long time ago, and we are not important to you." I hear my mother sobbing. How I wish I could comfort her and scream at him. But in my current situation, that's simply not possible.
"The man is indeed uninteresting to me," Torsos partly agrees with her. "I am kind and will let him go, but as for you, my dear, you won't get away so easily."
"But Janine, please let her go," my father now pleads. "She is still so young."
Torsos laughs amusedly. "I must admit, I have retained some aspects of my father's regime. Including a planet called Tormahs. I'm sure you remember it."
My mother has told me that Tormahs is a slave planet where she once lived.
I suddenly feel uneasy. A future as a slave is not exactly what I wish for.
Then Torsos continues, sounding very amused. "Its function has largely remained the same, for the sake of my subordinates. I also find it quite relaxing there." He pauses briefly to observe my mother's reaction.
She repeats the word "No" over and over.
"As a slave, you should still be accustomed to fulfilling men's needs without objection."
She breaks into tears again.
"But I am so kind and will spare your pretty little daughter such a fate."
Torsos sounds to me like he wants to torment my mother. I can understand him. After all, she is to blame for the death of someone who meant a lot to him.
"You've probably already noticed that it's difficult for our race to reproduce with another species," he explains briefly.
I feel myself blush at the thought that follows.
"Either our race is almost completely wiped out, or everyone has fled far, far away," he says with a sigh. "In any case, no one of our species can be found. Neither in my territory nor in my brother's." Suddenly, a hand gently strokes my cheek. "This girl comes in handy. If she behaves and bears me a son, I will give her a good life."
I would have screamed loudly if I could, "Does this guy want to use me as a breeding machine?"
Whether ruler or not, he can't possibly believe he owns my body.
"Don't you dare touch her," my father shouts.
"I'll put this guy to sleep first," Torsos says. I only hear my father groan and something large fall to the ground.
"Janera, believe me, after what I've heard from your mouth, it would give me great pleasure to slowly and painfully kill both of them in front of your eyes," Torsos confesses to my mother. I hear nothing but endless hatred in his voice. "But I think it will torment you more if I take your little daughter and make you a less fortunate grandmother. Maybe it'll be just as fun with her in bed as it was with you back then. Then I'll keep her a little longer."
I can't see it, but I can imagine him grinning at my mother.
Suddenly, I hear my mother groan.
And what's next? I wonder. Everything around me is quiet.
The next thing I notice is someone sitting down next to me. He leans against the tree, so damn close.
"Let's see what she gave you," Torsos calls out curiously. "Another proof of what an idiot Janera is." He sighs. "Poor girl, I thought you wouldn't notice any of this. Your mother can be quite a handful."
Now his voice sounds different. Much nicer.
"I hope for your sake that the old stuff has no side effects. It would be a shame."
"What's going on here, my big, strong, handsome, and clever ruler?" calls out a lovely female voice.
I recognize her voice! She was part of the radio broadcast! Kaia, as she called herself, warned Earth.
The next thing she says sounds more thoughtful. "This lady looks familiar to me somehow."
"I told you, I'm looking for an old acquaintance," he explains.
"Oh, now it all makes sense," the young woman exclaims. She sounds uncomfortable. "And I thought it was someone who knew about things back then. Somehow, I hoped she would be long dead."
"Cryosleep," Torsos replies. "Quite useful when you want to flee far, far away." He sighs. "I'm not mad at you. After all, you must have kept it a secret out of fear. I'm just disappointed in you."
"Weren't you crazy about this lady back in the day?" Kaia ponders. "I remember you always being around her and obediently listening to everything she said."
"Yes, back in the day. When my father was still alive and complained about how his son could fall in love with one of our slaves. But I also remember a sweet redhead who always did something to get my attention and whose jealous fits annoyed me even back then."
"Oh, those were the good old days!" Kaia reminisces.
"Believe me!" Torsos sighs. "My father was glad when Malgard wanted to buy her from him. The only thing Janera is good at is scheming. She even tried to get herself impregnated by me or my brother. She probably hoped to secure a better life that way. It hit me like a punch when I found out."
"Aw," comes from Kaia. "Poor girl." A small woman's hand pats my forehead.
"Say it, Janera isn't too bright!" shouts Torsos. "Everyone knows that stuff isn't a sleeping aid." He sighs loudly. "Maybe she'll cope better with the knowledge that her mother is a nasty snake, knowing that I'm separating the two of them!"
"And what are you going to do with them?"
"Don't try to talk me out of sending Janera to Tormahs!" Torsos declares. "That's what I prefer. You can take care of it first. With you, I can be sure she won't be let go out of pity. I trust her enough to influence my warriors to show Janera mercy."
"Poor little one." His voice carries genuine sympathy for me.
I can't think much at the moment. I need to process all the things I've learned.
"Not only is she losing her home, but she also found out that her real father is dead, as well as her brother, and that her mother can be a cold-hearted beast. Then I unknowingly said a few unpleasant things." His hand gently strokes my black hair. "Nothing against you, but I deeply hate your mother," he says to me. "It's tempting to have a young woman of my race lying before me. It stirs desires. Maybe I can persuade her into a compromise. What other choices does she have? Me, my brother, and maybe Logola, if he still lives on this planet. In any case, I can't leave her here. She doesn't belong on this planet."
Apparently, Logola is my uncle Anton.
Torsos stands up and brushes the dirt off his clothes. "I'll free the girl from this paralysis her mother caused and then take her to the station."
Suddenly, two strong men's arms lift my motionless body into the air. My head falls against Torsos' muscular chest.
Under normal circumstances, a moment akin to many dreams.
"Take Janera to Tormahs, but control yourself, Kaia," Torsos warns her.
"Spoilsport!" she shouts loudly.
I feel him start moving. He carefully carries me through the forest. It seems he has no trouble finding his way despite the darkness. Probably, he illuminates the surroundings without needing to hold anything, like a flashlight.
At the end of the path, it suddenly goes up a few steps. Once at the top, he sets me down on a cold, metallic surface. I feel a prick in my right arm, and then my whole body begins to tingle.
Torsos grabs my hand. "When you can move again, give me a quick squeeze," he instructs me. I obey, and it works. "With the old stuff, you never know. But apparently, it has a shelf life of over 200 years."
I don't quite understand the number, but I note it.
I open my eyes. Blurred, I perceive the outline of a man in fiery red clothing.
In his hand, Torsos holds a long object that he presses against my right arm.
He brings his face very close to mine. Now I can see something, but only two dark gray, almost black eyes looking at me kindly and challengingly.
"I'm curious to see how Malgard's daughter fares in an environment like the death zone."
I feel a slight prick where he presses the syringe.
"But don't worry, I'll watch over you. Now sleep, my dear."
As if on cue, I'm overcome by a sleepiness that pulls me into a dreamless slumber.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
This is the beginning of my story and the end of my utterly normal life. Unfortunately, not as hoped with a contract from a modeling agency.
Something about those two that night interested me. Maybe it was Kaia's lively nature or the moment the strong stranger carried me through the night.
Only one thing I can't believe is that my mother is really such a beast. Even when she told me she wanted to wipe out Torsos' entire family.
One thing is certain that night.
I don't want my mother to live another life as a slave. I could never bear that thought.