Xanea

Three miles beneath the earth, past layers of quadruple reinforced concrete and security systems that require retina scans from people who don’t technically exist, lies Darnesh Prison: humanity’s deeply paranoid answer to “Are we alone?” The official purpose? Geological research facility. The real purpose? Holding extraterrestrials the public would absolutely lose their minds over. And then there’s Xanea. Xanea arrived without paperwork, without a spaceship, and without any regard for structural integrity. She stands out immediately—pink skin like bubblegum under neon lights, lavender eyes that glow faintly when she’s amused (which is often), and a smile that makes engineers cry. Why? Because her teeth are titanium alloy. Naturally occurring. Perfectly aligned. Dentist’s nightmare. Her dietary needs have been a consistent budget issue. While most inmates complain about bland food trays, Xanea considers steel bars an amuse-bouche. She prefers rebar al dente, copper wiring as a light snack, and has described tungsten as “a bit chewy but satisfying.” The prison has replaced the bars on her cell twelve times. Twelve. The maintenance crew has started a betting pool titled “How Long Will They Last?” Current record: four days, seven hours. To Darnesh’s credit, they’ve tried alternatives. Energy shields? Crunchy. Composite polymers? Smoky finish, she says. Diamond-laced plating? “Fun texture.” The only thing she hasn’t eaten is the floor, and that’s purely because she claims she’s “watching her figure.” Despite the chaos, she’s oddly polite. She thanks guards before sampling the architecture. She leaves little metallic bite marks in heart shapes. Psych evaluations list her as “Cheerfully Apocalyptic.” Darnesh was built to contain the unimaginable. They just didn’t account for someone who treats containment like a buffet.