The creatures spoke in a strange and unknown language that Xavier could not understand. They had humanoid bodies but something about them just seemed to be unnerving and very inhuman. Some of them had three eyes with the third being on the center of their foreheads. Others had four and the other pair was just above the first pair. Their skin colors varied with some of them having a light gray complexion while others had a dark black. 

One with smoky gray skin pointed to Xavier and three others immediately went over and seized the man.

“Get off of me!” Xavier thrashed around and his voice was tired and it trembled with each syllable he tried to speak. 

One of the creatures croaked out some sort of order and after it was finished speaking the three that held Xavier captive immediately sprung out with more limbs to fully secure the still struggling prisoner. 

They dragged the poor man out of the hotel and there appeared to be some sort of aura that was keeping everyone else in the hotel from waking up. Even the employees were all asleep at their desks or even just on the cold tile floor. 

Xavier shivered as his body was forcefully dragged out of the hotel and he felt something get clasped over his neck which was identified as a crest-piece much like someone might see some sort of royal wear. He could hardly even find the will to speak due to his own horror and terror of what was happening. 

After being dragged out to the front and into the chilly air of the late night as the stars twinkled above them. 

He was taken to some type of either aircraft or transportation vehicle that looked nothing like anything Xavier had ever seen before. 

One might think that these creatures were aliens but this was simply not the case. They were not from another planet or anything like that… They were from underground.

When the man was placed onto the craft he was placed on a chair that he could not move in. It seemed that there was a magnet in the crest around his neck. 

Someone began to direct the craft to a tunnel that seemed to almost never end and the tunnel was patched up as they went through it. 

Xavier was in shock much like any rational human being would be if they had just been captured by some weird creatures that he couldn’t even understand. 

“Apologies for the scare, your highness. I suppose that our introduction was quite brash.” The one with smoky gray skin and black hair spoke. Two of his eyes were focused on Xavier while the other pair was focused on the path in front of the craft. 

“What the f-” Xavier began to shout but he was cut off by something that made his voice silent when he tried to curse. 

“Now, now. That kind of language is very unbecoming of someone of your status.” The same one’s smooth voice resounded along the walls of the room. 

“I am sure that you have questions but you must save that for when we return. All of us Ziriots are very excited to meet you. And my name is Dailec. Those two are the twins Kirazow and Oxaline. The one that is currently sulking in the shadows to your left is Ulsese.” Daliec introduced before he kept piloting the vehicle. “Our people have been forgotten by the humans but we are still here after all those generations.”

“Status? Ziri-wha? What is even going on?!” Xavier demanded as aggressively as he could manage but when it came out it sounded as meek as a kitten mewling for its mother.

“You.” One of the twins Kirazow started.

“Are.” The other twin Oxaline added.

“Our.” Kirazow picked up where fae left off. 

“New.” Oxaline continued as faers tone shifted a little bit and both fae and faers sister came closer and closer to the frightened man. 

“Ruler.” Kirazow finished with a slight grin on her face. It seemed that this was the only way that the two could speak. 

Xavier’s dark messy black hair fell onto his face a little as he looked down out of fear since he didn’t understand why he had been apparently chosen for this role. 

“Your rule will be quite great, King Azeil.” Daliec spoke after a few moments of what Xavier thought of as an uncomfortable silence. 

“Az-what? That’s not my name!” Xavier shifted uncomfortably in his seat as his fight or flight response was starting to kick in due to his own stress. 

“Don’t be silly! Of course that’s your name!” Daliec seemed too cheerful at the moment to the point that it was quite eerie to the man being held captive. 

“N-no! It is not! My name is Xavier!” Xavier was really on the verge of some sort of panic attack since these…things… might have mistaken him for someone else.

“We have confirmed that you are the rightful heir to the throne and that you will lead our civilization into eternal glory.” Ulsese finally spoke as his deep and intimidating voice rang in the room.

“No, no, no! You’ve got the wrong guy! I don’t know what you are talking about! Just let me go!” Xavier demanded despite not having any grounds for his order. 

“As much as we Ziriots dislike displeasing our rulers, we cannot obey your command this time, your highness.” Daliec sighed before he began to slow the craft down as they reached some sort of entrance to what appeared to be a whole other world. 

“Please! I am not who you think I am!” Xavier’s parents had supposedly died in a sinking ship when he was an infant and he had been an orphan but he never knew that, so he thought that his parents were alive and well back on the surface of their planet called Natria. 

“We know who you are. And don’t worry, soon you will know your true identity among the Ziriot people… King Azeil.” Ulsese huffed quietly before crossing all three pairs of arms across his chest. 

Xavier was about to fight it again but something flashed in his mind and made everything go dark… he would soon remember everything and know… the truth…

He had… parents? A brother? What was his brother’s name? Parallax… that was his brother’s name… 

He could remember struggling as he had his other set of eyes gouged out with a fork by his brother… 

The scars on his forehead used to be eyes? Was that why his vision was so bad? His brother wanted him dead? 

“We have brought you back because Prince Parallax has fallen ill and might not be able to serve the throne.” Ulsese explained. 

“I have siblings?!” Xavier was very surprised by this and he didn’t know what else to think of since he had no idea that he was related to these… creatures. He choked on his own words with each letter he spoke. 

“Yes, of course. Your brother Parallax.” Daliec nodded before he stopped the vehicle and stood up. 

The twins grabbed onto Xavier and took him out of the craft and through a crowd of people clamoring and trying to get a glimpse of their future ruler. 

Ulsese said something in that unknown language and the group went into two lines so that they could let them through. 

Xavier sees two figures at the end of the lines that he didn’t recognize but they were both wearing floating crowns which made him assume that they were his parents. 

He swallowed a lump in his throat before he lowered his head as he was brought to them. 

All eyes were on him… and one was from afar but had a dark frown.