The sound of an eerie melody reached his ears and sent icy chills down his spine. Instead of waking up from a nightmare, it sounded as though he was waking up to one. Hale’s eyes flashed open. He expected darkness to be waiting for him, but instead he found bright, artificial lights waiting for him. He was gazing up at a white ceiling with wide strips of lighting. Hale pushed himself up with his hands, realizing he was no longer tied to the metal platform he had been strapped to in the interrogation chamber. He was now sitting on a white mattress attached to a cot. Hale looked around his new cell, the “new location” his interrogator had told him about. The cell was smaller than the interrogation chamber, but it didn’t feel as isolating because the walls were a clear glass-like with an iridescent sheen appearing when the light hit it.

This was the first cell Hale had been in that was so clean. The flooring was also white like the ceiling and made of tiles without any blemish. He didn’t spot a single stain on his bedsheets or any mark on the walls. What kind of prison was this? The cleanliness was frightening.

While he was becoming more acclimated to his surroundings, Hale still heard that strange melody. He looked to the other side of the room and noticed for the first time his cellmate. Hale’s cellmate was man who looked to be around his age, with tan skin and dark brown hair. He hummed and read a book, while sitting on his cot.

“Staring is rude,” the man said, closing his book. He looked up at Hale.

Hale immediately noticed the man’s brown eyes which held the same kind of energy that Pandora’s and his interrogator’s eyes did. He was Elani too. “Wasn’t trying to.”

“If you say so. What brings you to this fine establishment?”

Hale laid back down on his bed. The sheets were actually soft. “That’s not really your business, is it.”

The man crossed his arms. “Alright. I have no choice but to guess.” He scanned over Hale. “You’re extremely fit. You could be an athlete or maybe a bodyguard. But also you’re good-looking even for Elani’s high standards. I would say you might be a model. If you are a model, that puts you in business with pretty shady people. I might consider embezzlement, but models aren’t exactly know for being smart….”

Hale wasn’t expecting the guy to be quite so talkative. And it was becoming annoying very quickly. “Where exactly are you going with this? Do you just like wasting your energy?”

“Hmm… you’re sarcastic, which probably makes you hard to work with. So, my final guess is assault of probably your manager. You don’t look like a criminal, which makes me believe this is your first time in jail.” The man took a deep breath. “But, you seem at ease here. So, maybe you have been in jail before. I think—”

“That’s enough!” Hale said sternly. “I was arrested because I was trespassing on the king’s property. And I don’t have an ID because I don’t live here.”

He smiled complacently. “You could have just told me that when I asked.” He walked over to Hale and shook his hand. “My name is Daniel.”

“Hale.” He realized that Daniel had been messing with him the entire time.

“You’re an Elani. Why don’t you live here?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I was returning the princess home when I got arrested.”

Daniel jumped. “The princess? Pandora?”

Hale nodded, wondering what was exciting about that.

“How did you leave that detail out?” Daniel asked. “Very few people have actually seen her in person. Is she as beautiful as she looks in pictures?”

Of course she was. Beautiful wasn’t enough to describe her. Her outward beauty was only one reason why Hale thought she was incredible. He could spend hours talking about why she was beautiful. But Daniel probably didn’t want to listen for that long. “I mean she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Hale replied. “You’ve never seen her in public?”

Daniel sighed. “I don’t think she’s ever left the castle. Her father is extremely protective of her.”

Hale wasn’t surprised. But that didn’t sound healthy for Pandora. Was that one of the reasons she didn’t want to go home? She did talk highly of her father and seemed to care for him. He never sensed resentment from her when she talked about her home life. Hale didn’t respond to Daniel, hoping the conversation would end there.

Hale turned towards the clear wall and covered up with his bedsheets. He had gotten too much sleep ever since he had been arrested. But he didn’t want to talk to his cellmate anymore today. Therefore, his only option would be to pretend to sleep.

After a few minutes of silence, Hale looked over his shoulder and saw Daniel reading again. The book was far too large for Hale to be interested in it. Books couldn’t hold his attention for that long. Even in prison, he could find something else to occupy his time with. Some options were staring at the ceiling or wishing he had lived a different life so that he could love Pandora. If he had never involved himself with the people of Dunwar, what kind of person would he have become? Would he be a good person living an honest life? Would he be the kind of man Pandora deserved?

All of his wishing wouldn’t change the past or take away the consequences of his sins. He couldn’t make her responsible for his burdens. But at the same time, he wasn’t sure how he could live without her. She was so caring, so patient. She was the only one he had ever loved. He never thought he would fall for anyone, but she had captured his heart one piece at a time. Once he realized what she had done, it was too late because by then she held his whole heart. He didn’t want to let her go. But shouldn’t he? It would be better for her in the long run.

When did he finally did see her again, if he were ever released from prison, he wanted to hold her and tell her how much he needed her. He wanted her to be his last. Pandora gave him hope. Even right now she was his hope.

He should have told her that he loved her before everything had gone terribly wrong. That could have been his last chance. But it would be easier for her to forget about him if she never knew exactly how strong his feelings for her were.

Hale turned over in his cot and buried his face in his pillow. He missed her. He just wanted to be close to her.

Several hours passed by, and Hale didn’t once sit up. If he did, Daniel might have drawn him into endless conversation. Hale wasn’t bored enough yet to feel like talking to Daniel. He needed a distraction from thinking about Pandora, but that wasn’t Daniel. He wished he could go out for a few drinks… well more than a few. Though, that was quite impossible from jail.

He lay there for at least another hour. That time was mostly spent wishing he could escape to a bar and also regretting how most of his alcohol was destroyed when his ship crashed. He could have put all of it to good use here. He wouldn’t be picky. As long as there was a high percentage of alcohol he would be content. And his taste for alcohol was usually very particular. He was just desperate.

While he was still in bed, someone knocked on the cell door. He heard Daniel rush out of bed. Hale looked up and saw that his interrogator had returned. However, it became apparent that she wasn’t here for him. She held two tall clear cups with a frosty blue liquid. She opened a window on the door and passed one of the cups to Daniel. Daniel turned around and walked towards Hale to hand him the first cup. Then Daniel went back to receive the other cup for himself.

Hale held the cup closer to his nose. He immediately felt the air turn cold from the icy liquid inside. It didn’t smell bad like he expected.

“It’s food,” Daniel said in between sips. “This drink has all the nutrients you will need in a day. At least that’s what I was told. I’m still alive, and I’ve been in here for almost five years. I think.”

Hale put the cup to his lips, tilted his head back, and swallowed his drink. The icy drink tasted surprisingly sweet and flavorful. This was the first prison he had been held by with edible food. To avoid a brain freeze, Hale sipped it slowly, unlike Daniel, who’s appetite was surprising.

Daniel finished his drink before Hale did. “How are you not hungry?”

“I’m just not.”

“Might want to get used to it. This is what I’ve had every single day for the past five years.”

Hale scoffed. “Five years. What for?”

“I was caught for breaking into the castle. I was trying get my hands on the princess’s tiara. I was told it is one of the most valuable pieces belonging to the royal family. I was almost successful. And I almost saw the princess. Almost. But I was caught before I made it to her room,” Daniel replied.

Hale could see Daniel being a thief. He didn’t seem like a bad guy. Most thieves that Hale knew were decent people… compared to Hale anyway. The strangest part about Daniel was how he idolized Pandora. Daniel had never met her before, but the way he talked about her let Hale know that she was one of his obsessions. Hale had to ask him about that.

“It was one of the most stupid decisions of my life. I should have been a dealer.”

“Wait. A drug dealer? Why would you want to get involved with that. Trust me that’s not something you can easily walk away from,” Hale said.

“That may be, but on Elani things are a little different. That’s the kind of work I’m trying to get into. It’s almost as if the authorities overlook it.”

Hale was rather intrigued to hear more. Elani didn’t look like a place where drug dealing would be overlooked. He was arrested by a a group of guards for simply trespassing. He was interrogated and mildly tortured for returning the princess home. “What do you mean by overlooked? Seems to me like they take crime pretty serious here.”

“Oh, they do,” Daniel replied casually. “We have very strict laws regarding capital punishment. And I don’t even know how long I’m going to be in here for an unsuccessful theft. Could be ten years or the rest of my life.”

“But not drugs?”

“Nope. If you’re caught in possession of them or if you're dealing, the consequences are very small in comparison to other things. No one that I’ve talked to knows why. But Elani is one of the best places for dealing. And no one would expect it.”

Hale had to admit Daniel’s story was convincing, but for some reason he wasn’t ready to believe it. Elani was a world with beauty unlike any other. It was Pandora’s home. The city was filled with light and hope when he looked upon it. Chances were Daniel was a liar anyway.

“Don’t look so surprised. The only part of Elani you’ve seen is the nice part. The upper levels, the part everyone sees first, is one big lie. That’s what the royals want people to think Elani is like. The upper levels is where the rich live. So, of course it looks good.”

That made more sense to Hale. But still… Pandora never mentioned anything so dark when she described her home. She loved her home. She was willing to die for it. Maybe she didn’t know about its darkness, but he didn’t think she was that naive. Elani had to be good because Pandora was risking everything for it. “I don’t know anything about this place. What difference does it make anyway? That would mean Elani is just like every other planet in the galaxy.”

“It’s a big deal because no one knows. No one on the outside our planet expects it. The galactic authorities have no idea.”

Hale sipped his drink slowly. Hale acted like what Daniel told him didn’t matter because he didn’t want to reveal what he truly thought about Elani. Or what he was choosing to believe for now. He just couldn’t accept that Pandora might be risking her life for a planet that wasn’t worth saving.

“All I know is that I’m switching jobs as soon as I get out of here,” Daniel said.

Hale regretted ever asking Daniel about Elani. This was Pandora’s home, which she deeply cared for. He would have to forget everything that Daniel had told him about this place. Daniel had to be wrong. Pandora risked everything for this world.