Everything was cold. The silence pressed in from all directions, suffocating. Then— a beep. Distant. Relentless. Pulling me back. My lungs burned, my chest constricted like a vice, and when I finally inhaled, it was like dragging knives down my throat. I jolted upright, the sensation of drowning still clinging to me.

Sterile white walls slowly blurred into focus, their stark brightness making my head throb. The faint hum of what I assumed was medical equipment filled the room. My chest heaved, sweat clinging to my skin as the fragments of the grey world dissolved like smoke. The sterile smell of antiseptic filled my nose, sharp and unforgiving...

But despite everything, Lina’s voice stayed with me, soft and bittersweet, carved into my mind: “Let me go so that you can be free too.”

Tears welled in my eyes as my mind replayed those final moments over and over. I had held onto it for so long. Hearing her words had brought me some sense of peace. It was like something inside me had finally been unchained. But without the anger, the pain… who was I? They had been my driving force for so long. Without it, I didn’t know what to do. If I was even still myself without it.

I groaned, my throat raw as I forced out the words. “I’m… free.” But was I? The moment the words left my lips, they felt hollow, like an echo in a cavernous void. My hands trembled, aching to hold onto something—anything—that still tied me to Lina.

I wasnt sure how to feel anymore, everything I had done, every action and response was because of that day. Because I never wanted to feel that pain again. I hoped I could accept her words. I guess only time would tell, and that was enough for now.

I heard the room stir around me.

Zara’s breath hitched. She was at my side in seconds, her hand hovering just inches from mine—almost like she was afraid to touch me. “Alex?” she said, her voice sharp but… unsteady. “Say something.” There it was again. Something in it I wasn’t used to. Something trembling and raw. Almost like pain.

I swallowed hard and nodded. “I’m here,” I croaked, barely managing the words.

A sudden flurry of beeps erupted from the machines as Lyra leaned over me, her eyes darting between the monitors. “Heart rate stabilizing… neural activity normalizing…” Her voice was all clinical precision, but how her brow furrowed told a different story. She looked down at me, her expression tight. “Alex, do you know where you are? Do you remember anything?”

I blinked slowly, trying to push through the fog in my head. “I... remember enough,” I muttered. My thoughts were still a blur. But I did remember the fight I had been in before… That grey place. My body felt like it had been wrung out and thrown back together wrong.

From the foot of the bed, Jax leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. “Took you long enough,” he said. His tone was gruff, but the tension in his shoulders slowly let out. The corner of his mouth twitched, almost like he wanted to smile but didn’t dare.

At the doorway, Theon stood like a sentinel, his arms folded across his chest. “About time, Baron. We’ve got a situation,” he said, the words blunt but laced with quiet respect. He straightened, his face hardening. “We’ve got a lot to talk about. Including visitors.”

“Of course we do,” I muttered, slowly sitting up. The room spun briefly, and I felt Zara grab me to help. I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath. I sighed as I moved slowly, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My muscles screamed in protest, but I ignored them. “How long was I out?”

“Five days,” Zara answered as she stepped back. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her voice sharp again as it sliced through the haze. “And in that time, the planet’s gone from bad to worse. Protests are spreading, the capital’s in chaos, and the Empire is breathing down our necks. If we don’t act now, they’ll send the army to do it for us.”

Theon stepped forward, his tone grim. “The ministers are done waiting. The Empire’s envoy isn’t here to talk, Alex—they’re here to decide if you’re worth keeping in charge. They’ll install their own leader if they don’t like what they see. And trust me, they won’t pick anyone who is friendly to you. And to top it all off, your fiancée’s here. Been pacing the halls constantly. She seems eager to see you.”

I forced myself to stand. My legs trembled beneath me, muscles locking up in protest. White-hot pain lanced up my spine, and for a moment, the room blurred. Zara’s hands steadied me before I could fall. “Thank you, Zara. If they want action, we’ll give the envoy something to see,” I said firmly, though my voice felt heavier than usual as my thoughts struggled to keep up with each new problem. I didn’t understand why she was here… I sighed and pushed her from my mind. Now wasn’t the time.

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Lyra stepped closer. Her datapad was clutched tightly in one hand. “We still have options,” she said, her tone calm but insistent. “If we can stabilize the situation at the Spire, we’ll buy time. But there’s another thing we care look into.” Lyra’s gaze flickered to me.

She hesitated, fingers tightening around her datapad. Her lips parted, then pressed into a thin line. A question lingered in her eyes, unspoken but heavy.

She knew. Knew I had seen something. But now wasn’t the time.

She let out a quiet breath and looked away, her focus shifting back to the conversation. “There is reportedly a place called the Crystal Caverns beneath the Spire. They’re rumoured to hold rare minerals, but who knows what else? If we can tap into that potential...” She hesitated, her gaze flickering to me. “And maybe… just maybe, we can use it to get Drakara back on its feet. Stop some of these protests.”

Zara shot her a sharp look. “From what I’ve heard, the Caverns are uncharted,” she said flatly. “They could be more trouble than they’re worth, especially with the situation at the Spire already falling apart. No one has explored them yet. There must be a reason.”

I frowned as I held up my hand. “Hold up. What has happened? The Spire? You mean the space elevator?”

Theon nodded. “To the locals, it’s the Iron Spire. It’s the backbone of our economy. Without it, we can’t get the minerals off-world. The Empire loses its supply chain. No minerals, no war machine.”

“Okay,” I said, stretching and feeling a pop on my shoulders. “Can someone explain what’s happened?”

Zara cleared her throat before anyone can speak, her expression darkened the moment she spoke. “Alex,” said Zara, her tone clipped. She hesitated. Her fingers tightened around her sleeve like she was gripping something unseen. She glanced at the others, then finally met my gaze. “Alex… she’s here.”

My stomach tightened. “Who?”

Zara exhaled sharply. “Lady Seraphina.”

I exhaled slowly, running a hand down my face. Seraphina. Of all the times for her to show up, it had to be now. My body was barely holding together, and now I had to face her. Face the mess I made. I wasn’t ready for this. For her. I thought I had more time. I had made a mess the last time we had met. I wasn’t ready. But I couldn’t turn her away—not now. “She is outside right now?”

“Yeah, and it seems not just for a courtesy visit,” Zara muttered, shifting her weight. “She arrived two days ago, demanding to see you. Caused quite a stir, too.”

Jax let out a low whistle, pushing off the wall. “Didn’t think she’d risk defying her family by coming here alone.” He smirked, but there was something calculating behind his eyes. “But, I must admit, I’m curious what made her come out here. You two aren’t married yet.”

Zara shot him a glare. “This isn’t funny, Jax.”

“I’m not laughing,” he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I just think it’s interesting timing, don’t you? Alex gets himself nearly killed, and suddenly, his oh-so-loyal fiancée decides to come running?” He scoffed. “Color me suspicious.”

“She doesn’t belong here,” Zara muttered, her fingers tapping against her arm in irritation. “Either she’s up to something, or her family sent her to clean up whatever mess they think you made.”

I exhaled slowly, running a hand down my face. My body still ached, my mind was still sluggish, but this? This was another complication I wasn’t ready for. “Where is she now?”

“Waiting outside,” Theon answered bluntly.

Zara’s jaw tightened, her fingers twitching as if she wanted to reach for her weapon. She hated how Seraphina’s presence made her feel like an outsider in Alex’s life. She hadn’t known Alex for long. But Seraphina’s presence felt like a threat. “She refused to leave until she saw you,” she said, her voice clipped.

Jax chuckled. “Elara’s with her too. She’s sharp and cautious about that one. Definitely not just a maid.”

Jax’s smirk didn’t quite reach his eyes as he continued. “I looked into her. There’s almost nothing on record—which is exactly what bothers me. Either she’s got a past someone wiped clean, or she was never meant to exist on paper.”

Theon perked up at Jax’s comment, interrupting him. “Are you suggesting that this Elara is a spy?”

Jax shrugged. “We’ve spoken at the Draven estate—she’s careful, calculating. And I’d bet money she’s not just a maid. Maybe a bodyguard, maybe a spy. Either way, she’s more than she seems.” He glanced at me, his smirk fading slightly. “You sure you want to deal with this now? You just woke up.”

I let out a slow breath, ignoring how my ribs still ached over everything else. She came all this way… I told myself. I should see what she wants. Should.

But a part of me hesitated. Not out of fear but because I wasn’t sure what I’d see in her eyes when I finally faced her. Disappointment? Judgment? Something worse?

I exhaled. “Might as well see what she wants. Like you said, we are engaged to marry. I can’t just turn her away.”

Lyra’s gaze lingered on Alex as the others talked to him, her brow furrowed with concern. She wanted to ask him about what he’d seen but now knew that now was the wrong time still. Not with Seraphina waiting outside. She let out the breath she had been holding as Zara grunted.

“So that’s it?” Zara’s voice was sharp, but something was beneath it—something unspoken. Her fingers curled into fists before she quickly relaxed them like she didn’t want to show how much it bothered her. “She shows up, and you just go running?” The bitterness in her voice was gone as fast as it appeared, masked beneath a carefully neutral expression. “Fine. Do what you want.”

“This should be interesting,” Jax mused, stepping back toward the door.

I exhaled slowly, forcing the tension from my shoulders. My ribs ached. My mind was still clouded. But this? This was something else entirely.

Seraphina was waiting.

And no matter how much I wanted to avoid it.

I had to face her.