As days passed, it became harder to judge exactly how much time she spent alone. A good portion of the day was spent lying on the plush bedding and staring at the dark blades of the slow-moving fan above.
Occasionally, she would doze, and in her dreams she was able to escape her strange new reality. Her imagination would cause her to shed her scales and she would become a queen - a beautiful bride who stood on a balcony beside her king and overlooked an orange landscape.
The memories would fade quickly each time she woke. The vision was recurring, and suddenly she realized that it was the only dream she had anymore. She threw the blanket aside and sat on the edge of the bed. Before her, a narrow strip of window offered a glimpse of the land beyond.
A sound erupted from above, and her hearts leapt in her chest. She turned toward the source - a disk-shaped section of the wall. Another crackle sounded.
"Hello?" she asked. She stood, but kept the blanket nearby. Somehow it made her feel safer.
"Welcome," a voice erupted from the speaker.
"Welcome? What's going on? I haven't heard anything since I was brought here!"
"You must be prepared."
"What? I don't understand."
"You understand more than you know. Your future is already written, and you must be prepared."
Anger began to flare within her. Everything was so confusing and cryptic; it was too much to take. She sat again on the bed, careful not to sit directly on her sensitive tail. Dark tears of frustration welled in her eyes.
"You control the crystal that fulfills the prophesy. We have brought you here until your vision is clear and you see the path ahead. Until that day, our king awaits."