31.

Zephyr’s POV

Present Time

The pounding headache was relentless, a cruel reminder of my sudden and overwhelming reality. Blinking my eyes open, I saw the smooth metallic ceiling above me, glowing faintly with veins of light. My body felt sluggish, my head spinning as I pushed myself up.

That’s when I noticed him—a boy my age, leaning over me, his dark eyes gleaming with curiosity and mischief. His messy black hair fell into his face, and he grinned when he saw me awake.

I recoiled instinctively, my heart leaping into my throat. “Who are you?”

The boy chuckled softly, clearly amused by my panic. “Xander,” he said, leaning back to give me space but not enough to ease my discomfort. “Ace’s younger brother.”

The name struck me like a jolt of electricity. Ace. He had brought me here, hadn’t he? His face flashed through my mind—his cold, sharp features and eyes that seemed to look through me rather than at me.

I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the dizziness. “Where is he?” I demanded, my voice sharp.

Xander shrugged, his grin widening. “Always in a rush, aren’t you? You fainted a few hours ago. Saw too many planets too fast, huh?”

His teasing grated on me, but I was more concerned about my surroundings. The room was sleek and unfamiliar, its silvery walls glowing faintly. It was unlike anything I had ever seen—beautiful and unsettling at the same time.

“Where is Ace?” I repeated, glaring at him.

He sighed theatrically and stood. “Fine, fine. I’ll take you to him. Follow me.”

I hesitated, unsure whether to trust him, but what choice did I have? My legs wobbled as I stood, but I forced myself to follow Xander out of the room.

The hallway we entered was impossibly large, its walls shimmering like liquid metal. Strange, glowing patterns pulsed beneath our feet, casting shifting light onto the ceiling. It was breathtaking, but I refused to let it distract me.

“You’ve never been on a spaceship before, huh?” Xander asked, his tone too casual for my liking.

I shot him a glare. “What do you think?”

“Fair point.” He smirked, clearly enjoying himself.

We finally reached a set of massive double doors that slid open with a hiss. The room beyond was spacious, with a high ceiling and walls covered in strange holographic panels. In the center stood Ace.

He looked exactly as I remembered—tall, with sharp features and a cold aura that seemed to chill the air around him. His silver hair caught the faint light, making him look even more untouchable.

“Ace!” I called out, stepping forward.

His piercing gaze snapped to me, and I immediately regretted speaking. His expression was icy, his eyes narrowing as he took me in.

“So, you’re awake,” he said, his voice calm but devoid of warmth.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, refusing to let his demeanor intimidate me. “Why am I here?”

His lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “You’re here because I brought you here.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his bluntness. “That doesn’t explain anything!”

“It doesn’t need to,” he said, turning his back to me and gesturing to Xander. “Keep your distance from her. She’s my slave.”

The words hung in the air, sharp and unforgiving. My chest tightened, anger flaring in me like a wildfire.

“Excuse me?” I snapped, stepping forward despite my better judgment. “Your what?”

Ace glanced at me over his shoulder, his expression unchanging. “My slave. You belong to me now.”

The arrogance in his tone was infuriating, and I could feel my hands clench into fists at my sides. “You can’t just… take someone and declare them your property!”

Ace turned fully to face me, his gaze as cold as the void outside the ship. “You’re aboard my ship, under my control. I can do whatever I want.”

My heart pounded, but I refused to back down. “I don’t care who you think you are—you have no right to treat me like this!”

Xander, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, finally spoke up. “Ace, don’t you think you’re being a little—”

“Stay out of this,” Ace snapped, cutting him off.

Xander raised his hands in mock surrender but shot me a look that seemed to say, Good luck.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Listen to me, Ace. I’m not some object you can own. I don’t care how big your ship is or how much power you think you have. You don’t own me.”

For a moment, his expression flickered—something like surprise breaking through the ice—but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

“You’ll learn your place soon enough,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Until then, you’d do well to remember who’s in charge here.”

I refused to let his words intimidate me. “And you’d do well to remember that I’m not afraid of you.”

A tense silence settled over the room, the air crackling with unspoken defiance.

Finally, Ace turned away, his shoulders stiff. “Xander, show her to her quarters. She’ll need time to adjust.”

Xander hesitated, glancing between us. “Uh, sure. Right this way, Zephyr.”

I glared at Ace’s back one last time before following Xander out of the room. My blood boiled with anger, but I knew better than to press further—for now.

“You’re braver than most people who talk to him,” Xander said once we were in the hallway.

“He’s a tyrant,” I muttered, my voice trembling with fury.

Xander snorted. “You’re not wrong. But be careful—he doesn’t take challenges lightly.”

“Neither do I,” I said firmly.

Xander grinned, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. “Well, this should be interesting.”

As we walked, my mind raced with possibilities. I didn’t know how I’d ended up here or why Ace thought he could control me, but one thing was certain: I wouldn’t let him win.

No matter how big his ship was or how cold he acted, I would find a way to fight back.