Page 1 of Third

Chapter1

SIX WOMEN.One choice.

Tor’Vek stood motionless, his posture upright, the steel-cold weight of the restraints pressing against his wrists. The metal bit into his skin, amechanical vise designed to remind him of his current powerlessness. For now, he could only wait, assess, calculate.

In addition to the restrictive cuffs, the scientist he’d come to kill, Selyr, had forced a bracelet around his left arm. Metallic and intricately designed, it had small jewels embedded along its surface, no doubt part of the control system.

The bracelet pulsed, alow but persistent sound emitting from it, aresonance that seemed to sink into Tor’Vek’s bones. Asurge of heat rippled from the band on his wrist, spreading upward through his arm, and into his chest like a living force.

He ignored it. His mind was focused, his objective clear: eliminate Selyr.

The chamber was dimly lit, astark contrast to the harsh glare of the six women kneeling before him. They shivered, some crying, some staring blankly into nothing. Others trembled so violently their muscles could no longer hold them upright. None of it mattered. Not tohim.

He was an Intergalactic Warrior, conditioned beyond the primitive struggles of fear, hunger, or weakness. This moment—this ridiculous spectacle Selyr had devised—was nothing more than an obstacle between him and his mission.

And yet…

His gaze swept over the women, methodical and detached. They were all human. Soft, delicate creatures, foreign to the brutal landscapes of war. He cataloged them automatically:

One sobbed openly, her face buried in her hands.

Another whispered desperate prayers to a deity that did not exist beyond her world.

The third was frozen, her gaze unfocused, her mind fractured beyond repair.

But the fourth—

His dark eyes locked onto her. She alone met his gaze, her expression impossibly calm. Acomposed facade. She sat straight, her breathing steady, the golden cascade of her hair spilling in perfect waves down to her waist.

Tor’Vek narrowed his eyes slightly. Was she like him? Logical. Controlled. Intelligent. He had spent centuries analyzing individuals, categorizing them based on their efficiency, their predictability. Weakness was transparent. Chaos was disorder.

Yet, her expression did not match the hysteria of the others. Was she calculating her next move? Weighing her odds? The alternative was that she was merely suppressing panic, but that seemed unlikely. It had to be somethingmore.

It was the only reasonable explanation.

His choice wasmade.

“I choose her.”

His voice was even, absolute. He gestured to the blonde.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then a cold, knowing chuckle echoed from the shadows.

Selyr.

The scientist stepped forward, his lean frame wrapped in a high-collared coat, his yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity. His silver-gray hair was swept back, lending him an air of detached precision. “Fascinating choice, Tor’Vek,” he mused, tilting his head. “Do you believe she is like you? Cold, calculated, rational?” Apause. “Or is this an experiment of yourown?”

Tor’Vek said nothing. Selyr’s interest was meaningless.

“Well then.” Selyr smiled thinly and gestured toward the guards. “Dispose of the others.”

The blonde stiffened beside him. She had not moved, not spoken, but a violent tremor ran through her. Then, with a sudden, desperate motion, she lunged forward. “No!” Her voice cracked as she stumbled, reaching toward the others as though sheer will could pull them from their fate. The guards were faster, shoving her back before she could take more than astep.

Tor’Vek caught her reflexively, his hands firm but impersonal as he steadied her. She trembled against his hold, her breath ragged, her body tensed as though she might try again.

His mind calculated the inefficiency of her action. Afutile attempt. But his chest tightened regardless. The bracelet at his wrist thrummed, the sensation curling beneath his skin like an echo of something foreign.

She was not likehim.

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