CAPTURED BY THE ALIEN Chapter 29: 30

The darkness that followed the attack was overwhelming. There was no sound, no light, just a sense of absolute immobility. I didn’t know where I was, didn’t know what had happened to me, but my body responded to the most primitive instincts, trying to protect itself from the imminent danger.

My lungs were full of air, but I couldn’t breathe, as if the atmosphere around me was too thick. My body was numb, paralyzed. And I knew, knew with a haunting clarity, that something had changed. Something inside me was different.

When I finally regained consciousness, my vision was blurred. I blinked several times, trying to clear the image before me. It was as if reality were smudged, the contours of things blending into a blur of colors and shapes. Then, slowly, I began to adjust to the darkness surrounding me.

The first thing I realized was that I was no longer where I had been before. The temple, the stairs, the being that attacked us—all were distant now. Instead, I was in some sort of cave, a vast, silent space where the sound of my breaths seemed to echo infinitely. The cold, damp earth touched my skin. I was on the ground, my arms submerged in a strange, dark space, unsure of what had happened.

I tried to stand, but a heavy weight on my chest kept me pinned down. I looked down and saw my hands—they were trembling. But it wasn’t just my hands. My whole body was vibrating with a strange energy. It was as if the power of the creature was still inside me, moving, flowing through my veins. I felt like my very blood was being altered, as if time itself were distorting.

“Carmem…”

The voice was familiar, but it seemed to come from far away. I recognized it instantly, but I was so immersed in the feeling of disorientation and fear that I almost couldn’t react.

“Carmem, you need to wake up.”

It was Varek. His voice was muffled, but still full of urgency. He seemed concerned, but there was something else, something in his words that made me doubt. Why wasn’t he by my side anymore? What was he hiding from me? I couldn’t trust him the same way I had before. I knew that.

I tried to speak, but my mouth was dry, my tongue heavy. I couldn’t form words. I wanted to scream, wanted to demand answers, but all I could do was close my eyes again, trying to control the feeling of faintness that was approaching. The fear was paralyzing. Something inside me was twisting, trying to break free.

Suddenly, the air shifted, and a shadow loomed in front of me. I still couldn’t see clearly, but I could feel its presence. It was strange, dense, as if it had its own form, its own consciousness. Then, a figure emerged from the darkness, an unmistakable silhouette—it was the being that had attacked us earlier. The same fiery gaze, the same distorted features, but now there was something more.

Now, the creature didn’t seem hostile anymore. On the contrary, there was a different glow in its eyes—a kind of understanding, almost a connection, as if it knew what was happening to me. Its gaze fixed on me, and it felt as though time stopped again. I could feel the weight of its observation, as if it were analyzing every part of me.

But instead of attacking, the creature spoke. Its voice was a whisper, but it was strong, filled with power.

“You don’t understand yet, do you?” the creature said. “But soon you will understand. Soon, everything will be clear.”

I couldn’t respond. I was trapped, immobilized, feeling a strange heat spreading through my body. The creature’s words echoed in my mind, but they didn’t make sense. Not yet.

“Who… who are you?” I finally managed to ask, my voice weak, but desperate.

The creature tilted its head, as if considering the question. Its eyes shone with a more intense light. I knew it wasn’t just observing physically, but reading every thought, every fear that passed through my mind.

“I am the guardian,” it replied, and I realized it was speaking directly to the depths of my soul, as if every word were imbued with ancient power. “And now you are part of the balance of this place.”

I tried to process what it was saying, but everything seemed like a tangle of information, fragmented words and incomplete thoughts. What did the guardian mean? What did this mean for me? And how was I involved with it? Fear and confusion took over me.

Before I could form more words, I felt a presence beside me. Varek finally approached, and his expression was more serious than ever.

“Carmem,” he said, his voice hoarse. “You need to listen to what he has to say. There is no more time.”

“No more time for what?” I asked, almost shouting, my mind racing, trying to find logic in their words. “What’s happening?”

Varek seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if he didn’t know how to continue. He looked at the guardian and then turned back to me. I saw something in his eyes, something I had never seen before. He was afraid. Varek was afraid.

“The answer is inside you, Carmem,” he finally said. “You’ve always known, haven’t you? The temple, the stone, all of this—it’s all connected. What happened inside, what was awakened, wasn’t just the guardian. It was you.”

My hands began to tremble more intensely, and the sensation of power within me grew even stronger. I didn’t know if I was ready for this. I didn’t know what fate had in store for me, but the truth was that the path before me was becoming clearer.

The guardian took a step forward, interrupting my thoughts.

“Now you choose,” it said. “The truth is before you. What will you do with it?”

I didn’t know the answer, but something inside me—a force, an energy—started aligning with the guardian’s words. I knew that time was running out, that the future was already being written in that moment. And somehow, I had the power to shape it.