19.
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
“This is where you'll be staying,” Xyriel says to me as he leads me inside a room of a three hundred story building. Yes, it's bigger than any skyscraper I've ever seen back on earth. Even way bigger than the anyone in New York or Dubai.
I look around the room. It's huge and spacious, more colourful than the room I was given back at NASA. There are various artworks in the room, along with three humanoids. I can tell they haven't been programmed yet by how dead and unmoving they look.
“You're free to go anywhere within the building,” Xyriel continues behind me while my legs leads me to the huge window in the room. From the window I can see the whole of Tukik city, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen — second to Xyriel's amazonite eyes. There are also two suns in the sky. How's that even possible? “My room is the next room here, so you can visit anytime you like.”
I forcefully tear my gaze away from the room and turn to look at Xyriel, and for a minute my heart stop beating. The reflection of the sun casting through the window reflects against Xyriel skin, making him look so angelic. It takes everything within me not to pounce…clears throat. “So, what am I to do now that I'm here?”
Xyriel shrugs. “Anything you want. The building is mine, so you can go anywhere —”
“The building is yours?” I asked, my eyes almost bulging out. The building on earth would be worth more than billions, so of course I'm surprised. “You're rich?”
“I'm a god,” he says flatly like it's a common title. I want to doubt his words, but with everything that has happened in the past twenty-four hours, I know better than to.
“Let me guess, god of doom?” I say, trying to sound unbothered by the fact that, one, Xyriel is an alien which is honestly still mindboggling. And two, he's a god. A real god.
Xyriel nods. “I remember telling you that before.”
“You've got powers?”
“Are there gods without power?”
“Well no,” I reply, crossing my arm around my chest as I try to imagine the sort of power he wields. Since he's the god of doom, I assume he has power that can destroy nations…or even planets. The thought of it makes me shiver.
Xyriel chuckle brings me out of my reverie, and the sound of it makes me realize how much I've missed hearing him chuckle. He moves closer to me and places a gentle hand on my cheeks. He bends a little so his face is close to mine and I have to hold in my breath with how close we are. It's making my skin bristle and I can feel my heart run a marathon. “Don't worry, I won't destroy earth or even use my powers against you, Ophelia. But I have to leave now for a meeting. I promise when I'm back, I'll spend most of my time with you. Also, I'll teach you on how to operate the humanoids.”
I say nothing as he retracts his hand from my cheeks. I'm almost tempted to tell him to place his hand back because of how warm it feels against mine, but I don't. He takes a step back from me and turn, heading towards the door until he's gone completely, leaving me alone in the room.
I don't know how many minutes I use to stare at the door once Xyriel is gone, but I do know I'm once again snapped out of my thoughts by a knock on the door.
Who can it be? Xyriel? I wonder as I quickly head towards the door, my spacesuit dragging me back a bit from its heaviness. I open the door slightly and see that it isn't Xyriel. It's in fact the alien that had bowed before Xyriel when we'd both came down from the spacecraft. Yep, the one that oddly reminds me of Patrick from SpongeBob.
“Good day, madam Ophelia,” the alien says with a polite bow. I'm honestly more impressed that he can speak English than the bow he gave to me. “Master Xyriel told me to keep you company and see to your needs until he's back.”
“Oh, thank you,” I reply as I open the door widely for him to enter.
“Clothes? Food? Water? Run you a bath? What do you need, Madam?” He bombards me immediately with questions. His pink eyes locked on me like I'm going to run away any second from now.
“Huh-uh, calm down,” I tell him with a smile. “Why don't we start by you telling me your name. It's not fair that you're the only one allowed to know mine.”
“Pardon me, madam Ophelia,” he apologizes with a bow again. He's treating me like royalty and I actually don't even mind it. If anything, it warms to know someone can treat me with respect. After all, I've spent all my life without being respected. “My name is Pini.”
“Pini?”
“Yes. Pi-ni.”
Pini helps me run a cold water bath and with some change of clothes. The clothes is way different from the one's on earth. There's no jeans or even simple gowns. I'm given a gold wrapper gown that closely resembles a Japanese kimono. I pack my hair into a rough bun and head towards the little dinning area in the room where Pini had helped place my food.
The food is honestly so good. Really good. It's nothing like I've ever tasted before. As I eat, I'm greeted with a view of the sunset. The two suns setting. Soon darkness takes over and while Pini clears the table, my mind goes back to the rest of the recruits. I wonder what they're doing right now and if they're being treated as good as I am. I need to do something…I won't say I'm selfless, but still, I need to help them in anyway that I can.
“How was dinner?”
I turn back to see Xyriel enter the room while Pini leaves. I smile, standing up as I approach him. “When did you arrive?” I ask.
“Just now,” he says, grabbing my hand. We both head towards a chair that's opposite the huge window in the room and we take our seat there. “You were on my mind throughout the time I was at the meeting, and I don't understand why. It's the first time this will ever be happening to me.”
I open my mouth to say something — anything— but my tongue is suddenly tied up as I bring my legs to the chair and hide my flushing face in it. After a while, I look up to see Xyriel till staring at me and my eyes flicker down to his lips. His lips…I've never really paid any attention to it before, but staring at it now I can say I'm staring at the most plumpest lips I've ever seen.
“You’re staring—”
I cut him off with a kiss.