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On the top shelf sat a tower of clothes he hadn’t touched for a decade, the ones Milo had brought from home. Roy’s breath caught as his fingers gripped the stiff fabric.

“My silly man.” A ghost of Milo’s laugh floated in Roy’s mind. “You like collecting shiny things, like a magpie.”

He puffed out a breath and tugged on the cotton shirt. Milo’s old shirts, the mesh top he’d liked wearing to clubs, his navigator jacket—everything fell on Roy’s head, burying him in the stale scent of old clothes.

He shut his eyes for a moment, letting the memory pass. Had he been alone, he’d probably be hugging the old clothes, as if Milo’s warm body could materialise in his arms again.

Luckily, strangers were staring at him, so he picked a shirt and a pair of plaid pyjama pants. “Change into this. I’ll get you some water.”

“Thanks.” Cal accepted the clothes with a pretty smile on his fever-flushed face. Roy turned around and stepped out of the room. Don’t look back, just don’t look back.

When he returned with a mug filled with lukewarm water, Cal was already curled on the bed, shivering. His brother pressed the back of his hand against Cal’s forehead and frowned. “He’s burning up.”

“Maybe this will help,” Roy said, pointing at the cooling blanket lying on the armchair in the corner of the room. He’d set up a reading nook a long time ago and rarely found time to open a book, but in the rare instances when he did, he wrapped himself in the blanket, letting the fabric dissipate the heat accumulated in his skin.

It proved barely effective against Cal’s fever. “I’m cold,” he whispered, teeth chattering.

“Just hang in there.” Roy unfolded his duvet. After wrapping Cal in another layer of feathers and fleece, he glanced at Uros. “Don’t be alarmed; this might take a while. Should be fine in a couple of days.”

“But he will be fine… right?”

“I’m sure he will,” Roy lied. “Just watch out for seizures. If the fever gets too high, he might need another shot.”

“Seizures?”

“It’s rare,” Roy blurted. “Just—watch out for it. I’ll be in my boat. Come get me if you need help.”

“Can’t you stay here?” Uros squeaked, his lavender eyes woven with red capillaries.

How could he leave a terrified teenager to deal with this kind of suffering? He could check the seaweed barrels in the morning; they weren’t going anywhere. He nodded, and Uros’ expression eased.

Plucking a random paperback book from his shelf, Roy snuggled in the armchair and opened the yellowed pages. The book flipped open to the first page, which should’ve been empty—instead, Milo’s scribbles jumped out. His presence was an everlasting shadow that followed Roy’s every step—a shadow he never wanted to lose, yet one he was always trying to shake.

Wedunia, 7 Halm 10741

Dear Roy,

Today is a special day. You’re eighteen. Which means you’re now dating a minor! But don’t you worry, that’ll only last a few weeks.

I can’t believe the luck the Universe granted me on my first day at the lyceum. Can you imagine if the shuttle wasn’t late? Or if someone already sat next to you?

Whatever the future brings, I’ll hold your hand through it. Just promise me you’ll hold mine.

PS: Just to get this in writing, we are not getting a cat. You chose a dog person, and you’ll have to suffer the consequences.

With all my love,

M.

Chapter

Three

The overhead light in Roy’s workshop zapped another bug. Roy lifted his eyes, the stench of burned chitin drifting to his nostrils. Was the delusional hope of pollination really worth importing the bugs? The flowers died quickly in the barren soil, and the only insects that remained were stingers, feeding off Pyraxian blood.

He switched on the speakers and tuned to his preferred channel. Before he managed to open the filter bar, a public announcement wormed into the stream. Roy tapped the unresponsive mute button.

“The Imperial Security Office advises you to check your usual emergency provisions. Households of liquid-dependent species should have at least three days’ stock. Be mindful of expiration dates on nutrient sources. Replenish medication reserves. Most importantly, keep your faith in The Emperor’s wisdom—these are all only precautionary measures.”