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A multitude of eyes, small and beady, peered out from folds of flesh, each one darting around, capturing everything in the room.
As I stepped closer, the faint smell of musk and something akin to damp earth reached my nostrils.
The room itself was cool compared to the warmth of the Prize Pool chamber.
I could feel the soft vibrations of machinery underneath my feet, humming in sync with the rhythm of my racing heart.
The Supervisor’s voice was surprisingly soft, almost melodic, a stark difference from his intimidating appearance. “You are Ellie, I presume?”
I nodded, trying to muster the courage to speak, but found my mouth dry.
“I’ve gone through your profile,” he continued, his eyes — well, some of them — fixated on a holographic screen that showed snippets of my life on Earth. “A nurse, isn’t that correct?”
Images of the hospital, my colleagues, and the countless patients I had cared for flashed before me.
It felt distant, a world away from this moon prison.
“How did you…?” I began, unable to fully form the question.
“Get so much information about you? We didn’t. We simply hijack the information your governments already collect on you.”
I nodded again, swallowing hard. “Yes, it was my profession on Earth.”
He leaned forward slightly, the layers of his fat shifting and moving.
The light caught the wet sheen of his skin, making it gleam. “I have a proposition for you,” he declared, his voice turning more serious.
I braced myself, fearing what he might suggest, but his next words took me completely by surprise.
“I need someone with your skills. One of our…” And he hesitated over the word, “prisoners has sustained injuries that our medics are struggling with. He won’t let anyone near him. If you can help him recover, I will grant you your freedom.”
For a moment, the weight of his words didn’t register.
When it did, a rush of emotions overwhelmed me — hope, relief, uncertainty.
My senses sharpened.
I became acutely aware of the gentle hum in the room, the slightly tangy taste of the recycled air, the soft material of my dress against my skin, and the mingling scents of the Supervisor’s musky aroma with the sterile environment.
“Why me?” I managed to whisper.
The Supervisor gave what could only be interpreted as a smile, his lips stretching to reveal rows of tiny, sharp teeth. “Your reputation precedes you, Ellie. I asked specifically for a female with your skills.”
So it was this asshole’s fault I was abducted in the first place?
I was tempted to run over and slap his sweaty face… but thought better of it.
Yes, he might be the one responsible for me being here, but he might also help me return home.
“But,” he interjected, breaking my chain of thought, “should you fail, you will find yourself back in the Prize Pool, with no hope of ever leaving Ikmal.”
The gravity of his statement wasn’t lost on me.
I considered the risks.
But then again, wasn’t I already destined for the Prize Pool?
I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by his offer.
