The Horizon Strangers

Bound by Fire

Zerlox POV

I stood at the helm of my warship, the gleaming lights casting shadows across the faces of my generals. They waited, some in silence, others whispering among themselves, all aware that this mission had shifted.

I raised my hand, commanding quiet. Silence swept over the room.

"Today, I encountered something... unexpected," I began, my gaze steady, every word laced with purpose. "A force unlike anything we've encountered among the Virelians or the other Earthlings. Raw, untamed. A fire hidden within a fragile, unsuspecting form."

My fingers curled, remembering the faint pulse of energy that had surged from her, a fire that struck with shocking, exhilarating intensity.

"She is not Virelian, yet her power could rival theirs. No, perhaps surpass it," I continued, feeling the ripple of interest, even envy, spread across the room.

"Who is she?" one of my commanders dared to ask, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Sam," I replied, the name almost a whisper. "She is the prophecy we have long waited for—the prophecy that could either unite or destroy." A thin smile curved my lips as I relived the moment. "And she could be... quite useful."

"She will be ours," I declared. "Her power, her fire, it belongs to me."

A murmur rose among my people, uncertain but eager, each one catching the thread of opportunity I was offering them. They saw, as I did, the value of claiming her power, of keeping her from our enemies, of making her my weapon.

"Prepare yourselves," I commanded, my tone darkening. "The time is near. She will be ours... and with her, we will end this war."

As they dispersed, my gaze lingered on the view of Earth below. Sam's image lingered in my mind, her power, her defiance. She would learn soon enough that resistance was futile, that she could not escape her fate, or me.

Sam POV

I wiped the fog from the mirror, my fingertips leaving streaks on the glass as I stared at my own reflection. 

My hair was damp, clinging to my shoulders, the heat of the shower still lingering in the small guest room I'd been given on the mothership. 

I ran my hand over my face, trying to shake the strange, fluttering feeling in my chest.

But I couldn't stop myself. 

My fingers drifted to my lips, brushing over them softly. My heart stuttered as the memory hit me like a wave, pulling me under. The way Zevran had kissed me... fierce, consuming, like he couldn't hold back, like I was the only thing that mattered. 

A shiver ran down my spine, and I shook my head, staring down at my hands as if they could give me some answers.

This wasn't just about a kiss. 

It couldn't be. 

There was something deeper, something that made me feel like I was caught between a pull and a push, a need to get closer to him, to understand him, and a voice warning me that I was in over my head.

I took a deep breath, looking back at my reflection, my eyes searching for some sign of change, something that would explain why everything felt different now. Why I felt different.

But there was nothing. Just me, with wet hair, flushed cheeks, and a racing heartbeat that wouldn't settle down.

"Sam," I whispered, bracing my hands on the sink. "What are you doing?"