Page 2 of Her Immortal Love

"Gods and goddesses," Akeldama confirms, his voice a low purr of amusement that seems to twist all around us.

I scan the gathering, trying to make sense of what I'm seeing. There are twelve in total, and I realize that they are not unalike Akeldama himself. Each deity seems to radiate a different energy - some fierce and warlike, others serene and mysterious. But it's not just the gods that catch my attention. Among them, I spot figures I've never encountered before.

"What are those?" I ask, gesturing towards a group of gray-skinned beings. They're tall and lithe, with an otherworldly grace that sets them apart from anything I've seen on Earth.

Akeldama's grin widens, revealing teeth that seem just a bit too sharp. "Ah, it seems they've been busy while I was away."

I study the creatures more closely. Despite their alien appearance, there's something familiar about them. The way they move, the gleam in their eyes - it reminds me of us, of the vrakken.

"Did they... did the gods create them?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Akeldama nods, his form shifting subtly. For a moment, he looks almost like one of the creatures before settling back into another figure I once knew. "Indeed they did. It seems I'm not the only one who can play at being creators." His lips curl up into a grin. "Dark elves?" he says quietly, almost like he is answering one of the others.

Are they talking to each other now? Have we been made as pawns in the game of gods?

I don't have time to ponder that as the implications of his words hit me like a physical blow. We're not alone here. We're not the only powerful beings on this planet. And from the way the gods and dark elves are eyeing us, I have a feeling they're not thrilled about our arrival.

2

ALINA

Ijolt awake, my head throbbing and my vision blurry. The ground beneath me feels... wrong. It's not the soft sand of the Greek beach I remember. It's rough, scratching against my skin.

"What the..." I blink rapidly, trying to clear my vision. As the world comes into focus, my breath catches in my throat. This isn't Greece. This isn't anywhere I've ever seen before.

The sky above me is a deep, unnatural purple, swirling with clouds that look more like smoke. And there, hanging impossibly in the air, are two moons. Two. Fucking. Moons.

"No, no, no," I mutter, scrambling to my feet. My legs feel weak, like I've been asleep for days. "This isn't real. It can't be real."

I spin around, taking in my surroundings. The landscape is alien, dotted with twisted, gnarled trees that look more like sculptures than living things. In the distance, I see mountains that seem to defy gravity, their peaks curling inward like massive claws reaching for the sky.

My heart races, pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. This has to be a dream, right? Some kind of hallucination? Butthe air I'm breathing feels too real, carrying scents I can't even begin to describe. And the ground... I look down, then around.

I'm in a fucking cage.

I barely notice the other humans around me as panic rises in my chest, threatening to overwhelm me. The last thing I remember is walking along the beach in Greece, the warm sun on my skin, the sound of waves... How did I get here? Where even is here?

I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly aware of how vulnerable I am. I'm still wearing my sundress from the beach, but it offers little protection against the chill that's settling into my bones.

"Think, Alina, think," I mutter to myself, trying to stay calm. But how can I stay calm when everything around me screams that I'm not on Earth anymore? The two moons mock me from above, a constant reminder that I'm so far from home I can't even comprehend it.

I'm yanked from my panicked thoughts as the cage door creaks open. A harsh voice barks out commands my muffled sense don't hear, but as everyone else moves, the meaning is clear: get out.

My legs shake as I stumble forward, nearly tripping over my own feet. The other humans around me look just as terrified and confused as I feel. We're herded like animals toward what looks like some kind of holding pen in the distance.

"What's happening?" I whisper to no one in particular, my voice trembling. No one answers. We're all too scared to speak.

As we walk, I catch glimpses of our captors. My breath catches in my throat. These... creatures... they're not human. They almost look like it but they are pale and gorgeous with massive wings folded against their backs.

But it's what they're doing that really makes my heart stop. One of them raises a hand, and I swear I see flames dancingacross their fingertips. Another gestures, and the earth itself seems to ripple in response.

"Magic," I breathe, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. "That's... that's fucking magic."

A woman next to me lets out a choked sob. "This can't be real," she whimpers. "We're dreaming. We have to be dreaming."

But we're not dreaming. The rough ground beneath my bare feet, the acrid smell in the air, the bone-deep chill that's settled into my body – it's all too real.

I watch in horrified fascination as one of the winged creatures lifts off the ground, soaring over our heads with impossible grace. Their wings catch the strange light, shimmering like oil on water.

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