***
Later, I sat across from Zoey, the firelight casting shadows on her face. I needed answers. I asked her about her father, who was the general, the iron-fisted leader of the very country I had fallen into by chance in the other world.
Her eyes darkened at the mention of him. "My father is ruthless," she muttered, bitterness laced in her tone. "I've never seen him act sweet toward anyone. Not once. His gaze is always distant and focused on one thing only. And that is power. He's obsessed with it. Every breath he takes is for the sake of climbing higher, tightening his grip over others."
She paused, her fingers curling into fists on her lap. "That's why he developed a specialized team… people tasked with uncovering everything they could about portals how they worked, how many other worlds existed, and how to reach them. All so he could learn to dominate even more."
