He was the gravity pulling every stray, chaotic piece of her life into a singular, perfect focus.
HerSsignakhtprescience kicked in; peering through the veil of time, she glimpsed a luminous future with him.
One in which she was no longer a fragment drifting through a cold expanse of time, but a complete, radiant being, treasured, prized, and safe.
Her self-protective walls, as well as her armor, were long shattered; every toxic ex, ghosted date, and burnt-out connection was erased from her soul.
Through her new lens, she indulged in an endless loop of new beginnings, a perpetual dawn where she would wake up and choose Idan, day after day.
Theirs was an unbreakable tether that wrapped around their shared love, a cosmic pulse that would beat until both their souls rejoined the stars.
It was heaven, and she sighed in utter bliss as she pressed her lips to his veined nape, her heart having found its true north.
29
Sparks of Eternity
The Ignisbreached the amber-streaked atmosphere of Tansinia Minor, settling on the parched, ocher landing pad with a muffled roar of reversing thrusters.
As the rear deck unfurled, the heat of the planet hit Sheba’s skin and sucking her dry.
The skeletal remains of the Lattaya Medical Centre lay before her.
The place remained in ruins in several sectors, but she took in the builders and the frantic activity from the locals moving about the renovations with intent.
‘Ready?’ Idan rasped, coming beside her.
‘As I’ll ever be,’ she murmured, slipping her hand in his as they stepped off the ramp and onto the construction site.
Sheba’s heart lifted as she recognized familiar faces through the billowing dust: Nurses Rehema and Kaelin, old Jace the janitor, and the junior medic, Matteo.
‘Sheba!’ Matteo shouted.
He dropped a crate to sprint toward the couple, coming to a stop before them, falling into a hug with Sheba.
He pulled away and nodded to Idan, his smile laced with relief. ‘You’re back.’
‘Just for a short time,’ Sheba said. ‘We had to check in to see how you were all doing.’
‘We’ve started rebuilding on our own,’ Matteo said, gesturing to the rising stone walls of the new admin facility.
‘I see that. It’s impressive,’ Sheba murmured.
‘It is, indeed.’
She spun around at the sound of the deep voice.
Chief Xian approached from the shadow of a building undergoing a roof replacement.
He shook her hand before clasping Idan’s forearm.
‘My people have reclaimed our mining rights, my friend, all thanks to you and Sheba. The xentium belongs to the valleys now. We’re no longer hostage to Ty Rhex and his goons; we serve the collective good. The sale from the first export of raw ore gave us enough schills to kick start the clinic’s rebuild.’
‘What else do you need?’ Sheba asked.
Xian ran through an inventory of necessary supplies: structural steel, specialized scanners, antibiotics, and a power generator.
Sheba took a breath, the scale of it hitting her. ‘Send me a list, Chief, and I’ll see what I can do.’
