"No, I'm not," I admitted, deciding it was better not to go into detail that I wasn't just from another region... but from another world. Who knows, maybe they'd burn me at the stake for that.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me where you're from, I won't insist," Alaya said softly, watching me with understanding. "Just know this - I won't judge you, and your secrets are safe with me. For now, eat and regain your strength. I'll go prepare a room for you."

With that, she disappeared somewhere deeper into the house, and I turned my attention to the food.

It looked like some kind of stew - I even recognized bits of potato, carrot, and onion. But there were also strange vegetables I'd never seen before, and meat that almost tasted like beef, though it was sweeter and softer. It was delicious, and I couldn't help but feel genuinely grateful to the woman.

When Alaya returned, I immediately told her how good it was. She smiled warmly - not the pushy kind of smile, but the kind that made you feel safe. I couldn't stop wondering how someone so kind could live all alone in such a large house.

"This will be your room," Alaya said as she led me to one of the doors.

Inside was a small, cozy chamber with another door leading to a bathroom. Everything looked a little different from what I was used to, but the general idea of how it worked was clear enough.

"Freshen up. I'll bring you something clean to wear," Alaya said gently, her smile reassuring, before quietly leaving me alone.

After wandering through fields, forests, and gods-know-what bushes, a bath sounded like pure heaven. Without wasting a second, I stripped down and headed toward the large basin. But as I stepped forward, something caught my eye - a huge mirror in the corner, reaching from floor to ceiling.

When I saw my reflection, I froze.

Who was that girl staring back at me?

Standing completely naked before the mirror, I nearly gasped. My breasts looked fuller, my stomach was flat and toned, and my legs - long and flawless, like a model's. My skin was much paler than before, smooth and glowing, and my hair... my hair was now a soft, luminous lilac color, flowing down like silk.

But the real shock came from my eyes. They used to be blue - ordinary, human blue - but now they glowed like two bright topazes, shining with strange light.

If I looked closely, I could still recognize my features beneath the changes, but it was as if someone had photoshopped me to perfection and added a dozen beauty filters.

And the strangest, most wonderful part?

I looked at least ten years younger.

The girl in the mirror looked no more than seventeen or eighteen - youthful, radiant, ethereal. My face was smooth and flawless, my expression almost otherworldly. And then I noticed the delicate markings on my skin - faint, intricate patterns that shimmered slightly under the light, adding a mysterious beauty to this... new version of me.

What a transformation! Absolutely unbelievable!

After finally stepping into the bath, I was surprised to find there weren't any bottles or soaps anywhere. But the water itself had a light floral scent, pleasant and delicate.

Perhaps they mix some kind of cleansing essence directly into the water, I thought - because after washing, my skin and hair felt perfectly clean and fragrant, soft as silk. No shampoo, no body wash, yet somehow I smelled like a blooming meadow.

When I stepped back into the room, wrapped in a towel, I found Alaya sitting quietly on the bed, waiting for me.

"Here, Naziza," she said gently, pointing at a neatly folded stack of clothes. "These once belonged to my daughter, Sariya. I hope they'll fit you. This room used to be hers as well."

Her lips curved into a faint, sad smile.

"Will your daughter be all right with that?" I asked cautiously. The last thing I wanted was for someone to come storming in later, screaming and ripping the dress off me because it wasn't mine.

"Don't worry," Alaya said softly, her gaze dropping to the floor. "She... she's no longer with me. And most likely, she's not even alive anymore."

Her voice broke, and she pressed her lips together, trying to hide the grief that flooded her eyes.

"Oh, Alaya... I'm so sorry," I whispered sincerely. "I didn't mean to pry. What happened to her? Did the werewolves take her?"

I don't even know why I asked. The question slipped out on its own, as if some instinct urged me to. I could feel this was something important - something that mattered.

Alaya gave a weary, hollow smile.

"No. Werewolves only take a girl if they sense she's their fated mate," she said quietly. "My daughter... she was chosen as one of the king's potential brides."

Her voice trembled on the last word, and the sorrow that washed over her made my chest tighten painfully.

Her words made my mouth fall open and my heart drop straight into my stomach.

Oh, that's VERY reassuring!

"How?" I barely managed to choke out, my body and mind frozen with suffocating panic.

"I don't know everything," Alaya admitted sadly. "Six years ago, the watchmen came for Sariya. She was chosen as one of the brides... and she never came back. I don't know what happened to her, but I do know she never became a queen. No one ever did. The king is a sorcerer-he's lived for centuries-and still, there has never been a queen," the woman said gravely.

I stared at her, eyes wide, horror creeping through me.

Wait... a sorcerer?!

So their ruler is some ancient, sick old wizard demanding virgins for wives?!

Oh, that's just wonderful. Now I understand why Manar is so desperate to protect her daughter.

I need to run. Fast.

"Listen," Alaya looked at me with sorrow in her eyes. "You remind me so much of Sariya. I wouldn't wish her fate on you, but escaping from here is truly impossible. Between the roaming lone werewolves and the wild beasts, our valley is surrounded by mountains. There's only one road out through the gorge, and it's guarded. And even if you hide somewhere inside the valley, sooner or later the king's guards will find you."

"Can you read minds?" I asked in surprise-because honestly, at this point, anything seemed possible.

"No," the woman smiled gently. "It's just written all over your face."

"So what am I supposed to do now? Please... tell me everything you know," I pleaded, forgetting even to change my clothes.

"All right," Alaya said firmly. "Get dressed, I'll wait for you in the kitchen. We'll talk."

She stood up and opened the door to leave.

"Alaya!" I called out. She turned to me. "Thank you. And... my name's Isabella. You can just call me Iza."

She gave a faint smile and disappeared down the hall. For a few minutes, I couldn't move, just staring blankly into space. How did I end up here?

I have to learn more about this world-and for that, I'll need someone to trust. Alaya seems like the right person. Maybe I'm a naïve fool for trusting her so easily, but I don't feel any malice or deceit from her. And maybe, because of what happened to her daughter, she'll understand me even more.

Thinking about that made me remember my mother. How worried would she be if I vanished?

But... I did vanish.

Things with my dad had always been a bit tense, but I love them both with all my heart.

I just hope they aren't suffering the way Alaya does.

Maybe... just maybe... there's a way to go home.

Lost in my thoughts, I realized I'd been sitting idle for far too long. Snapping out of it, I quickly dressed in the clothes Alaya had given me and went to the kitchen, where she was already waiting.

"Alaya, please," I begged softly, "tell me everything you know about what awaits me... and about your world."

"I thought as much," Alaya smiled faintly, not the least bit surprised by my request. "You're definitely not from around here. All right, I'll tell you."

From her story, I learned that this world was very different from Earth-yet oddly similar in many ways. It didn't feel like a separate planet, but rather a parallel universe, somehow linked to ours. There were too many uncanny coincidences to ignore.

As we spoke, evening descended outside-or what they called evening. Here, a full day lasts twenty-seven hours, and the nights never turn completely dark. Instead, they glow with a soft twilight, thanks to several moons and a sun that never quite sets.

The brighter celestial light, which fully disappears beyond the horizon, is simply called the Sun. The dimmer one is known as Volar, and it never fully sets-it hovers just above the horizon even at night.

Their planet is also called Earth. The familiar moon we see in the night sky exists here too, but there's another satellite visible both day and night-Latz-larger and shimmering like a jewel in the heavens.

A year still has twelve months, though each month is forty-four days long. Thankfully, hours and seconds match ours perfectly, and the week still consists of seven days with the same names.

It was a strange world indeed, and I felt I had only begun to scratch the surface of it.

"As I told you," Alaya continued, lowering her voice, "our king, Karadeylis, is a great mage."

Now we had reached the part I dreaded most.

"For several centuries he has ruled these lands. Many generations have lived and died under his reign. How he came to power remains shrouded in mystery. Some say he slaughtered the previous royal dynasty and took their throne for himself. Others whisper that he's one of the last descendants of that very bloodline. And then there are those who believe he's cursed-bound to immortality by ancient magic.

"Some even claim he's an alpha werewolf, one of the first and oldest. It's not impossible-some mages here can shift into animal forms and are what we call 'dual-faced.' Whatever the truth is, no one really knows anymore. But one thing is certain: Karadeylis has ruled for centuries, unchallenged."

Alaya sighed, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. "To be fair, he governs wisely. Our people live well-no poverty, no beggars. He's a strong sorcerer and a proven warrior. Every few decades, foolish invaders from neighboring kingdoms try to attack us... and every time, Karadeylis crushes them. These days, such conflicts have nearly stopped altogether.

"The most remarkable thing," she added, lowering her voice, "is that the king never leaves his castle. Not once. When enemies come, he strikes them down with his magic from the tallest tower. Or he lends his power to his generals so they can fight in his name. For the last hundred years or so, he seems to have grown... bored. And that's when he decided to take a wife."

I sat perfectly still, like a mouse cornered by fate, listening to every word that might help me avoid becoming one of those missing brides.

Lost in my thoughts, I realized I had been sitting idle for far too long. Quickly dressing in the clothes provided to me, I went to the kitchen, where the lady of the house was already waiting.

"Alaya, please," I pleaded softly, "tell me everything you know about my upcoming fate-and... about your world."

"I figured as much-you're definitely not from around here," Alaya smiled faintly, unsurprised by my request. "Alright then, listen carefully."

From her story, I learned that everything here was vastly different from Earth, though there were also surprising similarities. Honestly, I felt this world wasn't exactly another planet, but rather a parallel universe closely tied to ours-too many details matched.

As we spoke, it grew dark outside-or at least as dark as it ever got here. The day here lasted twenty-seven hours, and the nights weren't truly dark, more like twilight. The light came from several moons and a sun that never fully set.

The brighter star, the one that completely dipped beyond the horizon, was called the Sun, while the dimmer one was Volar-it didn't disappear entirely, hovering low over the horizon even at night.

This planet, oddly enough, was also called Earth. The satellite seen at night was Luna, while the one visible both day and night in all its glory was Latz. Their year had twelve months too, though each month lasted forty-four days. Hours and seconds, thank heavens, matched ours. The week still had seven days with the same names. What a strange world... I still had so much to learn.

"As I mentioned," Alaya continued, "our king, Karadeylis, is a great mage." Her tone grew more serious. "He has ruled these lands for centuries-many generations of people have lived and died under his reign. How exactly he came to power remains a mystery. Some say he murdered the previous royal family and took their place. Others insist he's one of their secret descendants. And there are those who whisper that dark magic was involved-that he's an ancient alpha werewolf himself. That theory isn't far-fetched-some mages can take on other forms and become dual-natured beings. Whatever the truth, it's long been buried under centuries of rumors. What matters is that Karadeylis has remained the ruler for ages."

"To be fair," she added thoughtfully, "he governs wisely and efficiently. There are no homeless or starving people here. He's a powerful warrior as well as a mage, proven in countless battles. Occasionally, reckless fools from other kingdoms still try to attack us, but Karadeylis always emerges victorious. These days, conflicts are almost nonexistent. What's most curious is that he never leaves his castle. He doesn't need to-he can strike down enemies with his magic from the tallest tower or lend his power to his generals to fight in his stead.

"I suppose, after a hundred years or so of peace, he's grown bored. That's why he decided to take a wife."

I sat quietly, listening to every word, trying to absorb anything that might help me avoid becoming one of the "missing candidates."