Kirana jerked awake, breath ragged and shallow. Cold sweat trickled down her temples. The nightmare clung to her mind like fog, Aelina standing in the middle of a raging inferno, reaching for her, calling her name with a voice that shattered something deep inside.
She wiped her face and forced her breathing to slow.
Beside her, Zephyr slept soundly, blissfully unaware of the panic clawing at her chest. Kirana slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb him, and moved down the hall toward Aelina's room.
She pushed the door open.
The room was empty.
Blankets folded. Armor stand bare. No boots, no tools, no trace of her daughter at all.
A cold weight settled in her stomach.
"Aelina?" Her voice cracked.
Only silence answered her.
She hurried into the main room. The armor rack that always held Aelina's suit—gone. Kirana bit her lip, breath quickening.
"No. Not again."
She snatched her bow off the wall and rushed outside, still barefoot, still in her nightclothes.
The night air slapped her awake. She stepped onto the terrace and shouted, "Aelina! Where are you?"
Nothing.
Then the sky tore open.
A burst of rocket fire streaked downward, splitting the clouds. Two figures descended and landed with controlled precision.
Aelina stepped forward in full armor. And beside her—
Kirana froze, fear rising like a tide.
"Aelina… who is that?" Her tone was sharp, steady only because she forced it to be.
Aelina took a hesitant step forward, shoulders tense, guilt flickering in her eyes. "Mom… please. I can explain."
Before she could continue, the door behind Kirana burst open. Zephyr, Kaelar, Vega, and Velaria rushed out. Kaelar already had his pistol raised. Vega's expression darkened the moment she recognized the newcomer.
"What's going on?" Zephyr demanded, gaze locked on Eudora.
Eudora stood still. No weapons raised. No threat posture. Just a quiet presence that made the air feel heavier.
"Mom… Dad…" Aelina swallowed hard. "Eudora is not our enemy."
Zephyr's eyes narrowed. "You saw what she did in the Erevos facility. Don't tell me you've forgotten."
"I haven't," Aelina snapped. "But that wasn't her. It was a clone—controlled by Edena's system. She never chose to attack us."
Kirana's heart twisted. "Aelina… how do you know that?"
"She showed me," Aelina whispered. "Her memories. Everything they did to her. She never wanted any of it. They built her to obey."
Eudora finally spoke. Her voice was soft, metallic, almost fragile. "You have no reason to trust me. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I only want to stop being seen as a monster."
Vega stepped forward, eyes sharp as blades. "How are we supposed to believe you?"
"You can't," Eudora said quietly. "And I can't force you. But I'm done being a weapon someone else fires."
Kirana's voice trembled. "Then what do you want, Eudora?"
Eudora paused, searching for the answer. "A purpose. My own. Something that isn't programmed into me." Her gaze lowered. "But I can't find it if all you see is a threat."
Aelina took a small step toward her mother. "Please. Just give her a chance."
Silence wrapped around them. Leaves rustled in the soft night wind. Kirana's thoughts churned, her instincts screaming in different directions.
Then Eudora activated her thrusters.
"I've said what I came to say," she murmured. "I won't force my presence on you."
Aelina reached toward her. "Eudora, wait—"
Eudora gave her one last look, gentle and unbearably human. "Your life is yours, Aelina. Mine is mine."
She shot upward, a streak of blue vanishing into the night sky.
No one moved.
Aelina stared after her, fists trembling, lips parted but voiceless. Kirana stepped beside her and pulled her close.
"We'll figure this out," she whispered softly. "Whatever this becomes… we face it together."
***
The morning sun slipped through the wooden slats of the windows, scattering warm light across the quiet home in Ravara Village. The smell of toasted bread and vegetable soup filled the air, drifting from the kitchen like a gentle invitation to start the day.
Velaria stood by the stove, lifting a pot of soup and pouring it into a large bowl. Beside her, Aelina arranged pieces of toast on a plate with smooth, practiced motions. Every so often she smiled, though the events of last night still lingered at the back of her mind.
Velaria glanced at her. "You look calmer this morning," she said softly.
Aelina nodded. "I'm trying not to dwell on it. Mom was worried enough already. At least I want this morning to feel normal."
"That is a good start," Velaria replied with a small smile. "And thanks to you, the kitchen definitely feels livelier."
Heavy footsteps echoed from the living room. Kaelar appeared with a mess of hair and the absolute determination of a man who woke up earlier than he ever intended. He sniffed the air dramatically.
"Either I'm dreaming or Aelina is actually cooking," he said. "Someone make sure this is the real her and not a replica."
Aelina rolled her eyes but smirked. "If you're not convinced, try the food. If you pass out, then maybe it wasn't me."
Velaria muffled a laugh as Kaelar grabbed a piece of toast. "I'll take my chances. Besides, it's nice to see you like this again."
Zephyr wandered in next, stretching and yawning loud enough to scare small wildlife. "Why is everyone awake and functioning while I'm still halfway dead?"
"Good morning, Dad," Aelina said with bright cheer. "Sit down. Breakfast is almost ready."
Vega showed up right after, eyeing the dining table piled with food. "Seriously? You're making the rest of us look bad for waking up late."
But Aelina was already looking toward Kirana's room. Her expression shifted, just a bit. "Mom isn't up yet?"
Zephyr settled into a chair. "She was exhausted. She stayed by your side until she fell asleep."
Aelina nodded quietly. "I'll go get her. She shouldn't skip breakfast."
She walked down the hallway and knocked softly before entering.
Kirana sat on the edge of her bed, still in her nightclothes, eyes a little tired but warm when she saw her daughter.
"Mom…" Aelina moved to sit beside her. "I wanted to check on you."
Kirana cupped her cheek gently. "I should be asking that. How do you feel after everything?"
Aelina hesitated, then smiled. "Better. Calmer. I just want you to know I'm here for you too. No matter what happens."
Kirana let out a slow breath and pulled her close. "You make me stronger every day, Aelina. And I'm always proud of you."
After a moment, Aelina helped her to her feet. "Come on. Breakfast is waiting. Dad keeps pretending he's starving."
When they returned to the dining room, Vega immediately lifted both hands like he was addressing an audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, presenting our radiant Desert Goddess!"
Aelina laughed under her breath while Kirana shook her head, trying—and failing—to hide a smile.
"Vega, you never miss a chance to cause trouble," she said lightly.
"Trouble? No. I'd call it emotional enrichment," Vega replied.
The mood brightened, warm and easy. Laughter mingled with the clink of spoons and plates. For a brief moment, it felt as though all the weight they had carried over the past days had loosened.
But far beyond the warmth of the dining room, standing at the edge of the treeline, Eudora watched in silent stillness.
She took in the sight of them—the laughter, the closeness, the simple peace she had never known. Something flickered faintly in her eyes, a quiet longing she did not yet understand.
She knew she did not belong there.
Turning away, Eudora slipped back into the shadows of the Arbora Forest, leaving the peaceful morning behind.
***
Days Earlier
The hyperspace corridor flared in blinding streaks of blue, rattling the interior of the small escape ship. Eudora jolted awake inside a medical capsule, her body still marked by scorched mechanical wounds from her escape out of the Erevos Facility. Her eyes, once burning red, flickered to a calm cyan as diagnostic data filled her vision.
System Stable.
She lifted her head and glanced through the reinforced window. Hyperspace rippled outside, endless and brilliant. For a heartbeat, the view almost felt peaceful.
Then a violent jolt threw her forward.
A blast echoed from the rear engine. Warning sirens blared. From the cockpit, a man's voice cut sharply through the static of the intercom.
"Eudora! You're awake! Good. Listen, we are in deep trouble." His voice was strained, but steady. "You have a choice now. For the first time in your life, you can choose where you go from here. You don't belong to the system. Not anymore."
Eudora's mind churned. Broken fragments of Erevos flashed through her thoughts. Orders she never asked for. Commands she could never refuse. The cold walls. The restraints. The clones.
She braced herself as another impact hammered the ship.
Her HUD shifted.
Warning: Enemy Ship Detected.
Through the rear cameras, a sleek Edena interceptor pursued them relentlessly, firing precise bursts of red plasma.
"Hold on!" the pilot shouted. "I'm dropping out of hyperspace. If this works, you run. Understand? You run."
The ship lurched as hyperspace collapsed into a cascade of blue shards. They burst back into normal space, drifting above a blue planet filled with oceans and clouds.
A notification blinked inside her capsule.
Target: Earth.
But the enemy didn't relent. Plasma fire tore through their left wing, igniting a trail of flames.
"Eudora!" the man shouted. "Get out! You need to go now!"
His command was not like the ones from Erevos. It wasn't a cold directive. It was a plea.
Eudora unlatched the medical capsule and stepped into the cargo hold, her movements precise despite the turmoil. The door to the cockpit cracked open for a moment. She saw him glance back with a tired smile.
"Your life is yours now. Go."
The next blast consumed the ship.
The cockpit tore apart in a burst of fire. Metal fragments spiraled in every direction as Eudora was thrown into open space. The Edena fighter vanished, jumping back to hyperspace, leaving her adrift among the wreckage.
She spun once, then activated her thrusters.
A scan swept across the void.
Nearest Viable Target: Earth.
Coordinates: Codename AIKO.
A map projection appeared, marking a location deep within a forest.
Without hesitation, Eudora angled her thrusters and dove toward the planet. Atmospheric flames scorched her armor, but she balanced the descent, slowing just enough before slamming into the thick woods below. The ground trembled on impact.
She rose from the crater and scanned her surroundings. The forest pulsed with energy unlike any she had encountered, an ancient resonance woven into the trees themselves.
Her coordinates led her to a cavern hidden behind towering roots. At its center stood a massive stasis capsule, the letters on its side almost erased by time.
Codename: AIKO.
Eudora retreated into the shadows of the cavern, using it as shelter. For days she observed the capsule, analyzing every data pattern, every residual code. Nothing responded. No new information surfaced.
She waited.
One quiet night, the metallic ring of footsteps echoed outside.
Eudora snapped into combat mode, her body shifting with silent precision. She approached the capsule, sensors flaring bright.
Then she froze.
A figure stood before the capsule, bathed in pale moonlight. Her system instantly responded, identifying the silhouette.
Subject Detected: Codename AIKO.
But something stirred in Eudora's chest, a flicker of intuition she couldn't categorize. Without fully understanding why, she overrode the system's auto-tagging.
The name changed.
Aelina.
Eudora stared, her eyes glowing softly. Something in her circuitry ached, confused yet certain.
For the first time, she wondered if fate was more than code. And if the girl standing before her was bound to her by something deeper than a mission or a designation…
Something she did not yet have a word for.
...