Page 14 of Celestial Bodies

The head physician spoke, “Your Highness, please come to the platform.”

Julen stepped onto the platform and lay down. The tough wood pressed against the underside of his body. Several physicians approached and locked Julen’s wrists and ankles into the manacles. His eyes widened as he stared at the metal bob above him. If it fell, it would kill him.

The physician spoke again, “Your Highness requested increasing the bob’s weight to amplify the vibrations’ strength. Are you sure this is what you want? We can decrease the weight.”

Haligran let out a derisive huff, a calculated taunt. Julen knew his father was goading him, daring him to prove himself as the weakling Haligran believed him to be.

Julen stopped the physician. “No. I want this to work. I want the bob to remain heavy.”

The physician sighed. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

Julen quivered as a cool breeze washed over him. Behind him, someone manipulated the wind. The bob shifted slightly, but as the current surged, it propelled the heavy bob toward the wall opposite his feet. The current stopped once the bob was parallel to the ground, and the pendulum swung over Julen.

He screamed as searing pain tore from his feet to his head. Before he could brace himself, the pendulum swung back, causing the same ripping agony from his head to his feet.

The force of the platform hit him like a barrage of planks slamming against his body, each vibration sending waves of pain coursing through him. The agony intensified as the pendulum continued its swing. His muscles began to spasm.

The pain was beyond anything he had ever experienced. Julen twisted his body desperately, attempting to distance parts of himself from the platform, seeking even the slightest relief. His vision blurred, and the world around him began to spin. A garbled moan escaped his lips.

The pendulum’s relentless swinging forced the planks to beat at his body over and over again. His bones rattled, and the vibrations against his skull made him ill. He couldn’t find air anymore. The physicians yelled, and Haligran shouted something in response, but Julen couldn’t distinguish their words. He only heard metal gears scraping against one another, the wood pounding against his body, and the hiss of the pendulum as it cut through the air.

It became unbearable. Julen tried to call out, but words were a thing of the past. He began screaming. One long continuous shriek trying to signal that it was too much—that he feared for his life. The pain didn’t stop. He thought his body would tear to pieces.Stop. Too much. Please. PLEASE.

Julen wailed long and loud. The platform halted, and a gust of wind blew down his body. He braced himself for more pain. Tears streamed down his face as he gasped for breath.

But the pain stopped. The pendulum didn’t swing above him. He realized that someone was using the wind to halt the bob. He gasped for air, panic still constricting his chest.

The head physician yelled, “Untie him now! Get him up!”

Hands began fidgeting at the manacles. People to his right carefully lifted him. The room spun, and his body throbbed in agony.

The soft gurney they laid him on felt like sweet salvation.Thank you, Mother Planet.He knew people were looming above him, but their faces were blurry as the room swirled. He felt a prick in his arm that forced his eyes to close. Then everything went dark.

8

Chapter 7

Dacias

The sun was making its descent, and the Vexoran moon rose alongside it. Dacias had always loved the sun and moon positioned side by side. It filled him with a dreamy, magical feeling.

A storm approached. Dacias saw the ominous clouds rolling in, and he wanted to soak up this peaceful moment before it deluged.

He closed his eyes and filled his lungs with the salty air of the sea. The crashing waves lulled him into a hypnotic sense of calm that immediately shattered upon hearing that grating voice.

“Well, look who it is! I was hoping I’d see you here.”

Dacias groaned as he opened his eyes to see Jovia’s smug face looming above him. He rose to his feet, dusting the orange sand from his legs.

“Hello, Jovia. To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?”

Jovia sauntered over to him and draped his hands on Dacias’s chest. “Darling, why are you doing this? You know you miss me. You can’t resist me.”

He inched closer to Dacias’s face, about to plant a kiss, when Dacias reeled his head back. “I assure you, I feel none of those things.”

He began to walk away, but Jovia reached for his hand. “I apologized! I told you it was just a fling. You’re souptight. We never even said we were exclusive. “

Dacias rolled his eyes. “We also never said weweren’t. You could have talked to me. We could have had a conversation about it. Instead, you fucked him and then lied when I confronted you—”

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