Page 13

RIVERA

S urvival first. The words echoed in the heavy silence of the alcove, a necessary anchor against the confusing storm of emotions swirling inside me. Varek stood near the entrance, his back partially turned as he scanned the corridor beyond, already shifting back into warrior mode.

I pushed myself away from the wall, my muscles protesting, my skin still tingling where our markings had resonated. The memory of the bond flaring between us—the shared sensations, the terrifying intimacy—was too raw, too close. I couldn't process it now. Not with unstable ruins threatening to collapse around us.

Lifebond. The word Varek had used resonated uncomfortably. I'd thought it was just... stress. Proximity. Adrenaline. A physical reaction to shared danger. But the way he'd said it, the reverence in his voice, the confirmation I felt through the lingering connection... it implied something far more permanent, more profound than I was ready to contemplate.

"Right," I said, forcing practicality into my voice, pushing aside the turmoil. "Survival first." I retrieved my scanner, relieved to see its display flicker back to life, though the readings were still erratic. "Your 'air flow' passage seems like our best bet."

Varek nodded without turning. "The energy signatures are lower in that direction. Less immediate risk of another discharge."

We moved out of the alcove, back into the main corridor, maintaining that careful, deliberate distance between us. The air felt thick, charged, the silence broken only by the drip of water and the distant groan of stressed metal. I focused on the scanner, using its unreliable readings to supplement Varek's senses, forcing myself not to think about the way his hand had felt against my face, the intensity in his golden eyes, the echo of his thoughts against mine.

The passage Varek had indicated was narrow, slick with moisture, and sloped steeply downward. We moved slowly, testing each step. Varek went first, his larger frame filling the passage, his movements economical and precise despite the awkward angle and his injured shoulder. I followed, using the wall for balance, acutely aware of him just ahead.

The bond, though quieter now, remained a constant presence—a low-level hum beneath my skin connecting me to him. I could feel the dull throb of pain from his shoulder, the focused concentration as he assessed the path ahead. It was unnerving, this involuntary intimacy. How much of me could he sense? My fear? My confusion? The embarrassing flutter in my stomach when his arm brushed mine in the narrow passage?

I pushed the thoughts away. Focus on the mission. Find a way out. Warn the settlement. Stop Hammond.

After what felt like an eternity, the passage leveled out, opening into a wider corridor littered with debris from another partial collapse. This section looked different—less ancient stone, more metal grating underfoot, conduits running along the walls labeled with symbols that looked closer to standard engineering notation than the ancient Nyxari glyphs.

"Maintenance tunnels," I said, recognizing the layout. "These should lead somewhere."

Varek examined the conduits. "These carry power, not data. Likely secondary systems." He pointed at a junction box overhead, its cover hanging open, wires spilling out. "Damaged during the tremors."

I pulled out the data crystal I'd found earlier, turning it over in my hand. "Maybe this can tell us where these tunnels lead." Just like Mirelle found the translation stones when her markings reacted. The thought surfaced unbidden. Are these markings really keys? Resonating with specific places, specific tech?

Varek eyed the crystal warily. "More ancient technology?"

"Possibly. I found it near some energy regulation schematics." I held it up. "My markings respond to it."

He hesitated, then nodded. "Try it. But carefully. No direct interface like before."

I found a diagnostic port on a nearby wall panel that looked relatively intact. Taking a deep breath, I slid the crystal into the port. It clicked into place, and the crystal pulsed with soft blue light.

A holographic map shimmered into existence above the crystal, displaying a complex network of tunnels and chambers. It overlaid our current position onto the schematic.

"Well, look at that," I breathed, tracing the glowing lines with my finger. "Full facility schematic. Or what's left of it."

Varek moved closer, studying the map intently, his earlier caution momentarily forgotten in the face of valuable intelligence. "This shows multiple exit points," he observed, pointing to several locations marked with a different symbol. "Including one leading directly west, toward the surface near the canyons."

"Closer to Hammond's new outpost," I noted grimly. "And Claire."

"It also shows the primary environmental control nexus," Varek added, indicating a large chamber deep below our current level. "The source of the instability."

I zoomed in on the control nexus schematic. "Look at these energy readings." Even on the holographic display, the patterns looked chaotic, unstable. "It's worse than the archive chamber indicated. The decay is accelerating faster than we thought."

"Hammond's interference," Varek growled, his lifelines flaring briefly.

"We need to get to that western exit," I decided, saving the map data to my scanner's limited memory. "Warn Lazrin and the others about Claire's location, regroup, then figure out how to deal with Hammond and stabilize this place before it blows."

"Agreed." Varek nodded toward a branching tunnel indicated on the map. "That path appears most direct."

We set off again, moving with renewed purpose. The holographic map provided clear direction, though we still proceeded cautiously, aware that the schematic didn't account for recent structural damage.

As we navigated a section filled with knee-deep water, Varek spoke, his voice carefully neutral. "The... bonding. You said you understand its implications?"

I stumbled slightly, catching myself on the slick wall. I hadn't expected him to bring it up again. "I understand what you said," I clarified, keeping my eyes fixed on the path ahead. "That physical intimacy between compatible partners initiates it. That it's sacred to your people. That it's unprecedented between a human and a Nyxari."

"It is more than physical," he corrected quietly. "It is a merging of energies, of consciousness. What we shared in the alcove... it has consequences beyond momentary pleasure."

"You mean beyond the fact that I can now feel your shoulder throbbing like it's my own?" I asked, unable to keep the edge from my voice.

He stopped, turning to face me in the narrow, water-filled passage. His golden eyes searched mine in the dim light. "Yes. That is part of it. But there is more. Compatibility is rare, even among Nyxari. A true bond, once initiated, cannot easily be ignored. It creates... obligations."

"Obligations?" I repeated, bristling at the word. "What kind of obligations?"

"Protection. Loyalty. Shared future." He spoke the words formally, like reciting ancient law. "Among my people, bonding is commitment for life."

My breath caught. Life? I stared at him, trying to reconcile the stoic warrior before me with the being whose thoughts and sensations had briefly merged with mine. The implications were staggering.

"I didn't agree to any of that," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "It just... happened."

"I know." His expression softened almost imperceptibly. "The circumstances were... extreme. But the bond exists nonetheless. It cannot be undone easily." He hesitated. "There is a ritual, rarely performed, to sever such connections. But it causes great pain to both parties and renders them incapable of bonding again. Ever."

I processed this, the cold water swirling around my legs suddenly feeling much colder. Sever the bond? The thought sent a surprising pang through me. Despite the fear, the confusion, the terrifying intimacy, the connection felt... right. Essential somehow.

"I don't want that," I admitted, the words surprising me with their certainty.

Relief flickered across Varek's features, so quickly I might have imagined it. "Then we must navigate this path together," he said. "Learn what this connection means for us both."

"Survival first," I reminded him, echoing his earlier words, needing the anchor of practicality. "We figure out the bonding implications later. After we stop Hammond and save the planet."

He nodded, accepting the boundary. "Survival first."

We continued onward, the silence between us different now. Less awkward tension, more shared understanding of the complex, unprecedented situation we found ourselves in. Bonded. Human and Nyxari. Trapped in failing ruins with the fate of two settlements resting on our shoulders.

Just another day's work, I thought, a hysterical laugh bubbling in my chest. Yeah, right.