2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Krakenos

The cryosleep chamber door hisses open, awakening me from my slumber. A chill seeps into my bones as I sit up and look around.

How long has it been since they froze me? Weeks? Months? Time has become a nebulous concept in this artificial prison…

As I step out of the chamber, my body unfurls to its full height, towering over the equipment around me. My webbed feet make no sound against the frigid metal floor, a stark contrast to the warm waters and sands of my home world. The recycled air assaults my gills, tasting of chemicals and confinement. It makes my chest ache for the crisp, salty breeze of Mythos's oceans.

I look over the room, drinking in every detail with predatory focus. Sterile walls, harsh lighting, not a single window to offer a glimpse of my location or the passage of time. It's a familiar scene, one I've woken to before, yet it never fails to disorient me.

The last thing I remember were the faceless drones informing me of my impending return to stasis, setting me aside until it's time for another season. But how long ago was that? In my absence, empires could have risen and fallen, wars could have reshaped the galaxy…

I flex my webbed fingers, feeling strength surge back into my arms. The warrior's instinct, honed through countless battles, stirs within me. Whatever challenges lie ahead, I will meet them as I always have: with the cold, calculating fury of the depths.

I am Krakenos, heir to the vast Aquarian kingdoms. I've faced down armies and tamed savage seas. This game, this "Loop Run," is but another conquest waiting to fall before me. Let them give me their worst. I will not break. I will not bow. I will emerge victorious, as is my birthright.

The frigid air of the chamber penetrates my scaled skin, but it can't quench the inferno raging within. My purpose crystallizes in my mind, as clear and vast as the oceans of Mythos.

The fate of my people, teetering on the brink of extinction, rests in my hands. But I embrace this burden, feeling its weight like a familiar armor.

My muscles coil and flex beneath my blue skin, a reflection of the tension coursing through me. The future of the Aquarian kingdom swims before my eyes, a vision I cannot—will not—let slip away. I am the product of generations of careful breeding, honed to a razor's edge for this very moment. Failure is as foreign to me as the dry land above our submerged cities.

Unbidden, my mind drifts back to the first moments of the previous season.

The memory rises until it crashes over me with startling clarity. Three "human" females stood before us, each as different and captivating as the last.

But one… One shone like a pearl among pebbles.

Mia.

The name reverberates through me like the song of the deep-sea leviathans. When our eyes met, something ancient and primal stirred within the depths of my being. My warrior's heart, tempered by years of cold calculation and detached duty, thundered in my chest with a ferocity that rivaled the fiercest undersea storms. An invisible current seemed to flow between us, defying the vast emptiness of space that separated our worlds.

This connection transcends mere physical attraction or the desperate need to save my species. It pulses with a significance that even I, with all my training, struggle to comprehend.

It is as if the cosmos itself has aligned to bring us together.

I recall the image of Mia, with her fierce defiance blazing in her eyes, brighter than the bioluminescent creatures of Mythos's deepest trenches. Her strength, her resilience—they call to me like a siren's song. In her, I see not just the salvation of my people, but a queen worthy of ruling beside me in the underwater palaces of my home world.

The realization settles over me: Mia is the key to our future, a beacon of hope in the murky waters of our impending doom.

And I must stop at nothing to claim her as my mate.

I know the road ahead will be fraught with peril. The Loop Run is no mere game; it is a battle for survival, a spectacle of violence and cunning.

But I have faced down creatures that would make lesser beings tremble, and I have always emerged victorious.

My thoughts drift to Vornas, the Saberkai Jungle King. He is a formidable opponent, cunning and quick, with a sharp bite and a silver tongue. We have locked claws before, and while I respect his prowess, I cannot afford to underestimate him.

Not this time. The stakes are too high.

The memory of last season's finale surfaces. It was unlike me, but I aided Draven, the Drakari Warlord, in securing his freedom and his mate. It was a calculated decision, one that I believed would serve my people in the long term, as I wasn't interested in the female prize on offer that season.

But now, as I stand on the precipice of my own chance at freedom, I realize that such acts of camaraderie are luxuries I can no longer afford.

Vornas is my rival, and this season, he stands between me and my destiny. I cannot allow his charm or his wit to sway me from my path. I must be ruthless, focused. Every decision, every action must be weighed against the ultimate goal: to win Mia's hand and return to my people.

I clench my fists, feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline.

I am ready.

The door to my holding cell grinds open, the harsh sound of metal on metal echoing through the sterile chamber. I turn to face the intruder, my eyes narrowing as the Host steps inside. His metallic limbs clack against the floor with each step, a jarring cacophony that sets my teeth on edge.

He's all smiles and feigned warmth, his beak-like mouth stretched into a grotesque parody of a grin. "Hello, Krakenos," he says, his voice dripping with the kind of false cheer that could only mean trouble. "I trust you're as eager for the new season as we are."

I don't respond. I've learned the hard way that every word exchanged with this creature is a potential weapon to be used against me. He thrives on our reactions, our desperation.

It's what fuels this spectacle he calls entertainment.

The Host saunters closer. "I see you're as talkative as ever," he chuckles. "But I assure you, this is news you'll want to hear."

He pauses, giving me a moment to take the bait.

But I'm no fool. I remain still, my gaze locked onto his. Whatever game he's playing, I refuse to participate.

"Very well," the Host continues, undeterred by my lack of engagement. "I'll get straight to the point. This season, we're introducing a little… incentive. A twist that I think will make things particularly interesting for you."

My interest piques despite my resolve to remain detached. The Host's eyes sparkle with glee, knowing he has my attention.

"You see, Krakenos, this time around, you'll have the chance to win more than just your freedom," he says in a conspiratorial whisper. "You'll have the opportunity to claim your preferred female prize from last season."

"Mia," I correct him, refusing to let her be simply referred to as a "prize." She is more than that. Much more.

The Host smiles, glad to finally get me to engage. "Yes, that's the one."

"What's the caveat?" I ask, my voice steady and cold.

The Host's grin widens, his feathered eyebrows arching in delight. "Ah, you always were the astute one, weren't you?" he says, his claws clicking together in a mockery of applause. "The caveat, Krakenos, is a twist that I will unveil when we start the first episode. I can't ruin the surprise now, can I?"

I continue to not react, as now isn't the ideal time to wring his neck. Perhaps at the finish line…

"The audience is hungry for drama, for conflict," the Host continues, pacing now with an excited energy that makes my instincts bristle. "They hate to see cooperation among so-called enemies. They want bloodshed! And this season, they'll get their wish."

I nod, expecting as much. Whatever truce I had with my rivals, I only went along with it for as long as it served my purposes. If I must return to violence to secure my mate, then I'll do so without hesitation.

She is too important, and the stakes are too high.

A century without hope is a long time to cling to the shadows of a dying world. For a hundred years, I have watched my people wither and fade, their spirits crushed under the relentless weight of a future that promised nothing but extinction. The plague robbed us of more than the fertility of our females; it stole our will to fight, our passion for life, and our ability to dream of tomorrow.

Of the three races who rule Mythos, the plague hit my people first, a cruel twist of fate that made us the harbingers of despair for the rest of the planet. We Aquarians, once the proud rulers of the oceans, now watched as our kingdoms fell into silence, one empty cradle at a time.

The Saberkai and Drakari didn't know just how desperate our situation was, our kingdoms hidden from them in the deep oceans. But when the plague came for them too, we could no longer keep it a secret.

I remember the early days, before the plague, when the oceans of Mythos teemed with life and laughter. My mother would speak of a time when the waters would be filled with the songs of our people. But that time felt like a distant memory, a tale from another age, as our underwater cities became more and more desolate, until they resembled ruins more than a thriving civilization.

For a century, I have been the Heir Apparent in name only, with no queen to stand by my side, no children to carry on my legacy. I have watched my father, King Tritonos, age before his time, his once vibrant demeanor now shrouded in the same sorrow that claimed the hearts of our people.

I could never become a true king without a female of my own, and for a long time, I thought I would die a prince.

But then I was abducted by cruel captors from the sky, forced to participate in a competition.

And for the longest time, my captors teased me with the idea of curing the plague, or at least awarding me with a compatible female.

However, I had always sensed these were empty promises, as did Draven and Vornas.

It was why we only put in a half effort in our captors' trivial game.

Until last season, when the three human females from a planet called "Earth" were finally introduced as prizes.

And one of those females, who I only had the pleasure of watching from afar, changed the entire game for me.

The image of Mia, with those large brown eyes and the determined set of her jaw, fills me with a fierce protectiveness. She is not of my world, yet she is unknowingly the key to saving us all.

I know that I must be cautious, that I cannot allow the intensity of my need to overwhelm her. She must choose me, not out of fear or desperation, but out of a shared desire for a future that we can build together.

I've never been one to believe in fate or destiny, but the pull I feel toward Mia is undeniable. It's as if an invisible thread connects us, tugging at my very core. I wonder if she feels it too, this inexplicable draw that seems to defy all logic and reason.

The thought of her being just as enthralled by me as I am by her stirs a rare hope.

Does she sense the potential for something greater between us?

Or does she see me as an enemy to be feared?

The path ahead is fraught with danger and uncertainty, but I am ready to face whatever challenges lie in wait.

For Mia, and for my people, I will emerge victorious.

There is no other option.