Page 40 of Bonds of Starfall

She frowned, righting one that had been turned upside down. The font was small, but at the top, in large, blocky letters,Classified.

Under that, slightly smaller:

Aetherborn and Artificial Nova Implantation.

Rin’s eyes widened the longer she read. "This couldn’t be…"

Subject 03: Aetherborn organ stability declining. Recommend termination of Nova implantation procedures.

At the bottom, a scrawl she was well familiar with, seeing as it was the same on her prescription bottles,Lucien Quenlan.

"Fuck."

A noise from the door made her shove the paper in the file hurriedly, finding a small sticky note stuck to the top, which she tucked in the waistband of her sweatpants, shoving the folder under her pile of clothes.

The door opened slightly, a kind nurse poking her head in. "Dr. Quenlan said you’re good to go. Need help changing?"

"No," Rin croaked, concealing her panic with a strained smile, "thank you."

The door clicked shut, and Rin’s heart was racing, her hands shaking.

She yanked the crumpled note from her waistband, smoothing out the wrinkles as she read:

To the girl with Stars in her eyes.

Stars in her eyes…

Her already erratic pulse skipped. She knew that line. Had heard it—recently.

A certain blonde-haired, enigmatic Soul Searcher.

Hehad left this for her? Why? What did he want her to know?

In Rin’s hands, she held something that she wasn’t ready to uncover: a betrayal etched in ink and paper, stamped with the approval of her doctor—someone she was meant to trust.

Lucien slowed his steps,aware of Kiton trailing him.

He stopped, casting a look down the white halls of the hospital. This floor was relatively quiet, with private rooms for recovery. Placing a hand on a cracked door, he pushed it open, revealing the vacated room. The blinds were drawn, the bed pristine.

Lucien walked inside, not daring a look behind him.

He left the door cracked. An invitation.

One that was accepted quickly.

The doctor stared at the closed blinds, running a pale, long finger over the slats and parting them, staring out at downtown Solar City.

The soft clicking of the door to the room alerted him to a presence.

Then:

"I thought you didn’t want her to know you cared."

Lucien turned at the words, finding Kiton standing by the unused hospital bed, a hand braced on the guardrail, fingers tapping against it.

Lucien didn’t acknowledge his statement; he merely said, "You need sleep."

Kiton shook his head. "I can’t sleep." He ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it further. His face was twisted up with anguish. Freckles on his nose stood stark against his bloodless face. "Every time I close my eyes, I think I’ll wake up and it all will have been a dream—that she died, and I can’t save her this time."