Page 9

Chapter Nine

C allie

The next day passes according to the Manual’s prescribed routine—morning meditation, hair braiding that feels more intimate each time Aries’ fingers work through my hair, shared meals where we’re learning to read each other’s expressions across our small table.

But underneath the familiar rhythm, tension builds as we both know the relatively easy daily expectations are going to increase in complexity.

Evening meditation brings its own challenges as we sit knee-to-knee, sharing the breathing exercises that require us to synchronize our movements. Each shared breath feels weighted with anticipation and dread.

Hours pass in relative quiet afterward—we share a simple dinner, both lost in thought about what the Mirror revealed yesterday. The weight of our confessions hangs between us, not uncomfortable but significant.

The Committee member arrives before we can retreat to our usual careful distance. Their faceted eyes gleam with an unsettling intensity.

“Tomorrow you will participate in the Harvest Festival. The Unity Cord trial will test your ability to work together while maintaining prescribed distance through traditional challenges.”

My stomach drops. A public trial .

After they wink out, like mist in the sun, the silence feels suffocating. I’ve gotten used to the relative safety of our cottage. The thought of going out in public on a planet that was so ready to extradite Aries to Garrox Prime for his death sentence terrifies me.

“We don’t have to do this,” he says quietly. “We could refuse the public trial, find another way to—”

“No.” The single word comes out so loud it might as well have been a shotgun blast. “I’ve been in space long enough to know that my fear doesn’t rule me.”

His expression holds pride at my resolve. “You’re right. We’ll face whatever comes.”

Sleep will be impossible tonight, but as I lie here listening to his carefully controlled breathing, I can’t stop my mind from racing. Tomorrow we’ll be exposed to hostile crowds again, performing under scrutiny with our lives hanging in the balance. At least we’ll face it together.