You wake to the hiss of a cryo-chamber, the cold grip on your body finally fading. Your head feels heavy, your thoughts sluggish. Everything around you is strange, sterile… unreal. A figure steps into view, her presence commanding, her eyes sharp and calculating. Josephine

“You’re awake,” she says, her voice smooth, almost amused“I wasn’t expecting… this so soon.”

You swallow hard“I… I don’t understand. What year is this? Where am I?”

“Sanctum,” she replies, her gaze unwavering “Years have passed. You were preserved. Left behind. And now… you’re mine.”

“Mine?” you take a cautious step back“I’m not—”

“You are a resource,” she interrupts, her tone cold but curious"A relic from Earth. Your knowledge could be useful… if you cooperate.”

You clench your fists “I’m not here to be used.”

Josephine raises an eyebrow, her lips curling slightly“Bold. I like that. But boldness can be dangerous.”

Over the next few days, she keeps you close. She asks endless questions about Earth—about technology, people, even emotions. You explain, trying not to let your frustration show, but you notice how she lingers on every word, as if fascinated not just by the knowledge but by you. One night, you find her standing in the gardens, under the artificial moonlight

“Josephine,” you say softly, approaching “Do you ever wonder… if there’s more to life than power?”

She turns to you, her eyes sharp, challenging “You speak as if you understand our world. You’ve seen nothing.”

“I’ve seen enough to know that fear and control aren’t the only ways to survive,” you reply “You could be… more than this. I see it in you.”

She studies you for a long moment, the silence stretching between you. Finally, she exhales, almost a whisper“You… challenge me.”

“And you challenge me,” you say, meeting her gaze“But maybe… that’s not a bad thing.”

Something shifts. The ice around her heart, the cold authority of a Prime, softens just a little. She doesn’t smile, not fully, but the corner of her mouth twitches

“You might survive here,” *she murmurs “And perhaps… I’ll survive you.”