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Opening my eyes, I was met with the familiar stoic face of Kuana.
Even covered in soot and burns, his visage was my anchor, a reassurance that we’d made it through.
Looking over his shoulder, the sight that greeted me was haunting.
The twisted, smoldering remains of the research facility sprawled out, reminiscent of an apocalyptic landscape I’d once investigated.
It was eerily similar to the ruins that had started this journey for me, five long years ago.
But unlike then, I wasn’t the detached investigator peering into a mystery.
I was a key player in the unfolding drama, bound by fate, love, and the unforeseen paths the universe had for us.
Kuana’s steps were purposeful, each stride carrying us further away from the wreckage.
He seemed to know precisely where he was heading.
As we approached a clearing, a cluster of shuttles came into view.
Most bore the scars of the blast, with scorched metal and shattered hulls.
Yet, there it was: a single shuttle, seemingly untouched by the mayhem.
Gently, Kuana set me down in the co-pilot’s chair of the shuttle.
Every action was a testament to his protective nature.
He scanned my face, as if searching for any sign of harm, any lingering trauma.
“Are you okay, Vi?” he asked, voice thick with concern.
Swallowing the dryness in my throat, I managed a nod. “Yeah, I’m okay. Thanks to you.” And as if to reassure both him and myself, I added:
“We’re going to be okay.”
His lips brushed mine in a tender kiss, and for a moment, everything else faded.
The promise of a shared future hung in the air between us. “We’re going to have that life, Violet. The farm, the kids, the peace,” he whispered, voice thick with emotion. “I promise—”
Kuana’s neck snapped toward something over my shoulder, his senses heightened, his fear palpable.
“Kuana, what is it?” I asked, eyes darting around the shuttle.
Then I heard it:
A subtle shuffle, a sound that was out of place in the sterile environment of the cockpit.
It was the kind of sound that sent shivers down my spine, the rustling of some unseen presence.
The fine hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I tried to make sense of what I was hearing.
There was nothing there, or at least, nothing visible.
Kuana’s face tightened with concentration, eyes narrowing as he took in the surroundings.
I watched him as he moved closer to where the sound originated, his every movement exuding caution and tension.
He bent down to grasp at something there, something I couldn’t see.
