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Dotting the shimmering tapestry of stars were numerous floating platforms, not unlike the one we were trapped on.
They hung suspended in the void, silhouetted against the colorful swirls of distant galaxies and the gleaming arc of a nearby nebula.
The serene beauty of the cosmos juxtaposed against our dire situation was almost cruel in its irony.
Riley’s breath caught, her voice barely a whisper. “Are those…”
“Yes,” I nodded, my tone grave. “Platforms, just like ours. Each one, a stage for another gruesome show.”
Her shoulders sagged, the weight of our predicament evident in the lines that formed on her face.
The enormity of it all seemed to finally dawn on her.
Our confinement wasn’t just a matter of traversing forests and evading rivals; it spanned across the vastness of space.
“We’re so small,” she whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and despair. “Just a blip in this vastness.”
“Perhaps,” I conceded. “But every blip, every speck, has a story. And every story has value, no matter how insurmountable the odds seem. We have each other, and that counts for something.”
She turned to face me, her eyes searching mine.
I felt a connection, a shared understanding that neither of us was willing to be another faceless player in this cosmic spectacle.
She took a deep breath, determination once again burning in her gaze. “Okay, Talan, if our escape isn’t about forests and landscapes, but about this… space, then that’s what we tackle. There has to be a way out. Therealwaysis. Except for the Claiming part, I mean.”
The optimism in her voice was infectious, and I found myself wanting to believe.
Yet, a part of me — the part that had seen more of the universe’s cruelties — feared for her.
What if hope was just another part of the Malquarans’ twisted game?
Another way to amplify the drama of our desperation?
The obvious solution must have occurred to her:
That I was an alien male contestant too, that by mating with me, we could end this whole thing.
The peace was shattered when a guttural roar echoed through the dense forest below.
It wasn’t the sound of any of the alien males I had ever encountered, but something far more ferocious.
I could feel the vibrations even from our elevated perch.
Riley, jolted from the serenity of our previous moment, clasped my arm tightly.
“What was that?” she whispered, her eyes wide with trepidation.
I got to my feet, straining to get a clearer view.
My eyes darted over the treetops, trying to identify the source of the sound.
A series of massive, thrashing movements tore through the undergrowth.
It wasn’t just a sound; it was a presence, powerful and terrifying.
The jungle seemed to be alive with movement, the foliage shaking and trees swaying as if bowing to a mighty force.
Riley, her knuckles white from gripping the tree branch, followed my gaze. “Talan, what is it?”
