The elder studied Dax for a long mont, his expression heavy with weary resignation. Finally, he let out a slow, helpless sigh.
"You should have thought of that before," he said quietly, disappointnt woven into every asured word.
Dax didn’t bother answering.
No shit, he thought bitterly.
If he had known things would spiral into this ss, he never would have acted the way he did. But hindsight was cruel and useless. Regret couldn’t rewind ti or nd what had already been broken. He had dug his own pit with open eyes, and now there was no one left to bla but himself.
All he could do was endure the consequences.
...
At the Starrail Hub, Jasper returned after purchasing the tickets, his steps noticeably slower than before. The station humd with constant motion—departures announced, passengers weaving past—but he seed montarily detached from it all. He stopped in front of Rory, his expression faintly apologetic, brows drawn together as if he were bracing for her reaction.
"Rory... I’m sorry," he said quietly. "I wanted to book you a private premium cabin, but they’re all taken." He hesitated, then continued, "There’s only one premium slot left, and it’s shared. You’ll have to room with another female."
The words lingered between them.
Before Rory had entered his life, Jasper’s priorities had been brutally simple: survive, grow stronger, endure whatever ca next. Comfort had never factored into his decisions. A private Starrail cabin—let alone worrying about accommodations—wouldn’t have crossed his mind.
Now, it mattered.
Nix, on the other hand, rarely left his lab or his ho base. Most of his travel was confined to the Central District, and when he did move, it was usually by his own ans. He almost never rode the Starrail and didn’t even maintain a private line of his own.
To him, the entire issue would have seed trivial.
To Jasper, it felt like yet another small failure—one more thing he hadn’t been able to give Rory, despite wanting to.
As for Dax—he did have one. Jasper had asked Rory whether she wanted to use it, but she’d declined without hesitation. With their bond dissolved, she had no intention of creating new threads of obligation.
Commissioning a private Starrail now was impossible anyway.
Still, Jasper felt the shift within himself. For the first ti, he wanted sothing like that—not for status, not for convenience, but for her. Once they returned from the Central District, he resolved to have a private line custom-built. The process was tedious and tightly regulated, but with Yuel involved, Jasper wasn’t worried.
"I actually think the public Starrail is wonderful," Rory said brightly.
She ant it.
She’d always wanted to ride one.
The hub was alive—voices overlapping, footsteps echoing, the air buzzing with motion and purpose. She loved places like this, crowded and vibrant.
Her parents had died when she was young, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother—a quiet, withdrawn woman who rarely spoke and almost never allowed Rory to play outside. She’d been afraid the village children would target an orphan.
The only ti Rory had truly felt alive back then was during New Year celebrations, following her grandmother from house to house, surrounded by noise, warmth, and laughter. Later, at school, her happiest monts were spent chatting with classmates, laughing, sharing silly monts.
Even after being brought to this world, she’d made friends—until her secret forced her to grow careful and guarded. Only Gina had ever truly gotten close.
Rory turned to the others with an apologetic smile. "Sorry to make everyone take the Starrail with ."
Both Matt Slade and Ethan Gabriel owned their own starships, powerful vessels capable of tearing across space with ease—craft designed specifically for Rank 10 powerhouses like them. But those speeds would have shredded Rory’s Rank 4 body. They could have traveled ahead and t her there.
Instead, they chose to stay with her.
"It’s no trouble at all," Nix said imdiately, ears twitching with excitent. "I’m happy to travel like this. I’ve never ridden the Starrail with you before, Female Master."
"Then let’s go," Rory said, smiling as she took both Nix’s and Jasper’s hands and led them forward.
Her eyes sparkled as she took in the crowd. Most travelers were male, but there were far more females present than she’d ever seen gathered in one place.
Interstellar females were stunning—tall, graceful, long-legged, each of them seemingly carved from elegance. Almost all stood over five-seven, with commanding presence.
Rory felt a familiar twinge of envy.
Her own appearance had changed after awakening her ability—smoother skin, brighter features, a quiet beauty—but she wasn’t tall. She didn’t have those endless legs. Whenever people praised her, the word they used was always cute.
Still, most females here were warm and friendly—well, aside from the Mindy Lane types.
As Rory stepped onto the platform, a striking woman caught her eye. The woman smiled and waved—a golden-haired beauty with soft curls, a flawless hourglass figure, and a fitted black dress that hugged every elegant curve.
Rory instinctively released Nix’s hand and waved back enthusiastically.
For a split second, she almost wished she were a man.
Nix, whose hand had just been let go, felt a sharp, unexpected sting in his chest. When he turned and saw his huntress smiling so brightly at another female that her eyes nearly disappeared, he imdiately reached out and gently covered her face.
"Female Master," he murmured, "you shouldn’t stare like that. Can’t you see her mate glaring at you?"
"Huh?" Rory blinked, startled.
She brushed his hand away and looked again. Sure enough, the blonde’s mate had already stepped forward, subtly blocking Rory from view.
Rory sighed inwardly.
Seriously? I was just admiring beauty, not trying to steal your partner.
So stingy.
She’d even thought about going over to say hello, but that opportunity was clearly gone now. With a small, regretful sigh, she turned away—
—and froze.
Floating directly in front of her was a rose.
Its deep red petals shimred faintly with starlight, suspended in the air as if held by an unseen hand. It was exquisite, unreal, glowing softly against the bustle of the platform—beautiful enough to steal her breath away.
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