Page 44 of Galactic Sentinels, Vol. 1 (Chronicles of Pherebos #1)

Pherebos

By the grace of the Waves… I almost lost her. My companion. My Dedicated Soul. And that other beaner just rushed in to offer her a ticket to anywhere she wanted in the galaxy.

What about me?

“I don’t want her going to the other end of the galaxy!” Wingo whines in my head.

‘’We’re on the same page. We’re keeping her.’’

“Yep! Why don’t you try the bare-chested thing again? It’s very effective. Her aura’s racing like a heartbeat!”

‘’I don’t think that’s enough to make her stay, Wingo.’’

“No? Then chocolate. She loves chocolate!”

‘’That won’t do it either.’’

“Then what?”

‘’She needs to find her own place in our trio. I just want her to be happy.’’

We arrive at the SIL’s airlock, still docked to the Renaissance . I activate the hatch and step into our little vessel with Ileana.

“How are you feeling, My Faksaya? ”

She looks at me and admits, “I’m glad it’s over. That you found your traitor. That Henri’s schemes have finally been exposed.”

“But?”

“But I’m also disappointed. That woman could’ve saved me a lot of suffering. My sister might still be alive.”

She pauses, then continues, voice tight with emotion.

“She knew that if Henri found out about the leaks, she’d have leverage to keep him quiet.

It was better for her to keep his misdeeds hidden than to expose him and risk him being replaced by someone more honest—someone who might’ve noticed her own shady moves.

And you and your sister… you weren’t much help either.

That’s why she turned a blind eye. But now, Henri’s in deep trouble. ”

“Justice at last,” she says, her voice cracking as a tear rolls down her cheek.

“Don’t cry, my Faksaya. You’re safe now. You’re safe. You’re with me.”

“Gnuffgnuff…”

“And with Wingo, of course,” I add, smiling as our friend giggles in my head.

I wrap my arms around her, holding her close, comforting her gently. Wingo nestles between us, warm and soft.

“I’ll make us an infusion!” he offers cheerfully.

“Didn’t you say you wanted us to make you an infusion?” Ileana asks, her voice soft, a faint smile on her lips .

“Ah, yes—good idea! Is there any dried biloa left?”

“Yeah, in the storeroom,” I tell her.

“Did you hear that too? Wingo, are you talking to us both at the same time now?”

“Yes, I can! Your bond of light is so thick now that I don’t have any trouble with it. But I can still talk to you individually if I need to.”

“A bond of light?” Ileana asks, intrigued.

“Yes, a golden link between the two of you. It’s your soul-mate bond. Didn’t Pherebos mention it to you?”

“I did! Which is good, because it wasn’t your place to tell her first,” I say, a little annoyed.

“It’s incredible!”Ileana breathes. “So… you really are my soul mate?”

“I am,” I whisper. “Since the day we met, you’ve been my Dedicated Soul. My Faksaya… my breath of life.”

Her beautiful gray eyes light up with joy, and for a moment, we’re lost in each other. With this revelation, something shifts—she understands. Deeply. Instinctively.

I let her read my soul, just as I read hers.

It’s just her and me now. Together. Forever.

I don’t know exactly how we’ll make it work yet—but we will. We’ll find a way to live fully, freely, and fulfilled. Side by side.

She swallows hard, and I feel my body temperature rise.

“But… what about my infusion?” Wingo moans in my head, clearly not missing a beat of the shift in atmosphere .

Without a word, I take Ileana’s hand and lead her toward the bathroom—the only place on the SIL where we can have a bit of privacy.

I close the door behind us. And for a moment, it’s just the two of us. Quiet. Close. Safe.

We kiss like we're still hungry for each other, like we're still craving that eye contact. Wildly. Greedily. Hungrily.

I grab her waist to pull her closer. She lets out a soft sigh of contentment that sounds magnificent.

I let her go and started to undress. She does the same, smiling big, but she doesn't take her eyes off me. I'm looking at her curves, her soft skin, her neck, and her beautiful gray eyes. She's gorgeous, and I count myself lucky to have her! I'm so glad the Flots gave me such an amazing partner!

She blushes under the heat of my scrutiny, then turns around and turns on the shower.

We stand under the warm spray and start making out again.

She lets out a yelp of annoyance when the jet stops two minutes later. In the heat of the moment, we'd forgotten that here, in open space, the time allowed for everyone is two minutes per person per day. She's just used up her daily limit.

I try to make her forget this minor annoyance and resume my attentions, accompanied by fiery promises.

The heat from our bodies is overwhelming. I finally make her mine, enjoying every second of our embrace. Her misty eyes show she's close to reaching her limit. Then we just go for it and lose ourselves in the most perfect ecstasy.

We slowly catch our breath and come back to ourselves.

“My Faksaya, you brought light back into my life—and into my heart. I never thought I’d feel this way again… but you made it happen. Ileana, I love you.”

“My beautiful Asgarnian, I love you too,” she says with a yawn. “You’re an extraordinary man, and I’m so grateful I got the chance to know you.”

I chuckle softly and turn on the shower to rinse us off quickly.

“Let’s wrap this up and get to bed. You’re tired.”

“You’re not?” she asks.

“Not after a stay in a regeneration chamber. But I’ll be happy to watch over your sleep.”

When we leave the hygiene room, the lights aboard the SIL are already dimmed. Wingo, curled up in his bunk, had kindly unfolded ours.

I help Ileana onto the bed and lie down beside her, then press the drawer shut.

In this small, dark space, it feels more comforting than claustrophobic to be so close. Her warmth against me, her breathing steady—it grounds me. I fall asleep just a few minutes after my breath of life.

I stay there, holding her, feeling her presence in my arms—soft, relaxed, safe. In that quiet bliss, I drift off too .

When I wake, her scent lingers in the air, familiar and soothing. It brings a smile to my face, and I stay still for a moment, simply grateful.

I wake her up with kisses and try to love her again, even though there's hardly any space.

A few moments later, we’re dressed and I open the sleeping drawer.

Queen’s “We Are the Champions” is playing. Thankfully, the drawers are completely soundproof.

“Well, well, well! About time. I had a nutrition bar while I waited, but you mentioned something about an infusion,” grumbles Wingo, planted in the middle of the SIL, watching us with exaggerated patience.

“We’re going to take advantage of the Renaissance ’s big cafeteria and have a real breakfast for once—something more exciting than what the SIL has to offer.”

“Pherebos,”SILMAR chimes in,“I’ve recorded a call for you. It’s from Akifumi.”

“Ah, good. What does the message say?”

“He’s arrived on theRenaissanceand wants to see all three of you. Do you want to hear the message?”

“If that’s all he said, no need. We’ll eat first and find him afterward. Thanks, SILMAR.”

But in the end, it’s Akifumi who findsus, just as we’re enjoying some delicious brioches baked by someone named Nora .

“Ah, there you are!” he says, sliding into a seat at our table. “Good, we need to talk. Mmm, smells amazing. What is this?”

“This is brioche, sweetheart!” says Nora, appearing behind him with a fresh tray. “Just made.”

“Nowthat’sa nice change from nutrition bars,” I say, savoring the warm, buttery bite. I’d forgotten that medical ships often have real kitchens where actual recipes can be prepared. It does wonders for morale.

“That’s right, handsome,” Nora beams. “And on the Renaissance , I’m the head cook. This big, brilliantly executed operation deserved my best work!”

“And we’re very grateful,” I say sincerely. “It’s delicious.”

We wait for her to leave before getting down to serious business.

“First of all,” Akifumi begins, “I’d like to announce that an official inquiry has been opened to bring Henri to justice.

You can be sure it’s just a formality at this point.

Hilda’s confession alone is nearly enough.

We’ve already reopened the file on the death of the former BN-35 administrator. It’s now clear it was intentional.”

He turns to Ileana.

“In short, your former tormentor will be punished and removed from power.”

“Thank you,” she says, her voice trembling, eyes misting over. “My sister’s death won’t go unpunished.”

“He’ll pay for every one of his crimes,” Akifumi continues. “Not just what he did to your sister and her friend, but also to your mother, the former administrator, and his own son. And who knows—we may uncover more victims from his past. This may not have been his first time.”

Ileana exhales deeply, a long, quiet sigh of relief. A weight she’s carried for far too long is finally beginning to lift.

We take a quiet moment to savor our hot drinks—mine still steaming in the mug—paired with a warm, buttery brioche that practically melts in my mouth. Then, my mentor picks up the thread of the conversation.

‘’Pherebos, your cover as an elite agent of the Galactic Sentinels is still intact,"Akifumi assures him."As far as the Confederation is concerned, you're still just an operative scouting the galaxy for potentially terraformable worlds.’’

So he wants me to stay on the mission. I get it . And honestly, that’s what I want too. But Ileana… she’s dreaming of something else entirely. From what I understand, she’s hoping for a quiet assignment on a low-tech world—somewhere she can offer medical care, live simply.

Could I really see myself living that kind of life? What would I even do? I’ve got all the knowledge I was raised with on Asgarne, plus everything I’ve learned since joining the Confederation. But I’m not a farmer. I’m not a villager.

‘“For the Coalition, you’re still just a low-tier smuggler—second or third-rate at best. Unless, of course, you want to be more than that. ”