Her hand moved slowly, careful not to disturb him. His breathing had grown deep and steady, and the faintest crease of peace settled into his brow. She watched him in the stillness of early morning light, her thumb grazing a strand of silver near his temple.
Who were you? She thought to herself. Before the transformation? Who are you under all of this power?
He looked younger like this. Softer. Not the man with gravity stitched into his veins, but someone untouched by it—a god who still had a chance to be human.
Footsteps shuffled somewhere outside near the ramp. A groggy groan followed from the pile of bodies, then the sound of a cushion being moved aside. Someone mumbled.
Veolo sat up first, rubbing her eyes. Her gaze landed on Aurania, then on Soren, then back again.
A grin spread across her face.
Aurania narrowed her eyes and whispered, “Don’t.”
Raine came to a sitting position next, blinking blearily. She saw them, processed it, and smiled.
“Shut up,” Aurania said, though a small smirk tugged at her lips.
Even Tamiyo—uncurling herself from Inelius’ arm—peeked up, saw the scene, and raised one brow. One by one, they all rose from slumber to shoot her knowing looks.
Aurania sighed. “Seriously. All of you.”
But she didn’t move.
And she didn’t stop running her fingers through his hair.
The team slowly rose and took their leave from The Ghost of Mandachor, until only Soren and Aurania remained. The ship was still, filled only with the occasional creak panels and the slow rhythm of breathing. Pale light filtered in through the cockpit windows, painting soft gold across the floor from the hallway.
Time felt suspended—like the galaxy itself had paused to let them rest.
Aurania didn’t remember dozing off. One moment she was watching the rise and fall of Soren’s chest, feeling the gentle weight of his head in her lap—and the next, the world was no longer the quiet interior of the ship.
She was dreaming.
But not like before. Not like his fractured memories she’d slipped into in the past, or the chaotic visions that came with shared dreams. This was different.
She was herself. Present. Her awareness shifted like she was drifting upward through warm water, breathless and weightless.
A sense of familiarity pulsed in the air—as if the place had been waiting for her.
And then Soren was there too.
He stepped into the space beside her, blinking at the dreamscape all around—a vast, still expanse where the ground shimmered like polished glass. It mirrored the heavens so perfectly that it was impossible to tell where sky ended and reflection began. Swirls of deep purple and molten gold twisted through the clouds above, and their mirrored twins danced below, folding the horizon into a luminous loop of color and light. Starlight bled into sunrise, and the air carried no scent, no temperature—just the quiet hum of something sacred.
“You feel real,” Soren said, his voice echoing at the edge of hearing.
“You do too,” Aurania told him.
Before either could say more, two figures emerged from somewhere unseen.
The first was unmistakable—her hair tied back into a large braid and a soft smile on her face. Amaryn Lieton walked with the serene grace of someone who had finally been unburdened.
Beside her was a d’moria man wearing an old-style, wide-brimmed hat and a long coat that looked identical to Violet’s new skirt. Saint Morgan walked toward them, his presence strong, grounded, and otherworldly. Aurania’s breath caught in her throat, and Soren stood straighter beside her, his expression open, reverent.
Amaryn approached, her hands clasped in front of her. “I’m not here long. Been waiting for a chance to say goodbye. To say thank you.”
She looked at Aurania. “You made space for me. When I had nowhere else to go. And Violet…” Her voice caught for a moment, but she smiled. “Please tell her I saw everything. That I appreciate her more than I could ever say.”
Aurania nodded, tears forming in her eyes. “I will.”
Amaryn eyed both of them thoughtfully. “The path ahead for you all is a dangerous one, but rely on each other and you will prevail, I’m sure of it.”
Aurania and Soren looked at each other, stricken by what they were experiencing. Then they faced back to Amaryn, nodding silently. Aurania glanced at Morgan, who regarded her with warm eyes, but did not speak.
Amaryn tilted her head with a mischievous spark. “Also, if I know Venlin, I think he’s going to commission a statue of me.”
Soren raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
Amaryn smiled wider, almost teasing. “When it’s made, I have a favor to ask. Just one last one, to make sure the details are right.”
Aurania took a deep breath, steeling herself with resolve. The dreamscape suddenly smelled indescribable, a mix of Mol’eyne’s red dirt, sunlight, and stardust. She faced Amaryn with a wide stance, ready to hear what the girl asked of her.
“Anything.”
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Aurania awoke stretched out on the floor of the ship.
The faint hum of the ship’s systems thrummed in the background, barely audible above the soft rhythm of Soren’s breathing. They were both on their sides, tangled gently—one of her legs was straight, the other bent with Soren’s head laying on the inside of her thigh. Her head had somehow found its way onto the curve of his abdomen, setting just above his pelvis.
It was… peaceful. Intimate, in the quietest way.
She might’ve stayed there longer—until her eyes fully flicked open and her brain caught up. Her face was an inch away from the bulging morning outline in his pants.
Her whole body tensed.
Oh no.
She lifted her head and her gaze darted to his face—still sound asleep, blissfully unaware—her eyes shot back again.
Oh no.
Heat pooled in her core. Her skin prickled. Her mind raced with vivid thoughts she tried to smother before they could take hold.
No. No no no.
She told herself it was just biology. Nothing personal. It was common. Normal. Not an invitation.
And yet…
She sharply inhaled, felt his scent flood her senses, and sat bolt upright. She yanked the blanket up around her, as if it might help suppress the very real and very physical reaction building inside her.
Control. You have control.
She took a deep breath, blinked rapidly, and focused her mind away from temptation.
Aurania suddenly became keenly aware that she was being watched.
Tamiyo was a few meters away, casually seated with a tablet in her lap and one brow raised.
Aurania nearly yelped. “How long have you been there?!”
Tamiyo’s antennae wiggled innocently. “Long enough to wonder how much longer you’ll be able to restrain yourself.”
Aurania flushed red, hiding her face in the blanket.
Soren stirred at last, groaning softly and shifting against her thigh. “Mmm… morning already?” He blinked up at Tamiyo, disoriented. “How long have we been out?”
Tamiyo tapped her screen and leaned back. “Well, I woke up yesterday morning and saw you sleeping on her lap. I came back to the ship maybe an hour or two later and Aura was already knocked out. So… around thirty-six hours.”
Aurania almost yelled. “Thirty-six hours?!”
“Yep,” Tamiyo said, calm as ever. “We were a little worried at first, but your vitals stayed steady. Nothing dangerous. My medical conclusion was that you were comforting each other into a deep slumber that you both really, really needed. And that the best course of action was to simply let you rest.”
Soren sat up, blinking at Aurania, his hair a complete mess. Their eyes met—neither speaking, but both understanding what the other was feeling. They had slept. And not just passed out—they had truly, deeply rested. Together.
And they had gotten to say goodbye to Amaryn, despite barely knowing her.
Tamiyo stood and dusted herself off. “Anyway. I’ll leave you two to shower or… you know, emotionally implode. When you’re ready, come by the saloon. Brolgar’s cooking a feast for the whole town.”
She gave a small, reassuring smile—then slipped out of the ship, leaving them alone, together.
Soren and Aurania looked from where Tamiyo had exited to each other, the silence stretching. Finally, she asked, “Was that dream real?”
He slowly nodded.
“You’ve made my life very weird, Little Boy.”
Fun too, but let’s not inflate his ego too much.
They rose from the floor, each stretching out limbs that had gone stiff after such a long rest. Aurania rolled her shoulders, feeling the residual ache in her spine, while Soren scratched at his scalp, messing his already skewed hair even further.
They both moved toward the bathroom—then stopped at the exact same moment.
“You go ahead,” Aurania said, but Soren lifted a brow.
“I was about to say the same thing. Or…” He hesitated, tilting his head with casual curiosity. “Do you want to shower together?”
Aurania’s breath caught.
Her pupils dilated. Her lips parted. The fire that had been quietly smoldering under her skin since she’d woken up came roaring back to life, and for a second, the only thought in her mind was the taste of water running over his body—heat, skin, steam, gravity.
Why am I salivating so much?!
She swallowed hard, forcing her jaw to close, and whimpered, “No.”
“That was very unconvincing,” Soren said, but his face looked sad.
Her voice was softer when she added, “Go shower first. I meant what I said last—the other night, I mean. We have to keep our hands off each other.”
He studied her for a long moment, something moving behind his eyes. “I’m the only dangerous one,” he murmured. “If it would help you focus, you could… go get your fix with someone else.”
“No,” she instantly answered.
It came out sharp, honest, and unfiltered.
His expression softened, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. He didn’t say anything else—just nodded once, then slipped into the bathroom, the door sliding closed behind him.
Aurania exhaled like she’d been holding her breath through a combat drill.
She braced herself against the wall, trying to ground the heat surging through her veins. The air wasn’t even warm, but her skin burned, and the cold metal of the wall felt like it might melt beneath her. She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again and made her way toward the terminal near the entry.
Something small flashed in the corner of the screen.
A new message.
She tapped the blinking icon.
NEW MESSAGE: COMMANDER GARRIN
She opened it and leaned in.
“Hello everyone, I hope Boadicea has been treating you well. I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that The Resolute Wind is finally en route back to Mol’eyne.”
A weight eased from her shoulders.
“The bad news is that the maintenance on The Resolute Wind took longer than anticipated. We were delayed by a couple weeks, so rather than Day 60, expect us around Day 74. We’ll be staying in-system for a week to retrieve our deployed teams, then we’re moving onto the ruins with you.”
Aurania blinked at the date, mentally recalibrating. She knew her team was already anxious to leave this place as soon as possible. When she unpaused the message, it said:
“The location of the ruins has been confirmed.”
Her breath caught. Finally, some good news.
She paused the message again and stood there a moment, letting the swirl of feelings settle. Relief. Anticipation. A touch of dread. Behind her, she heard the bathroom door hiss open, and turned to find Soren emerging with a towel wrapped loosely around his hips, steam trailing off his bare torso.
That was quick. How long was I bracing against that wall?
He was drying his hair with another towel, bare-chested, drops of water still clinging to the planes of his body. Her mouth went dry this time, but through sheer willpower she managed not to stare directly at the V-line.
“Hey,” she called in a hoarse voice. “Come listen to this.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “I don’t have any clothes on.”
“I will do my best to control myself. Come on, it’s from Garrin, it’s important.”
He perked up at the mention of Garrin and padded over.
Aurania replayed the message from the beginning.
“Not all is good tidings,” Garrin’s voice continued. “The Commandant of the Liberty Union’s fleet will be joining Admiral Marrow for your next assignment. The two of them will be overseeing the investigation of the ruins personally.”
Aurania’s stomach tightened.
“I cannot relay anything additional at this time—the information is too sensitive. We will see you all soon. Be ready.”
The message ended with a soft chime.
Soren and Aurania stood in silence. She slowly looked at him, and he was already watching her. The weight of it settled between them.
If the Commandant was coming, this was no longer just a scientific curiosity that could potentially help Nox.
This was something bigger than just them and their planet.