Chapter 2 - The awakening

Orion's POV

"Lord Orion, the Aurelians are here," my butler said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I caught myself grinding my teeth as pain coursed through my body.

"My Lord, is the pain too much to bear? We can always return to the ship. We don't have to—"

"Caelum! Stay out of my business and just bring them in," I snapped in irritation.

The longer I stayed away from the ship, the weaker I became, but no one needed to know that—especially not those disgusting Aurelians.

I leaned back in my chair, waiting for them to enter.

My nose wrinkled at their scent. They really are repulsive, I thought as they made their way into the room.

"May the interstellar race live forever, may Lord Orion reign supreme," they chanted in unison.

I could feel their fear in my presence.

Pathetic, I thought with a hint of satisfaction.

"What do you want?" I growled, finding it increasingly difficult to maintain my human form.

"A sacrificial offering to earn your protection, sire," one of them said, while the other dragged in an unconscious body.

"For your use, my lord. Pure and virginal, just as you commanded."

The scent hit me like a freight train—sharp and sudden, cutting through the damp, dead air. For a second, I froze. My heart slammed against my ribs, but it wasn't fear. No, this was something deeper, more primal. The scent.

It seemed familiar, yet somehow strange.

I tried to keep calm, but it was already too late. I could feel the shift starting, that slow crawl of energy beneath my skin, a force too powerful to resist. My control slipped, and panic surged through me. I clenched my fists, trying to fight it, but my body betrayed me. Muscles expanded, skin prickled as it stretched and hardened, bones reshaped themselves. My vision blurred, sharpening in some places, distorting in others. The human shell I wore so carefully cracked at the edges, unraveling with every breath.

My senses sharpened, drawing me toward the human.

She lay unconscious on the floor, her pale skin almost ghostly under the bright lights. Her essence—faint, sweet, undeniably hers—wrapped around me, pulling me deeper into the transformation.

Her essence was everywhere now, filling the room, saturating the air. With it came a surge of possessiveness. I need to own her. Her life force! I needed to—

My vision flickered, the world bending around me in strange hues and shapes. I looked at my hands—no longer mine, no longer human. Clawed, scaled, and pulsing with an energy that hummed just beneath the surface. I tried to take a step forward, but my body wouldn't respond how I wanted. I was losing control, which terrified me. This was the first time in millennia it had ever happened.

I let out a low growl, my throat thick with the sound, unfamiliar yet entirely mine. "Caelum!" I roared, now fully transformed, which terrified both the Aurelians and Caelum. Not many got to see the interstellar race fully transformed—we were quite a sight.

"Y-yes, my lord?" He looked ready to soil himself.

"Take the human to the transport crate!" I commanded, struggling to control my breathing.

"You may leave!" I dismissed the peasants without bothering to look at their shaken expressions.

I sat, trying to steady my breath. "My Lord, the human has been transported. Are you alright? Earlier, you..."

"I'm fine. Just make sure there's enough oxygen for the human to survive, but not enough for it to regain full strength. I don't need any drama."

"As you wish. But my lord, your life force—we need to get you a guide as soon as possible. You've gone longer than normal and it..." He fell silent at my glare, which I was grateful for because I was so close to snapping.

I stood up abruptly. "Let's go see our guest," I said with a sly smile. We walked in silence for a while, with me growing increasingly irritated by the interstellar presence everywhere.

"My lord, you know all you need is a guide. Then you wouldn't have to depend on the life force of random people. You could be complete without—"

"One more word!" My voice came out as a threat, shutting him up.

The moment I stepped into the transport crate, the air inside shifted—heavy, thick with tension. The human was already awake, sitting in the far corner, knees pulled up to her chest. Her sharp eyes flicked up as I entered, but she didn't flinch or move, just stared at me with stubborn, icy defiance. She was smaller than I'd imagined, but there was something fierce in the way she held herself, as if daring me to come closer.

"You're awake," I said, keeping my voice neutral and low to avoid startling her. I took a step forward, careful not to crowd her. She didn't react, her gaze fixed on me like I was some puzzle she was trying to solve.

I leaned against the opposite wall, arms crossed. "What's your name?"

Silence.

The more I talked, the quieter she became.

"Can't you speak?" I asked, irritation creeping into my voice. I took a step closer, finding myself drawn to her.

I looked to Caelum for help. He was better at this than I was—I was ready to kick her in the gut just to make her talk.

"Human," Caelum called out in a much gentler voice than mine.

"This is Lord Orion, and he won't harm you. But you need to answer his questions."

She scoffed, looking straight into my eyes.

I couldn't help but look away for the briefest moment. She had the brightest golden-brown eyes that seemed to pull you in.

I wanted them. I wanted to rip them from their sockets and display them on my wall, but...

She burst into laughter. "I know you want to kill me, so just get off your high horse and do it already, you bastard!"

I grabbed her face roughly, forcing her to look at me.

"I'm going to forgive that little outburst of yours for now, since you are, after all, my guest. But don't forget," I said, stroking the side of her face, "there are more ways to punish you than just killing you. After all, it would be a waste to taint this beautiful skin." I made sure she saw my slithered eyes before letting her go.