Astrid had been having an ordinary day. She swiftly consumed her breakfast, underwent rigorous training with her comrades, and diligently fulfilled her duties attending to the king as he conducted meetings with nobles and diplomats. Many of these meetings delved into mundane matters like taxation, trade agreements, and agricultural growth, filling the air with a droning monotony that weighed on her like a heavy cloak. Astrid found herself zoning out during most of the conversations, her thoughts drifting to distant memories and aspirations, all while she tried her best to maintain focus and vigilance in her duties.

The final meeting had just concluded when Astrid began to feel a slight dizziness. Initially dismissing it as a consequence of the long day's demands, she attributed the sensation to fatigue, assuming it would pass quickly. However, as she traversed the dimly lit corridors back to her room in the barracks, the faintness intensified, wrapping her in a shroud of disorientation. The walls seemed to close in on her, and the echoes of her footsteps grew distant.

Desperation crept in as she struggled to maintain her footing. Her room was mere feet away, but her legs gave way beneath her, causing her to collapse onto the cold stone floor. Panic surged through her, a futile attempt to cry for help died on her lips as her muscles betrayed her. She frantically scanned the empty hallway for any signs of assistance, but no one was in sight. Slowly, the darkness encroached on her vision, and a numbing sensation overtook her senses. It was as if a tide of shadow was washing over her.

Moments later, Astrid's eyes shot open, and she was momentarily blinded by a harsh light shining from above. She struggled to sit up, but a wave of excruciating pain ran down her body, pinning her to the ground. It felt like her entire being had been engulfed in flames and then torn asunder. All she could do was slowly curl up into a ball, silently weeping from the agony. The passage of time was unclear, but a few minutes later, the pain began to recede, and her mind slowly cleared.

Astrid gingerly rose from the ground and took in her surroundings. What met her gaze was a vast, unending arid desert stretching out in all directions. There were no signs of civilization, and the only notable landmarks were a towering mountain range far off in the distance, their peaks touched by the last rays of a setting sun. This harsh, barren landscape was unlike anything Astrid had ever seen. Her life was accustomed to the embrace of lush forests, the gentle slopes of rolling hills, and the majesty of glaciated mountain peaks, but now she found herself in this dry, dusty realm.

Astrid stood there for a moment, her shock palpable, as she attempted to come to terms with her inexplicable situation. However, her moment of introspection was short-lived as a strange, foreboding rumbling noise, like distant thunder, began to steadily grow louder and closer.

Astrid's heart raced as she swiftly scanned her desolate surroundings, her eyes locking onto a pair of radiant orbs in the distance. These orbs weren't alone; they were trailed by a billowing cloud of dust, and the sun's fading rays made the scene all the more surreal. The mysterious orbs seemed to defy the natural world, their luminosity growing more intense with every passing moment. 'Is that some kind of magic?' Astrid couldn't help but voice her bewilderment.

As the orbs drew nearer, the persistent noise accompanying them became increasingly ominous, an unsettling crescendo of approaching unknown. Fear coursing through her, Astrid instinctively decided that she did not want to meet whatever the orbs represented. She quickly ducked behind a massive boulder, her heart pounding in her chest. The rumbling noise grew louder and louder until it finally came to an abrupt halt just a short distance away from Astrid's hiding place.

Huddled behind the safety of the boulder, Astrid dared to cautiously peek around its edge, her curiosity getting the better of her. She was met with a sight that left her utterly astonished: a large, metallic contraption had come to rest, and within its metal confines were two people.

A young woman, appearing to be in her late teens, engaged in a heated argument with an older man whose hair had turned to a shade of distinguished gray. Their voices were muffled by the metal walls of the machine. Astrid observed the pair's dispute for a brief moment, her curiosity piqued. Then, she noticed what appeared to be a door on the contraption slowly opening. With a quick and cautious movement, she ducked behind the boulder once more, straining to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two people.

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"Dad, I don't see any aliens. Can we go home now?" came an annoyed female voice.

"Not yet, sweetheart. My radar picked up something big this time, much larger than the last one," stated an older male voice.

"Yeah, but the last one turned out to be a coyote. It's probably just a random cow or something," the girl suggested.

"Let's at least take a quick look around. If we don't find anything, I'll buy you Subway before I drop you off at your mom's house. Deal?" asked the older man.

"Fine, but I'm telling mom you dragged me all the way out here to find aliens," the girl responded quickly.

The man fell silent for a moment, before finally instructing the girl to search the area around the boulders. Astrid's heart raced in anticipation as she heard the girl's footsteps drawing nearer. She fumbled at her waist, her fingers seeking the reassuring grip of a hidden weapon. Her hand closed around the hilt of her dagger, which she swiftly drew, concealing it behind her back. With bated breath, she awaited the girl's approach.

The girl's steps were nonchalant, a bored expression etched onto her face. She ambled around the boulder behind which Astrid hid, seemingly unaware of the hidden presence. Then, her disinterested expression abruptly shifted as her gaze locked onto Astrid. For a few tense moments, the two women stared at each other, their eyes locking.

"“Da…” the girl began to speak. However, before she could say more, Astrid sprang into action. With a single fluid motion, she rushed the girl, swiftly silencing her words and seizing her in a tight grip. Astrid signaled to the girl to be quiet, then gently pressed the tip of her dagger against her back. The girl tensed, her eyes welling with tears. Astrid was filled with a sudden wave of regret as she saw the terror in the girl’s eyes. However, that moment of empathy was fleeting, as the sound of the man's footsteps grew closer, echoing toward their location.

“Emma?” the man shouted, his voice tinged with concern. Astrid tightened her grip on Emma's arm and, using her as a shield, dragged her out from behind the boulder. She held the dagger firmly against Emma's back, maintaining eye contact with the man. The older man came to a sudden stop, his concerned expression rapidly shifting to one of fear.

“What are you…” the man began before Astrid interrupted him.

“Who are you people, and where is this place?” Astrid asked with a stern expression.

“Who are we? Nevermind that, just let Emma go,” the man demanded."

“I'll release the girl after you answer my questions,” Astrid stated coldly.

“...very well. The girl is Emma, and I'm Henry. We're just regular, middle-class people.”

“And where are we?”

“We're in the middle of the Nevada desert, near the California border.” 

“You’re lying, I've never heard of those places” Astrid responded with skepticism

“Wait, you've never heard of California, Where are you from?” Henry asked looking confused

“I'm from the Kingdom of Himlasia” Astrid answered simply

“Himlasia? I don't think I've ever heard of that place. And the way you are dressed, Hold on... are you an alien?” the man asked, his eyes beginning to sparkle despite their dire circumstances. Emma, who had remained still until this point, visibly slumped under Astrid’s grip.

“What's an alien?” Astrid inquired, relaxing her guard slightly.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Emma whispered incredulously before the man started to enthusiastically explain what an alien was. His explanation was cut short as another soft rumbling noise emanated from the distance. All three of them turned to gaze in the direction of the sound. Multiple glowing orbs, some of them airborne thousands of feet above the ground, dotted the sky.

“Definitely an alien,” Henry declared, a smile creeping onto his face.

Astrid's eyes widened at the sight. "What are those light orbs?"

“Those light orbs would be the lights from helicopters and cars, I assume. They might be military vehicles,” the man offered his explanation.

“The military…why would an army come here?” Astrid inquired, her concern growing.

“Most likely to take you away. If you really are an alien, the government will want to conduct experiments on you to uncover your secrets,” the man explained, his voice laced with a sense of gravity.

Astrid visibly paled at that prospect, but the man continued. "The experiments would probably be very painful and demanding," he thought out loud before turning to Astrid.

“How about this, you let my daughter go, and we'll allow you to accompany us back to my home. There, we can discuss things further,” he offered.

“Dad, you can't be serious! She literally has a knife to my back. For all we know, she could just be some sort of crackhead cosplayer,” Emma burst out in frustration.

Henry was on the verge of a retort, but Astrid swiftly cut him off.

“I'll accompany the two of you,” she declared, her gaze fixed on the approaching lights. There was little need for deep consideration; it was evident that going with this pair was the wisest course of action in her current situation. Emma let out an exasperated sigh and Henry signaled towards the large metal contraption.

“Off we go then” he stated excitedly