The wet tentacles held Akshat completely still. He could not move his arms or legs. Every attempt to struggle only made them tighten.
Diana stepped closer. The black gown shifted softly with her movements. Her red eyes studied his face without hurry. She raised one hand and touched his cheek, fingers cool against his skin. Slowly, she traced downward across his jaw, then lower, resting her palm against his chest for a moment as if checking something only she could feel.
She leaned in. Her face came close enough that Akshat could feel her breath. She sniffed near his neck, then dragged her tongue lightly across his cheek.
"It's real," she said quietly. "You were able to open this gate. Just how…?"
Akshat said nothing. Confusion and caution kept him silent.
Diana pulled back. A sweet smile curved her lips, but there was something haunted behind it. She tilted her head, still studying him.
"The Door of the Gods…" she murmured, almost to herself. "A divine artifact that appeared with the creation of reality and time itself. Only those with higher-level authority can open it. In the past, only thirteen beings ever managed it. All of them were extremely powerful."
Her smile suddenly brightened into something more cheerful.
"Finally. Someone's company during my imprisonment."
She walked back and sat gracefully on the edge of the bed, crossing one leg over the other. The tentacles still held Akshat upright in the middle of the room.
"My name is Diana. Always remember it, cute human."
She rested her chin on her hand.
"I will ask some questions. If you lie, you die, little human."
Akshat forced the words out. "How would you even know if I'm lying?"
Diana's mysterious smile returned. "I know how to read emotions. I can feel when someone is dishonest."
Akshat decided immediately. Truth only.
Diana began.
"Who are you?"
"I'm just a human who was trying to survive," Akshat answered. "I'm from Planet Vaelion. While escaping from a powerful man, I accidentally teleported to this place — the 32nd moon of Vaelion."
Diana watched him carefully. After a few seconds she nodded.
"Truth."
"Second question. Are you a good person or a bad person?"
Akshat was quiet for a moment. "How can I judge myself? If I have to answer, then I would say I am the right person according to my own vision. If you need a proper judgment, then you should decide whether I am good or bad for you."
Diana's eyes lit up with clear satisfaction. The corner of her mouth lifted.
"Interesting answer. I like that."
"Third question. What made survival difficult for you?"
"I was trying to protect an important chemical from a bad person."
Diana accepted the answer with another small nod.
"Last one for now. What do you think about me?"
Akshat looked straight at her. "You're dangerous. Because you're unknown… and because you have me trapped in tentacles."
Diana stared at him for a long second. Then the tentacles suddenly loosened and withdrew into the floor, vanishing as if they had never existed.
The moment he was free, Akshat launched himself forward and threw a punch aimed at her face. Diana blocked it with one hand as if swatting away a fly. In the next motion she twisted his body and forced him down onto the bed, placing her foot firmly on his face.
"I will not hurt you now," she said calmly.
Akshat stopped struggling. After a few breaths she removed her foot and stepped back. He sat up slowly, then stood and began walking around the room, trying to process everything.
"What exactly is happening?" he asked. "And who are you really?"
Diana tilted her head. "Can a mere human even understand me?"
Akshat ignored the tone. "Can you send me back to Vaelion?"
"You can open the door," she answered simply. "So just go."
Akshat picked up Veronica's glasses from where they had fallen, put them on, and walked straight to the Door of the Gods. He pushed it open and stepped through.
A short time later he came back inside.
Diana was already reading a thick book on the bed, not even looking up at first.
Akshat closed the door behind him. "There's no way back to Vaelion from outside. The only option would be flying through vacuum space, and that's impossible for me right now."
Diana turned a page. "I am imprisoned here myself. I cannot exit either. Whenever I try to step through the Door of the Gods, it simply slams shut and forces me back inside."
Akshat stared at her. "How is that possible…? You're trapped here?"
Diana did not answer. She continued reading.
An awkward silence settled over the room and stretched for nearly an hour. Diana kept her eyes on the book, though every so often she glanced at Akshat from the corner of her vision when she thought he was not paying attention.
Akshat remained standing near the far wall. His gaze stayed fixed on her the entire time dense, unblinking, almost animalistic in its intensity. He did not speak. He did not move closer. He simply watched her in complete silence.
Diana turned another page, her expression unreadable, while the red lines along the black walls continued to glow faintly around them both.