AUTHOR'S POV
Everyone watched as Mickey and Sire transferred fuel into the jet. The air around them reeked of it—thick, sharp, and almost suffocating.
"This stuff stinks," Diamond complained, pinching her nose shut with her fingers.
"I don't know," Primi said thoughtfully. "I kind of like it."
"Of course you do. You're super weird," Anika replied without missing a beat.
Primi frowned. "You know, you can be a little insensitive sometimes, princess," he said.
Anika rolled her eyes.
"You know, between the two of us, one would think you were the princess," Anika shot back, earning a round of laughter from the group.
"I like her,"Diamond said.
Seren, her mind on other matters, cut through the noise. "Where's Mr. Damascus?" she asked.
They all paused to look at her.
"He said he's going to try to find a signal to contact his extraction team," Nova answered. "But I wouldn't hold my breath about his success."
Seren's expression tightened. "I feel bad that we're going to leave him and his men stranded here."
Mia simply shrugged. "He knows how important this mission is," she said.
It didn't help ease Seren's conscience.
"Yeah, but still—"
She was cut off by Sire's triumphant voice.
"Hey, guys! We managed to transfer all the fuel!"
"Enough fuel to get us to the Temple and back," Mickey added, wiping his hands on a towel.
Mia smiled. "Nice job, guys." Then, less enthusiastically, she added, "I guess we wait for Lyrian and Reone now."
"That won't be necessary."
The voice came from the edge of the clearing. Reone emerged from the forest, Lyrian at his side.
Everyone stared at them in surprise.
"You guys are back?" Mia asked.
"We sure are," Lyrian replied coolly.
An awkward silence followed.
"We finished transferring the fuel from Mr. Damascus's jet to ours," Mia explained.
"I know," Reone said. "And I'm okay with it, Mia."
Mia raised an eyebrow, then pursed her lips.
"Reone, I think I speak for everyone when I say we're sorry if we came off a bit dismissive earlier."
Diamond stepped forward. "Yeah. We're your friends, and we should've—"
"Girls, stop," Reone interrupted gently. "I understand where you were coming from. You were all right about needing the fuel." He paused, then added, "Now,since we've got that out of the way, what do you say we put this whole thing behind us and head over to the Temple?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Sire said, stepping forward and pulling Reone into some kind of overly complicated bro handshake.
"Aww, you're all so cute," Anika gushed, clasping her hands together. "Aren't they cute, Primi?"
"If 'cute' means cheesy, then—"
"Why are you like this?" Anika groaned, turning to him in exasperation.
As the two started bickering, Reone barely noticed. His attention shifted as Cassian finally emerged from the bushes, a communicator in hand.
"Dad," Reone said, swallowing.
"Reone,you guys are back,"he said.
Reone nodded
"Dad, I'm not ready to forgive and forget, but... I'm willing to hear you out now."
Cassian's lips parted in shock, but he didn't say anything—too stunned to respond.
Reone continued, the words clearly costing him effort.
"Not now, though. I still have a mission to complete."
Cassian let out a low sigh of disappointment. The moment when he would truly be back in his son's life kept dragging on. But he knew this was better than nothing.
At least Reone was finally willing to give him a chance.
"I understand. I have no problem waiting," Cassian said quietly. "Go to the Temple."
His answer made Reone's stomach tighten. This—this—was the considerate, caring father he had always wanted.
Lyrian placed a hand on his shoulder, as if sensing the weight of his emotions.
Reone cleared his throat.
"You sure you'll be okay out here?" he asked, unable to stop himself from worrying.
He and his father might not have the best parent–child relationship, but the man was still his father. Reone didn't want anything bad to happen to him.
"I've contacted my extraction team," Cassian replied. "They say they'll be here in a few hours. Until then, I think we can handle ourselves."
"Wait—you found a signal?" Nova asked, surprised.
"Yes. It was weak, but it got the job done. I managed to make the call," Cassian explained.
Reone nodded slowly, satisfied.
"Well, if that's the case, then I guess we'll be leaving," Reone said quietly.
"Of course," Cassian replied with calm dignity.
"Thank you again for the fuel, Mr. Damascus," Sire said.
"You're very welcome. And I'd like to thank all of you as well," Cassian added.
"Why?" Seren asked, perplexed.
"I wasn't around for Reone," Cassian admitted. "But he turned out to be an amazing young man. And I suspect it's because he had wonderful friends like you in his life."
His gaze lingered on Lyrian.
"Our relationship is mutual," Lyrian said, leaning lightly against Reone. "He's had an amazing impact on our lives too."
Cassian nodded, his expression knowing.
Reone remained silent, deeply affected by both of them.
Mia cleared her throat.
"Anyway… we'll be leaving now," she said.
"Goodbye to you all. And see you later, son," Cassian said, his voice slipping with emotion.
"Goodbye… Dad," Reone said awkwardly. Then, to the group, "Come on, guys."
He got a chorus of agreement, everyone anxious to finally be airborne.
He, Lyrian, and the others began shuffling toward the jet, climbing the steps one by one. On the very last step, Reone turned and looked at his fatherm
Cassian hesitantly waved at him.Reone returned the gesture making, tears shine in Cassian's eyes.
"Thank you, son," Cassian said as Reone boarded the jet. "And come back to me."
*****
LYRIAN
Everyone was crammed into the jet's narrow cabin, knees brushing knees, shoulders pressed far closer than anyone was comfortable with. There was barely enough space to move without bumping into someone else, and the low ceiling made the whole place feel more like a metal tube than an aircraft.
Seatbelts clicked and straps rustled as everyone tried to settle in.
Sire leaned over Anika's shoulder, fingers already reaching for her harness.
"Let me help you with that."
"I've got it," she told him.
Sire hesitated. "I just want to make sure you're strapped in correctly—"
"She said she's got it," Primi cut in sharply from across the aisle.
Sire straightened and raised an eyebrow, surprised. He would've expected Primi to insist on proper safety checks—especially since Anika's protection technically fell under his responsibility. But Primi's jaw was tight, his gaze hostile.
If Sire didn't know any better, he'd say the stoic young captain looked… jealous.
He shrugged it off with an easy smile.
"If you two say so."
"It's okay, baby. You can strap me in," Diamond told him as she sat next to him.
Sire simply smiled and placed an arm around her shoulders.
The next moment, the engines roared to life, the sound vibrating through the floor and rattling the walls. Then the jet lurched forward.
"Whoa—!" Anika blurted as the aircraft lifted, gripping the seat beside her. Flying—something she'd never done—was turning out to be a scary experience.
"Just take deep breaths, Princess Anika," Seren said calmly. "It's all going to be fine."
Primi glanced around, tensing visibly now. "It's safe to fly in this thing… right?"
"Statistically speaking," Nova replied without looking up, "air travel is the safest mode of transportation."
Almost on cue, turbulence hit.
The jet jolted violently, throwing everyone sideways. With so little space, elbows collided, shoulders knocked together, and a chorus of groans filled the cabin.
"What was that?!" Primi asked, panic creeping into his voice.
"Relax," Sire said quickly. "That's just turbulence."
"And that is?" Primi pressed.
"Something you don't need to worry about. It's totally normal, and it will pass," Sire replied.
Another shudder ran through the jet, though lighter this time.
"It better," Anika muttered, starting to feel a bit nauseous. "When do we reach the Temple again?"
"In a couple of hours," Nova answered. "Late morning."
"Great," Primi and Anika said at the same time.
Lyrian watched the two with faint amusement. She'd never seen them so unsettled—so human. Still, she understood. Anyone would be rattled in a situation like this.
Her gaze shifted to Reone, seated beside her.
He was quiet. Too quiet.
He hadn't flinched during the turbulence. Hadn't reacted at all—just stared ahead, lost in thought.
She leaned closer, lowering her voice.
"So," she whispered, "how are you feeling now that you've mastered the art of catching a butterfly?"
He turned to her at last, a small, tired smile tugging at his lips.
"Like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders."
Something softened in Lyrian's expression. She reached out, threading her fingers through his.
"Well… I'm really happy for you."
For a brief moment, the chaos of the jet and everything else faded away and it was just the two of them.
Then someone cleared their throat—awkwardly. Very deliberately.
Lyrian and Reone looked up to find Diamond grinning at them, eyes bright with curiosity.
"So," Diamond said, clearly enjoying herself, "Reone and Lyrian… are you guys, like—a couple again?"
Both of them froze.