Kai wasn’t able to feel fear—not in the way most people did. The nanites had altered his brain, rewiring how he processed danger, making him almost unshakable in life-threatening situations. But that didn’t mean he was immune to the horrors. He still had nightmares.

Most of them were the same: the thing that dimmed the stars, the bombs falling on Velmorra, the suffocating depths of the lower levels of Aurelia Prime. But lately, a new nightmare had begun to haunt him.

In this dream, he was trapped inside an abandoned ship. Every access point was locked, every door refusing to open no matter how hard he tried. He was alone, unable to escape. Then, Eliana appeared, bursting through the door, floating toward him with a soft smile.

“No, don’t get close,” Kai would plead, backing into a corner.

“It’s me, Kai. Don’t be scared. I’m here to save you,” Eliana would say, reaching out a hand.

“Please, don’t touch me. I don’t want to harm you,” Kai begged, his back pressing against the cold metal walls.

But Eliana wouldn’t stop. She would reach for him, her fingertips brushing against his skin. And then, just like the merchant on the derelict ship, she would begin to dissolve. Wherever he touched her, she would simply vanish into dust, slipping away like a forgotten memory.

Kai always realized too late that he was dreaming. He always tried to wake himself up, forcing his mind to break free from the nightmare’s grip.

His eyes snapped open.

He was in his quarters, facing the window that overlooked the vastness of space. The Milky Way stretched out before him, an endless sea of stars. He exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his face, feeling the sweat that clung to his skin. A chill ran down his spine.

He moved to sit up, but his arm was pinned. He looked down.

Eliana had her fingers loosely wrapped around his wrist, holding on even in her sleep.

Kai smiled and laid back down, shifting closer. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. She slept soundly, her bare skin warm against his own.

At first, sleeping without clothes had felt strange to him—too exposed, too vulnerable. But Eliana had convinced him otherwise. Now, it had become second nature. He couldn’t imagine falling asleep any other way.

She stirred slightly, rolling over and tugging a portion of the comforter away with her. Kai chuckled softly, gently adjusting the covers before slipping out of bed.

He didn’t bother turning on the lights. The soft glow of the stars outside was enough to guide him as he pulled on his clothes and quietly stepped out into the hallway.

The corridors of the Black Swan were empty at this hour. He checked the time.

5:25 AM.

A little early for the crew’s shift rotation. Still, he had nothing better to do, so he decided to head to the galley.

Even before he stepped inside, the smell of something delicious hit him. The warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee and toasted bread filled the air.

Kai slid the door open, and the scent fully enveloped him.

Lily stood at the galley’s stove, flipping a perfectly fried egg. The yolk remained intact as it landed smoothly in the pan, golden and glistening under the warm kitchen light.

“Good morning, Kai,” she greeted without looking up.

Kai stepped forward, inhaling deeply. “That smells amazing.”

Lily smirked as she grabbed a plate. “Of course it does. You think I’d let my crew start their day on an empty stomach?” She slid the egg onto the plate, adding it next to a couple of freshly baked slices of bread. “You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Kai admitted, taking a seat at the counter.

Lily raised an eyebrow but didn’t push. She simply placed the plate in front of him, along with a steaming cup of coffee.

“Eat up. I don’t trust anyone to be useful before breakfast.”, she said with a smirk.

Kai chuckled, picking up the fork. He took a bite, savoring the warmth of the food. The lingering chill of his nightmare began to fade.

Kai watched as Baiyan entered the room, his expression relaxed, a light sheen of sweat imprinted on the sport uniform clinging to his chest. Lily, who had been focused on preparing food, glanced at Baiyan a little too long before quickly looking away, her movements a little stiffer than before.

Baiyan raised a hand in greeting, and Kai returned the gesture.

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“Just hit the training room?” Kai asked, noting the fresh sweat on his skin.

“Yes, just hit the training room,” Baiyan replied with a smile, grabbing a cup of water from the counter.

Kai raised an eyebrow. He had noticed Baiyan’s training habits over the past few weeks—always booking the training room for long hours, often during midnight shifts when few others were around.

“What do you do in there?” Kai asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Baiyan took a slow sip of water, then set the cup down. “I do a lot of yoga and meditation,” he answered with a grin.

Kai’s interest piqued. “Oh, yoga. I read about that in the encyclopedia. It was fascinating how it’s considered a low-impact activity but can demand more stamina than a lot of high-intensity sports.”

Baiyan grabbed his plate of food from the counter, forgoing the bread entirely and instead opting for extra eggs and meat. He took his seat across from Kai, setting the plate down.

“If you’re interested in yoga, I can teach you some techniques,” Baiyan offered. “It helps with flexibility, balance, and endurance, but more than that, it helps you find inner peace. If you’ve been feeling any pressure lately, it might help.”

Kai considered the offer. Inner peace, huh? He wasn’t sure if meditation could help him with the nightmares that constantly pressed on his mind, but at this point, he was willing to try.

He glanced at Baiyan, noting his calm demeanor—the kind of balance and control that wasn’t easy to come by.

“I might take you up on that,” Kai said, picking up his fork again. “Could be useful.”

Baiyan smiled. “Good. I’ll make sure you don’t regret it.”

Kai finished his breakfast, glancing at the time—just past 6 AM. Eliana would be waking up soon.

He grabbed a paper plate and carefully stacked some food on top—crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, a couple of slices of toasted bread. After adding a cup of coffee, he made his way back to his room.

When he stepped inside, Eliana was still asleep. She had rolled over again in her sleep, the comforter now barely covering her. A soft smile tugged at Kai’s lips as he placed the food on the small table in the middle of the room.

He moved closer to the bed, crouching down beside her. Gently, he brushed a few loose strands of auburn hair away from her face. She let out a soft groan, shifting slightly before rolling away from his touch.

Kai chuckled under his breath, watching her. She looked so peaceful like this, her breathing slow and steady. As much as he enjoyed the sight, he knew she needed to eat before the morning shift started.

He leaned in slightly. “Eliana,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “Breakfast’s ready.”

She groaned again, burying her face into the pillow. “Mmm… five more minutes,” she mumbled, her voice muffled.

Kai smirked. “If you don’t wake up now, I might just eat your bacon.”

That did the trick. Without opening her eyes, she reached out blindly and caught his wrist, gripping it with surprising strength. “You wouldn’t,” she muttered, still half-asleep.

Kai laughed. “Try me.”

Slowly, she peeled one eye open, her expression groggy but amused. She stretched her arms above her head, letting out a content sigh before finally sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

“You’re lucky I love bacon,” she murmured, still waking up.

Kai handed her the plate, watching as she took her first bite. The way her face softened in satisfaction made waking up early worth it.

"I'm thinking of visiting Derniere today," Kai said as he watched Eliana eat. "I haven’t seen her much because of our shift schedule. I hope you don’t mind."

Eliana glanced at him, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. "No, I don’t mind at all." She reached out and placed a hand on his cheek, her fingers warm against his skin. "I’m not the kind of person to get jealous over nothing."

Her gentle touch turned mischievous as she suddenly pinched his cheek and tugged.

"Ouch," Kai muttered, though he didn’t pull away.

Eliana smirked, her eyes playful. "So don’t betray my trust, alright?"

Kai nodded, his gaze steady. How could he ever betray Eliana? She was his everything. Not for a single moment had he ever thought about being with anyone else.

"I wouldn’t dream of it," he said, his voice soft but certain.

Eliana studied his face for a second longer, then let go, satisfied. "Good," she said, taking another bite of her breakfast. "Because I’d hate to have to throw you out of the air lock."

Kai chuckled. "Noted."

Kai and Eliana changed into their uniforms and made their way to the bridge, where the rest of the crew was already gathered. Kai took his seat while Eliana joined Teresa, continuing her studies in engineering.

The past few days had been relatively peaceful. The No Man’s Land was living up to its name—an expanse of space that was largely empty.

Most of the systems they passed through were unsuitable for terraforming, or if they were, they hadn’t yet been claimed by the ever-expanding reach of human civilization.

Kai had no doubt that one day, these voids would be filled—planets turned into habitable worlds, star systems bustling with trade routes and colonies. But for now, they were nothing more than silent, untouched spaces between the known and the unknown.

The most exciting thing they had encountered recently was another ship. It had passed by the Black Swan at STL speeds, moving steadily through the void. Like the distressed ship before, it bore no identification—no make, no model, no affiliation.

"Have you heard the rumor about a smuggler's base in No Man’s Land?" Ivan's voice crackled through Kai’s earpiece.

Kai paused, his eyes still scanning the manual for the jump drive. "No, what's the story behind that?" His curiosity piqued, he leaned back in his seat, giving Ivan his full attention.

"Well, it’s mostly a rumor among pilots, but honestly, it makes a lot of sense," Ivan said. "Think about that cargo ship you saw jump away from limbo. Most smugglers moving illegal goods don’t take the direct routes through the human bubble. Too many security checkpoints, too many scans. Instead, they use No Man’s Land, skimming the edges of settled space to avoid system authorities."

Kai nodded to himself. The logic was sound. Out here, there were no established laws, no regulated ports, and barely any patrols. If a smuggler had the resources to set up a hidden outpost, it would be the perfect place to operate without interference.

"Ever heard of anyone actually finding it?" Kai asked.

Ivan chuckled. "You’re funny, Kai. If someone found it, they either got paid off to keep their mouth shut or they never made it back to tell the tale."

Kai smirked. "So basically, it’s just a ghost story for pilots?"

"Maybe. Or maybe it’s real, and the only ones who know for sure are the ones using it," Ivan replied. "Either way, if we ever come across something like that, it’ll either be the best find of our trip… or the worst mistake we ever make."

Kai shrugged. "What are the chances of that happening, even if it’s true? And even if it is, we should avoid it at all costs."

Getting tangled up with a smuggler’s base in No Man’s Land wasn’t on their agenda.

They had only one goal, and that was to get to Earth.