The void swallowed everything, sound, heat, even the notion of time itself.
Yet the figure clinging to Zephyr's arm refused to let go.
It looked like Aelina.
But the glowing red eyes told the truth: this thing wanted to tear everything apart, even if it meant destroying itself in the process.
Zephyr strained against its grip, muscles trembling. "I'm not letting it end like this," he growled through clenched teeth. But the creature didn't budge. Its hold was inhuman, unyielding. His strength was fading.
Then the darkness behind him rippled.
A burst of hyperspace light tore open like a miniature supernova,
and Kirana shot out of it.
She crashed into position right in front of them, her landing sharp and controlled.
"Kirana?!" Zephyr choked out, stunned.
No hesitation. No questions.
Kirana lunged, snatching Zephyr out of the creature's grip with a force that knocked the breath from his lungs.
"Hold your breath, Zephyr!" she barked.
Once he was clear, she spun, driving a brutal kick into the creature's chest.
The impact hurled it backward into the endless dark...
and a heartbeat later, it detonated in a blinding explosion of flame and debris.
Zephyr watched the blast crumble into sparks, a storm of mixed relief and grief twisting in his chest. It looked so much like Aelina… but it wasn't her. It never was.
Before he could speak, Kirana pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, voice trembling just enough to betray her fear.
Zephyr shook his head, still dazed. A small, tired smile tugged at his lips. "You always show up right when I need you."
The moment didn't last.
The fading glow of the explosion revealed the looming shape of a planet below, its gravity already pulling them in. Kirana looked down, her expression sharpening.
"We need to move. Activate your shield and push energy to your armor. If you don't, the atmosphere's going to roast us."
"Right." Zephyr inhaled and focused. A thin blue shimmer rippled across his body as the protective layer snapped into place.
Heat slammed into them the instant they breached the upper atmosphere.
Kirana pressed herself close to him, streamlining their descent.
Wind howled violently around them, shaking their armor.
Zephyr lowered his head toward her, their helmets nearly touching.
"Kirana," he murmured, voice rough beneath the roar. Her face was drawn, exhausted, yet fiercely determined.
"I swear… whatever comes next, I'll protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you again."
Kirana gave him a small, soft smile, one that held both gratitude and the quiet understanding of someone who knew how heavy that promise truly was.
They tore through the atmosphere at breakneck speed. The planet beneath them came into view—an endless stretch of barren desert, shimmering gold under Lytherion's dim sunlight.
The descent ended brutally.
Their bodies slammed into the ground, throwing up a ring of sand and debris. A small crater smoked beneath them. Their advanced armor was shredded, several plates melted from the heat of re-entry. Kirana and Zephyr lay sprawled across the cracked earth, both gasping for breath.
Zephyr forced his helmet open, sucking in the dry, scorching air. "You okay?" he asked, voice hoarse but laced with worry.
Kirana winced, pushing herself upright. "Still alive. I'll take it."
She tapped her wrist console. Relief flickered across her face. "The signal's still there… barely."
Zephyr scanned the horizon. Nothing but dunes. No structures, no movement, no promise of rescue—just the quiet, suffocating expanse of a dead land.
"Where even are we?" he muttered.
Kirana followed the distant line of the setting sun. "No idea. But we need shelter before nightfall."
Zephyr staggered to his feet and offered her a hand. "Then we walk. I'm not letting this place finish us."
Slowly, painfully, they set out across the silent desert. Wind carved shifting patterns across the dunes, the only witness to the unwavering will that kept them moving forward.
***
Night in the Tharros Desert was merciless, cold enough to bite through muscle and bone. Tucked between two narrow dunes, Kirana and Zephyr huddled beside a small fire that sputtered each time the wind cut through.
The flames cast faint light across their exhausted faces. Kirana sat hugging her knees, eyes unfocused, her thoughts miles away. Zephyr watched her from across the fire, silent, patient.
"Zeph," she whispered, voice trembling. "I can't stop seeing her face. I feel like… I failed."
Zephyr's chest tightened. He tried to hide the grief in his own eyes as he replied, "You didn't fail. You fought harder than anyone could have asked. What happened wasn't your fault."
She shook her head, tears breaking free. "I should've protected her. I should've… something. And now I don't even know if she's alive."
Zephyr didn't speak right away. When he did, his voice was steady, grounding. "You're one of the strongest fighters I've ever known. You've survived things no one should survive. And Aelina… she'd want you to keep going. Not fall apart out here."
Kirana lifted her gaze to him, pained, but grateful. "Thank you, Zephyr. You always manage to reach me… even when everything feels lost."
He offered a faint smile. "I'm not here out of duty, Kirana. I'm here because you matter to me. Whatever happens next… we face it together."
***
Dawn crept over the endless desert, its pale light spilling across dunes of gold and rust. Kirana stood atop a small rise, scanning the horizon through the cracked interface on her wrist display. A faint signal flickered, weak, but real.
"There's something out there," she said, turning to Zephyr. "A settlement, maybe. About fifty kilometers from here."
Zephyr exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing at the shimmering line of the distant horizon. "Fifty kilometers… That's going to hurt. But we don't have a better option. Let's move."
They walked for hours beneath an unforgiving sun. Heat shimmered on the sand, dust stung their eyes, and each step grew heavier as fatigue clawed at their bodies. Still, neither stopped. Hope pulled them onward.
By late afternoon, a massive silhouette rose from the haze: a rusted gate towering like the skeleton of some ancient beast forgotten by time.
A lone guard waited beside it, broad-shouldered, wrapped in a patched leather coat reinforced with scrap metal, a bulky rifle resting in his hands. His helmet was fitted with oversized goggles that hid his expression.
"State your business," he said, voice rough but not hostile.
"We're travelers," Kirana replied, steady and polite. "We just need a place to rest."
The guard studied them for a moment. Then he pressed a button on the gate. A smaller door groaned open behind him, metal scraping metal.
"Welcome to Rusty Town. Don't cause trouble."
Kirana and Zephyr stepped through, and froze for a heartbeat.
The town was a chaotic tapestry of old metal structures, half-collapsed towers, welded shacks, and tangled pipes. It should have been dead. Instead, it was buzzing with life. Humans in tattered gear. Reptilian traders with glimmering scales. Amphibious humanoids sealed in portable water helmets. Voices clashed with engine hums and the clatter of tools.
"…This place," Zephyr murmured. "It's a lot livelier than I expected."
They made their way through narrow, crowded alleys until they reached a small bar tucked into the corner of a rusted block. Kirana stepped inside first.
An elderly man with a thick white beard stood behind the counter, polishing a dented metal cup with a cloth that looked even dirtier.
"What'll it be?" he asked without looking up.
"Water," Kirana said. "Just water."
The man nodded, filled two large metal cups, and slid them across the counter. "On the house. Only this once."
"Thank you," Zephyr said before downing half the cup in one long pull.
The cool water hit his throat like salvation.
***