Chapter 12

Tharx stood at the large window of his private chambers, his broad shoulders stiff, his glowing eyes fixed on the alien cityscape beyond the fortress walls. The greenish hue of the sky cast an eerie glow over the jagged, sprawling metropolis below, making the entire world look as alien as he felt. The city pulsed with life, its towering structures twisting like the veins of a living organism, their black stone exteriors shimmering in the strange light. The energy of the city vibrated through the ground, but to Tharx, it all felt distant.

No matter how hard he tried to focus on the matters of his empire, his thoughts kept circling back to her-Aeliana. She had burrowed into his mind like an infection, an unwelcome complication that he could not seem to expel. It had been weeks since he had moved her into his personal wing, and despite his best efforts to distance himself, she was always there-not just physically but in his thoughts, invading his carefully constructed walls of control.

He clenched his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides as he glared down at the city below. What had he been thinking, bringing her here? A human-weak, fragile, and out of place in his world. She didn't belong here, yet every time he tried to remind himself of that fact, something within him stirred.

She was dangerous, not because of any inherent threat, but because of what she did to him. She was slowly unraveling the cold detachment he had spent years perfecting, and it was making him reckless. His people were already watching him more closely than ever before. The advisors had begun whispering among themselves, and his enemies were growing bold, sensing a crack in his armor.

That crack was her.

Tharx let out a long, frustrated breath, pushing away from the window. He couldn't let this continue. Aeliana was a complication he couldn't afford. She was supposed to be an insignificant pawn, a trophy of his conquest, but now she had become something else-something he couldn't control. He had seen her in the library earlier, though she didn't know it. He had watched as she wandered through the shelves, her eyes lighting up with curiosity and wonder as she explored his collection.

She had looked so human. So different from everything in his world. She didn't belong here, but still, he couldn't bring himself to send her away.

Foolish.

He was a king. He had no time for such distractions. He should have thrown her back into her cell the moment she challenged him. But instead, he had given her more freedom. He had let her roam his wing, let her into places that should have remained off-limits.

His fists tightened.

What is wrong with me?

Before he could stop himself, Tharx left his chambers, his strides purposeful as he made his way through the winding corridors of his fortress. He didn't know exactly what he was going to say to her when he saw her, but he knew he needed to confront her. To remind her-and himself-of her place.

Aeliana was seated comfortably in the library when the door slammed open behind her.

Her body jolted at the sudden noise, her fingers tightening around the spine of the book she had been reading-Pride and Prejudice, of all things. The familiar words had been like a balm to her, helping her forget, at least for a little while, the strange and terrifying world she had been thrust into. But now, with the door flung open and the heavy presence of Tharx looming in the doorway, all sense of comfort vanished.

He stood in the threshold, his imposing frame casting a long shadow across the room. His glowing eyes burned with something dark and unreadable as he stared at her, his expression a mixture of frustration and something else-something far more dangerous.

"What are you doing in here?" Tharx's voice was low, sharp, like the edge of a blade.

Aeliana blinked, momentarily thrown off by his tone. She hadn't expected him to react so strongly to finding her in the library. After all, she had been given permission to explore his wing.

"I I didn't think-" she began, her words faltering as she quickly stood up from the chair. "I didn't know this room was off-limits."

"It is my private space," he growled, stepping closer. "You had no right to enter."

Aeliana bristled at his tone, her fear giving way to irritation. He had given her the freedom to move around his wing, yet now he was acting as if she had violated some sacred rule. She hadn't asked to be in this situation, to be his prisoner in this cold, unwelcoming fortress. And now, after weeks of silence, he was suddenly angry with her for something as simple as reading a book?

"Well, excuse me for not reading your mind," she snapped, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Maybe next time, you should put up a sign."

Tharx's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening as he took another step toward her. His presence was suffocating, his height and sheer physicality overwhelming in the confined space of the library. He towered over her, his gaze locked onto hers with an intensity that made her heart race.

"You are insolent," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Aeliana's pulse quickened, but she refused to back down. She had spent too long feeling powerless in his world. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her, not now, not when she finally had a moment of solace in this strange, alien environment.

"I'm not trying to be insolent," she said, her tone softening slightly but still holding firm. "I'm just I didn't know this place was so personal to you. I didn't think I needed your permission."

Tharx stared at her for a long, tense moment, his jaw clenched so tightly she could see the muscles straining beneath his skin. His eyes flickered briefly to the book in her hand-Pride and Prejudice-before returning to her face.

"I don't need to explain myself to you," he said coldly, but there was something beneath the surface of his words, a tension that told Aeliana this wasn't just about her being in his library. There was something deeper at play, something he wasn't willing to admit.

"Fine," Aeliana replied, her voice laced with exasperation. "But I'm not trying to cause any problems. I've been stuck in this fortress with nothing to do, and this place it's the only thing that feels remotely human."

Her words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Tharx's expression shifted. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Aeliana thought she saw a flicker of something-regret, perhaps, or understanding-pass over his face. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by the cold mask he wore so well.

"This is my world," Tharx said, his voice quieter now but still full of authority. "You do not belong here."

Aeliana's heart clenched at his words. He had said them so many times before, but now, for some reason, they felt heavier. More final. But despite the sting of his rejection, she couldn't help but push back.

"Maybe I don't," she said softly, her gaze never leaving his. "But I'm here. You brought me here. And I don't know why, but you keep me in this place, watching over me like I'm something precious. You say I don't belong, but you've done everything to keep me safe."

Tharx's eyes darkened, and for a brief moment, Aeliana thought she had pushed him too far. His fists tightened at his sides, and his gaze flicked away from her, as if he couldn't bear to look at her any longer.

"You are nothing to me," he said, but his voice lacked its usual conviction.

Aeliana's breath hitched, her chest tightening with a mix of frustration and something she couldn't quite name. She was so tired of his walls, of his cold indifference that never seemed quite genuine. She took a step closer, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then why do you keep coming back?"

The question lingered in the air, heavy and charged with the tension between them. Tharx didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stood there, his shoulders stiff, his breathing slow and deliberate. His gaze was fixed on a point beyond her, as if he was wrestling with something deep inside him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Tharx spoke, his voice low and rough. "Because you are a distraction I cannot afford."

Aeliana's heart pounded in her chest as his words washed over her. She wanted to challenge him, to ask him what he truly meant, but something in his expression stopped her. He looked haunted. As if the war he was fighting wasn't just against her, but against himself.

For the first time since she had met him, Aeliana saw the cracks in his armor. He wasn't just cold and detached. He was struggling. And she had become the source of that struggle.

Tharx turned sharply, his cape swirling behind him as he moved toward the door. "Stay out of my private spaces," he ordered, his voice regaining its usual hardness. "Next time, there will be consequences."

And then he was gone, leaving Aeliana standing alone in the vast, silent library.

She let out a shaky breath, her heart still racing from the intensity of their confrontation. She didn't know what had just happened, but one thing was certain: Tharx was fighting something. Whether it was his feelings for her or something else entirely, she didn't know.

But she wasn't going to stop pushing. Not yet.