Page 49

ALICE

A lot of work lay ahead of us, but within months, we built the first settlement. Not in the ruins of the others, but something new that included all the technology that was now available to us. We called it Dawnsfire. It didn't follow the traditions of the old towns, but that was on purpose. People shouldn't be called by the name of their town, nor should they be bound to it. Everybody was free to come and leave as they pleased. Over time, the entire population of Shade's Vale joined us. At first, they came to trade, but when they realized that we were changing things for the better, they began to settle.

This was mostly thanks to Hannah, who spread the word that Soulweb Glyphs were not the mark of the gods but simply a symbol between two lovers that declared their love for each other.

Waking seven thousand four hundred and eleven sleeping Darlams had been quite an undertaking. One Zoe and Luph excelled at. Their calm, patient, and loving demeanor helped the Sleepers—as we called them for now—get through the rough times they experienced. Contrary to us Space Guardians, the Ohrurs had never trained these Darlams. They had slept for a long time, but their memories hadn't been fully erased. No headaches had been subliminally planted. But that also meant they woke fully aware of their losses, their grief fresh and raw.

Sloane, Vraax, and Tucker left to dish out some vengeance with the Ohrurs. Supreme Commander Xandros had given them a small fleet to support the underground forces and to help the Luminal Union regain control of Ohrur. Women’s rights were restored, and the underground city rose to reclaim the top. I didn’t imagine that it was easy for any of them, but soon, Ohrur would be a peaceful planet again; I was sure of it.

Craygh had been given to Lord Hyugh to punish as he pleased, and last I heard, Craygh was languishing in prison. Our two other prisoners, Possedion and Moddekdum, were both executed, along with any other Ohrur we found in their facility before we burned it to the ground. The boxes have been returned to as many of their original owners as could be found, and Xyrek proudly wears his bracelet again. The ones whose owners didn't survive are now at Hannah's new temple, serving as a graveyard and a reminder of everything we had lost.

Sloane and Vraax found every last Space Guardian in the Ohrur employ, and they all joined our growing town. I had an idea of what they did to the cloned Space Guardians raised by the Ohrurs, but I didn't ask for confirmation—some things are better left unknown.

Nova and Zaarek settled on the outskirts of town, by the swamplands. They're not as big as in Louisiana, but they’re impressive and big enough for the two to vanish occasionally.

Nock and Daisy came to visit us not long ago to make another holostream about Darlam. Both work for the imperial couple as their personal streamers, but both also still work their own gigs. They looked so happy together that it made me happy, too. I’ve never been one for having friends, and now I have so many, an entire village, and it swells my heart.

And Xyrek and me?

Well, I just gave birth to the second baby in Dawnsfire—Zoe had the first a few months ago. Turned out that we created her the first night we made love on Darlam.

She was perfect in all ways, from her silvery skin to her green eyes. She was only a day old, and she already had her dad wrapped around her little finger.

"I think her hair will be red," Xyrek said, lying next to me.

"I'm sure she'll be beautiful either way," I said, fighting tiredness. The birth had been relatively easy, only a few hours, and the aliens did have some great meds for pain. Step to the side, morphine, you just found your match. Still, I was exhausted. Ready for a nap. But lying there, with Xyrek next to me and our new daughter in between us, was more happiness than I could have ever hoped to experience. It was a dream come true, one where I still had to pinch myself occasionally just to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

"I love you, Alice." Xyrek looked up from our daughter. His dark eyes gleamed with pride and happiness.

"I love you too, Xyrek," my heart expanded with the words, like they always did. Looking at him made me realize I was the luckiest woman in the universe.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" He asked.

Hannah told us that Darlam mothers usually heard their daughters' voices at some point during or after delivery, telling them the name of their soul. But so far, I hadn't heard anything.

I was about to confess my growing worry over the silence when a young woman’s voice suddenly whispered in my mind: Oscianna. It was so familiar that it brought tears to my eyes. “Oscianna,” I whispered. “She just told me.”

“Oscianna,” he repeated with a gleam in his eyes. “I like it.”

I closed my eyes and let myself drift into the quiet, undeniable joy that now surrounded me. For most of my life, I’d been content playing the supporting role—fixing things behind the scenes, helping others shine, never stepping fully into the spotlight. But not anymore.

This was my story now. My ending. My happiness. And I was finally ready to be the main character in it.

THE END of the Space Guardian Series

Thanks for reading the Space Guardian series.