"A big rock."

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The medbay felt like a battlefield that had gone silent. The faint hum of machines whispered in the background, a fragile reminder of the lives hanging on by threads. Lady stood at the counter, her hands resting on its edge, as if the cold surface could anchor her restless thoughts. Her raspberry-red hair clung to her temples, damp from the long hours, her ice-blue eyes dull from exhaustion.

The door creaked open, and she looked up to see Arlos standing there, his silhouette softened by the dim light. His dark skin gleamed faintly, and his purplish-blue eyes carried a warmth that seemed to cut through the room's sterile chill.

"You're still here," he said softly, stepping inside.

Lady smirked faintly, though the weariness dulled it. "Where else would I be?"

"Anywhere else," he replied, his voice steady but laced with a quiet insistence. "Not burying yourself in work until you collapse."

She turned back to the counter, brushing her fingers over the scattered notes. "Someone has to hold this place together, Arlos. It doesn't stop just because I'm tired."

He walked closer, his steps unhurried but deliberate. "Lady, you've been holding everything together so tightly that I'm worried you'll snap. Everyone is."

She tilted her head toward him, her smile more a flicker of habit than emotion. "Everyone, or just you?"

"Does it matter?" he asked, his voice gentle but unyielding.

She didn't respond, but the way her shoulders slumped betrayed her. Arlos leaned against the counter beside her, his gaze soft but steady.

"You're like one of those stars up there," he murmured, tilting his head toward the ceiling as if he could see through it to the night sky. "Bright, unrelenting, always burning so others can find their way. But even stars dim if they don't rest."

Lady closed her eyes, his words sinking into her like balm over a wound she hadn't realized was there. "And if they burn out too soon?"

"Then the world learns to carry their light," he said simply, as though it were the most natural truth.

She opened her eyes, her fingers brushing over the edges of her notes. "I can't stop, Arlos. Not when Matthew's out there, not when people here are depending on me. It's too much."

Arlos reached out, his hand brushing hers in a gesture so soft it felt like a promise. "And yet, here you are. Carrying all of it. But you're not alone, Lady. You've got us. You've got me."

He took her hand gently, his grip firm yet comforting. "Come with me," he said suddenly, the faintest smile tugging at his lips.

"Where?" she asked, her exhaustion making her hesitant.

"Up," he said simply, his tone brightening with a quiet kind of mischief.

Before she could protest, Arlos tugged her gently toward the door. Lady sighed but allowed herself to be led, her feet dragging at first but quickening as they moved through the quiet corridors of the base.

They reached the stairwell, and Arlos glanced over his shoulder, his grin widening. "Almost there. Don't give up on me now."

"Giving up isn't in my nature," she muttered, but a faint chuckle escaped her lips.

When they reached the rooftop, the night air hit them like a blessing, cool and crisp against their skin. The stars sprawled above them, a glittering canopy that seemed impossibly vast. Lady stepped forward, her eyes lifting to the sky, her breath catching for a moment.

Arlos sat down on the ledge, patting the spot beside him. "Come on. You need this."

She hesitated before joining him, sitting close enough to feel his warmth against the chill of the night. He leaned back, his hands resting on the edge, his gaze fixed on the heavens.

"Do you see that one?" he asked, pointing to a streak of light cutting across the sky.

"A shooting star," she murmured.

"Looks like a rock, doesn't it?" he said, his tone almost childlike.

Lady tilted her head toward him, a brow arching. "A rock?"

"Yeah. But bigger. Much bigger," he said, turning to grin at her. "One day, I'll bring you one. A meteor. Something straight out of the stars."

Lady let out a soft laugh, the sound surprising even herself. "You'd need a spaceship for that, Arlos."

"Then I'll build one," he replied, his purplish-blue eyes sparkling. "Nothing's impossible, Lady. Especially for you."

For a moment, the weight on her chest eased. She leaned back beside him, her head tilting to rest against his shoulder.

"You always know what to say," she said quietly.

"Not always," he admitted, his voice softer now. "But I know when someone needs a reminder of how bright they are. You're saving everyone, Lady, but don't forget—you're one of them too. You deserve to be saved too."

Her throat tightened at his words, but she didn't speak. Instead, she let the stars and the quiet night hold her, feeling something close to peace for the first time in what felt like forever.



End of part

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