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In that moment, I darted forward, snatched two stones from the pile, retreated. Heart pounding, I clutched the cool crystals. Faint vibrations hummed against my palm, resonating with my markings.

“System’s haywire again,” one guard muttered. “Third time this week.”

“Hammond’s pushing the power grid too hard,” another replied. “Can’t just tap ancient tech and expect it to play nice.”

I slipped back into the lab, moved to the vent access. Getting up was harder, but adrenaline fueled me. I hauled myself up, maneuvered through the opening, replaced the grate. Muscles burned. But the stones were secure, hidden inside my uniform. Just had to get back.

A distant metallic clang froze me.Patrol. Early.

Vibrations through the metal—someone entering the shaft system nearby. A maintenance drone hummed to life, its sensors basic but effective at close range. It followed the airflow—straight toward me.

I retreated silently, but the humming grew louder. Detection meant lockdown. The junction with the sensor node loomed ahead—no cover. The drone’s light cast shadows; its red beam swept closer. Trapped.

My markings reacted to the drone, trying to interface, but I didn’t know how. Silver patterns intensified, drawing energy but finding no outlet.

A sudden crash echoed deeper in the compound. Shouts. The sound reverberated. The drone paused, programming conflicted. Water alarms wailed. “Sector B breach! Water main rupture!”

My markings sensed something else.Ravik.Not physically present, but sensed through our nascent bond. Impressions flickered—a weak signal.Had he caused this? How?

Taking advantage of the drone’s hesitation, I slipped past the junction, moving faster. The drone turned, abandoning its sweep for the urgent disruption. Commotion grew—shouted orders, splashing water, cursing.

I reached our entry point just as boots pounded past. Voices, agitated. “Check all prisoners—could be a distraction!”

Ravik waited by the loose panel, expression inscrutable, tail flicking with tension. Sweat sheened his blue skin. He reached up, massive hand closing around my arm, pulling me through effortlessly. His eyes met mine—something unreadable passed between us.

He replaced the panel seconds before the cell door slammed open. Guards flooded in, uniforms dripping, equipment damaged. “Don’t move,” one barked, weapon trained, while others searched. Finding nothing, they left with suspicious glances and threats.

Only when their footsteps faded did I release my breath, suddenly shaky. Adrenaline crash.

I waited, then reached into my pocket. Ravik watched curiously as I pulled out the translator stones.

His golden eyes widened—immediate recognition. The silence between us turned thick. Not awkward, just charged—like something had been set in motion and neither of us knew how to stop it. The stones glowed softly blue-green, intensifying as Ravik reached hesitantly. His fingers touched one; the glow spread to his lifelines, my markings responding. I didn’t understand it, but my body reacted like it recognized him—like some part of me had always known.

“You understand me now?” I asked.

He nodded, wonder and wariness mingling in his expression. “I understand. This is an ancient gift of my people.”

The words hit me. His voice—deeper, richer, full of harmonics. Comprehension after days of guesswork felt overwhelming.

The strangest thought struck me.

“You triggered the environmental controls,” I realized aloud. “How?”

Ravik held my gaze before looking away. “I understood the system’s pattern. Resonance points can be... manipulated.”

I stared, reevaluating his capabilities. “You saved me.”

His tail stilled, posture straightening slightly. “We share the same goal. Your capture would complicate escape.”

Purely practical. Yet the brief response in his lifelines suggested more. Our unwanted bond was creating something unexpected.

“We work well together,” I admitted quietly, “when we’re not at odds.”

RAVIK

The human slept fitfully across the cell. Zara. Her name still felt strange in my thoughts, a personal acknowledgment resisted. Names held power in Shadow Canyon tradition; sharing one extended trust. Yet watching the silver patterns pulse gently beneath her skin with her dreams, I couldn’t deny the heresy: these markings weren’t the abomination our teachings described. They were older, something my ancestors perhaps misunderstood or misrepresented.

Dim emergency light cast shadows across her sleeping form. Tension remained—a slight furrow between her brows, the set of her jaw. She slept like a warrior expecting attack.