Chapter 06: The Ties That Bind
The silence between them was deafening as Roxie and Dorian made their way through the narrow, dimly lit corridors beneath the royal palace. The stone walls were thick, almost oppressive, and the air carried a chill that settled deep into Roxie’s bones. They moved with purpose, but even as they pressed on, Roxie couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The sense of urgency was palpable, but the unease gnawed at her, like the faintest whisper of danger just beyond her reach.
Dorian had been quiet since their brief exchange in the control room, his expression hard to read, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. For the first time, Roxie wondered whether their alliance was as simple as it seemed. Was she just another pawn in some greater game? Or had he been hiding something from her this entire time?
“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice breaking the tense silence.
Dorian didn’t immediately answer. He led her through a winding maze of corridors, past unmarked doors and strange, arcane technology she couldn’t begin to understand. The deeper they went, the more Roxie felt like they were descending into the bowels of the palace—like the very walls were closing in on them.
“We’re headed to the control hub,” he finally said, his tone clipped. “It’s the only place where we can access the royal archives and get the information we need to fix the teleportation malfunction.”
Roxie nodded, though her mind was still swirling with questions. She didn’t fully trust Dorian. She didn’t fully trust anyone in this strange, royal palace. But she had to admit, they were getting closer to the heart of whatever was going on here, and that was where the answers lay.
The hallways became narrower, and the flickering overhead lights cast strange, eerie shadows that seemed to move with a life of their own. Roxie couldn’t help but feel like they were being followed, like the walls themselves were watching them, waiting for the moment to strike.
Dorian halted suddenly, turning to face her with a look that was all too serious. “We need to split up,” he said. “There are too many guards patrolling the area. I’ll go to the control hub and create a diversion, while you head for the archives.”
Roxie’s brows furrowed. “You want me to go into a room full of royal secrets while you—what?—cause a distraction?”
Dorian gave her a look that she couldn’t quite decipher. “I trust you can handle it. Besides, you’re the one who accidentally teleported to this place. I think you’re good at causing chaos.”
Roxie frowned, but she didn’t argue. It wasn’t the first time she’d been sent to do something risky, and she didn’t exactly have a lot of options right now. Plus, the thought of getting her hands on some royal secrets was too tempting to pass up.
“Fine,” she said, taking a deep breath. “But if I’m going to risk my life for this, you’d better make sure I get out of there alive.”
Dorian smirked. “I promise I won’t let you get caught.”
“Famous last words,” Roxie muttered under her breath, but she knew she had no choice but to trust him—at least for now.
With that, they parted ways. Dorian moved down the corridor in the opposite direction, disappearing into the shadows, leaving Roxie to follow the winding path toward the archives.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way through the palace’s underground labyrinth. The walls closed in around her, the air thick and heavy with the weight of her uncertainty. Her thoughts kept racing. She had no idea what she was going to find in the archives, but one thing was clear: it wasn’t going to be pretty.
The path she followed was almost impossibly quiet. Each step echoed in the silence, making her feel even more exposed. Her mind played tricks on her, the shadows seeming to stretch and sway, as though the very walls were closing in around her.
When she reached the archives, she stood before the massive door, its surface smooth and metallic. There was no visible lock, no obvious way in. But as her fingers brushed against the door’s surface, a soft hum vibrated through her fingertips, and the door slid open with a faint hiss.
Inside was a vast room, filled with rows of holographic data and strange, glowing panels. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, all sleek surfaces and futuristic tech that made her feel out of her depth. But Roxie wasn’t here to admire the decor. She was here to find answers.
She stepped cautiously inside, her eyes scanning the room for anything that might help her understand what was happening. She could feel the weight of the knowledge around her—the secrets of the galaxy, the palace’s hidden truths—all waiting to be uncovered.
The room was eerily quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the machines around her. Roxie moved toward the center of the room, where a large holographic map of the galaxy flickered into view. She tapped a few buttons, hoping to find something useful, and the map shifted, revealing a star system she’d never seen before.
“What is this?” she whispered to herself.
The map zoomed in on a small, uncharted planet, its coordinates flashing in the corner of the hologram. There was no name attached to it, no information at all—just a blank space in the royal archives. But something about it felt… important. She had to know more.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence.
“Looking for something?”
Roxie froze, her heart skipping a beat. She whirled around, her pulse racing, but saw no one. The voice had come from behind her, but the room was empty—except for the holographic displays.
She took a cautious step back, her hand hovering near her belt, ready to defend herself if necessary. But just as quickly as the voice had appeared, it was gone, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the archive.
“What the hell was that?” she muttered to herself, her mind spinning. Whoever—or whatever—was watching her was still out there. She could feel it.
Roxie didn’t waste any more time. She knew she needed to get out of here before she attracted too much attention. But as she turned to leave, her gaze landed on the unmarked planet on the map again. There was something about it that called to her. Something she couldn’t ignore.
With a final glance toward the door, Roxie made her decision. She couldn’t leave without finding out what lay on that mysterious planet. After all, it might be the key to everything—if she could just unlock its secrets.
As she made her way toward the exit, the silence of the room seemed to press in on her. The walls felt closer, the shadows deeper, and Roxie realized that even though she was alone in the archive, she wasn’t truly alone. There were eyes on her. And the deeper she went, the more she felt like she was becoming part of something much larger than herself.
Something dangerous.
Something she couldn’t escape.
