Without A Thousand Stars: Part II

Chapter 10

The sky was still a deep indigo when Jax moved through the dimly lit room, his military uniform freshly donned and his bags packed by the door. The early hour brought a chill that seemed to seep into the corners of the room, mingling with the low hum of the city outside.

He approached Lilac's bed with quiet, measured steps. She lay encased in a maze of skincare treatments and mists, her face obscured by an eye mask. The assortment of products gave her an almost surreal appearance, making her look more like an enigmatic figure from another world than his partner.

"Ly... Lilac..." Jax's voice was a murmur, barely piercing the quiet of the room. "I'm heading out."

Lilac shifted slightly but did not wake, her mumbled response lost in the muffled layers of her mask and treatments. Jax bent down, his attempt to kiss her met with the obstacle of her layered skincare. With a resigned sigh, he settled for a brief, impersonal pat on her head.

"Ok, love you, bye," he said, his voice carrying a weight of duty rather than warmth.

He stood for a moment, his gaze lingering on her still form. The obligation and guilt he felt toward her weighed heavily on his shoulders, a stark contrast to the more genuine connections he wished he had. With one last look, he turned away, stepping out into the cold, early morning, the mission ahead pressing heavily on his mind.

—

Nora and Alyce lay on the mattress on the floor of Alyce's old dorm room, a makeshift refuge in the deserted Academy. Alyce clutched the stack of holocards to her chest as she slept fitfully, her face streaked with dried tears. Nora sat beside her, keeping a vigilant watch, her hand resting on her plasma pistol, ready for any threat that might emerge from the darkness.

Her gaze softened as she watched Alyce sleep, her heart aching not just from Alyce's visible grief for Jax, but also from the depth of the bond they had developed over the past five years.

She couldn't quite recall the exact moment they fell in love. It hadn't been some grand declaration or a sudden realization—it had been something that quietly bloomed, slowly unfolding over the past five years. It was in the small, everyday moments that their love had been built, piece by piece.

She remembered how Alyce would go out of her way to make her favorite meal, even when supplies were scarce. There was something so careful, so intentional, in the way Alyce would season the food, as if she wanted to give Nora a piece of comfort in a world that was otherwise unforgiving. It wasn't just the meal itself, but the thought behind it—the way Alyce would smile softly as she placed the dish in front of her, a silent offering of care.

And Nora showed her love in her own way, collecting little trinkets on her scavenging runs. Things that most people would overlook, things that reminded her of Alyce. A rusted bracelet here, a scrap of fabric there—small, insignificant objects to anyone else, but when she handed them to Alyce, they were met with a warmth in her eyes, a quiet understanding that only the two of them shared.

It was the way they moved around each other, a silent language formed through years of surviving together. A look across the room, a brush of their hands as they passed each other in the small space they called home. It was Alyce's laugh, that rare, quiet sound that only Nora seemed to hear, and the way it made Nora feel like, even in this ruined world, there was still something beautiful left.

Love hadn't come to them all at once. It had crept in, unnoticed at first, until one day, it was just there—a constant presence, as natural as breathing.

The creak of footsteps in the hallway jolted Nora from her reverie. "Alyce, wake up," she whispered urgently, shaking Alyce gently as she drew her plasma pistol, aiming it towards the door. Alyce scrambled to the bathroom, her own weapon drawn and at the ready.

A shadowy figure appeared in the doorway, a pistol drawn. "Whoa, easy there, cowboy."

Nora and the woman faced off, their weapons locked in a tense standoff. The woman had fiery red hair cropped short and wild, a face etched with both defiance and curiosity. Alyce, recognizing the voice, called out into the dim room. "Ivy?"

Nora and the woman remained still, the tension thick in the air. Alyce stood slowly, her hands and pistol raised, her voice trembling with recognition. "Ivy!"

The woman's gaze softened as she looked at Alyce. A smile of nostalgia and disbelief spread across her face. She holstered her pistol and rushed into Alyce's embrace, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Nora lowered her pistol cautiously. "Friend of yours?"

They settled on the floor amidst the clutter of the dorm, a single candle casting flickering shadows between them. Ivy's presence brought a flicker of hope and familiarity.

Ivy broke the silence with a wry smile. "What are you doing here? They said... you were part of the bombing. Thanks for destroying society," she joked, her voice dripping with the same familiar sarcasm Alyce remembered.

Alyce shook her head slightly. "Just trying to survive, like everyone else. Thought maybe there'd still be a few things left over. What about you?"

Ivy shrugged, her expression hardening with defiance. "No way I was going to hole up in the Estates. I stayed here with a few other students for a while. No one really comes around anymore—too dangerous with the Corp and the gangs fighting over the scraps. Was just here grabbing some supplies. Got in with the Obsidian Reapers a while back, so I'm protected, been hacking for them."

Nora's interest was piqued. "You're with the Reapers? Do you think they could give us a meeting?"

The Obsidian Reapers was the gang that controlled the Core and the Tower, known for their ruthless but reasonable leader.

Ivy's brow furrowed in hesitation. "What for?"

Nora explained, "We're running out of supplies. The Lowerzone's pretty bare. The Core is a day's journey for us, and it's too far to make the trek. I heard they started up the factories again, they can produce their own food. We were hoping for a trade."

Ivy's face showed a mixture of concern and uncertainty. "I don't know... what do you have that they don't?"

The corner of Nora's lips lifted up into a smirk. "Something no one else has, tell them they'll want to meet."

Nora and Ivy pressed their wristbands together, exchanging contact information in a gesture of trust and practicality. The homemade wristbands, far from the sleek designs of AlphaCorp's technology, still managed to transmit essential data between them.

As Ivy prepared to leave, she looked back at Alyce and Nora, her face reflecting both concern and determination. "I can't promise anything, but I'll be in touch."

With that, Ivy exited the room, leaving Nora and Alyce alone in the dimly lit dorm. They sat in silence, their thoughts occupied by the uncertain future and the fragile hope that Ivy's connection to the Obsidian Reapers might offer them a chance at survival.