Stellar Hearts: Lost in Seoul

Chapter 21: "24 Hours to Save Us"

Asa's POV

I sit in the captain's chair, my fingers hovering over the controls, but my mind is racing. I can feel the weight of the countdown pressing down on me like a heavy stone lodged deep in my chest. The ship is ready to go. The engine's hum vibrates beneath me, and I can almost feel the familiar pull of my home world calling me.

But there's a problem.

I have only 24 hours left.

Twenty-four hours. That's all I have before I vanish forever—before I'm nothing more than a fading memory in the vast, unyielding universe.

I glance at the clock on the dashboard, and my breath catches in my throat. The numbers seem to taunt me, each second slipping away faster than I can count. Time is slipping through my fingers, and no matter how hard I try, I can't stop it. I can't fix this.

I swallow hard, but I don't speak. I don't let myself show how scared I am. Because if I do, Chiquita might see it, and I can't bear the thought of making her worry any more than she already does. She's been through so much already.

I look to my side, where she's sitting on a bench, her legs crossed, watching me carefully. Her expression is unreadable, but I know her well enough by now to see the faint hint of concern in her eyes.

I open my mouth, but no words come out at first. How do I even explain the gravity of the situation? How do I tell her that this could be it? That I might never see her again if I can't make it back home?

She must see something in my face because, before I can speak, she's already on her feet. Her steps are quick, but light, like she's walking through a dream. The concern on her face is unmistakable.

"Hey," she says softly, taking a few steps forward. "You're not alone in this. You know that, right?"

I can feel my throat tighten, but I force myself to meet her eyes. "I don't want you to worry."

Chiquita tilts her head slightly, an almost playful smirk dancing on her lips, but the worry in her eyes hasn't gone away. "You think I'm worried about you?" she asks, her voice light but firm. "Well, you're wrong. I'm worried about us. You don't think I'll just let you vanish, do you?"

I can see the truth in her words, and it makes something inside me break a little. Her gaze softens, and she takes another step toward me.

"You won't vanish," she says, her voice low and steady. "Not while I'm here."

I almost laugh, but it comes out sounding hollow. "You don't get it, Chiquita. You don't understand how serious this is." I turn toward the controls, my fingers trembling as I swipe across the touchpad. The ship hums louder now, the engines roaring to life, almost as if they can sense the urgency in the air.

She doesn't back down. Instead, she walks up beside me, brushing her hand against mine. "Then help me understand, Asa."

My heart lurches in my chest. It's not that I don't want to tell her everything, it's just—how can I? I don't even know where to start.

I turn my head slightly, keeping my gaze focused on the ship's dashboard. "I can't stay here. I have 24 hours. If I don't get back to my world by then, I'll vanish. I won't exist anymore. It's that simple."

Her hand tightens around mine, and for a second, there's nothing but the soft hum of the engines and the sound of my heart thundering in my chest.

"You've got 24 hours," she repeats, her tone steady now, but her face is tight with determination. "We'll make it. We'll figure it out. Together."

I squeeze her hand back, trying not to let the panic and dread that have been gnawing at me take over. "I don't have much time. I'm not even sure if I can get back. The ship's engines are still unstable, and there's—"

"Stop." Chiquita's voice cuts through my words like a blade. "We'll fix it. We'll make sure it works. We've got a whole team of badass people on our side, right?"

I almost smile. "You make it sound easy."

"It is," she says, her gaze never leaving mine. "We have to believe it's easy."

But I can't. I can't pretend this is easy when everything feels so impossibly hard.

Chiquita's POV

I sit beside Asa, watching her as she works on the console, her fingers flying across the buttons and levers. The urgency in her every movement makes my stomach churn, but I don't let it show. I can see how much this is tearing her apart. She doesn't want me to worry, but I can see the fear in her eyes when she thinks I'm not looking.

Twenty-four hours.

It doesn't feel real. It can't. But I know she's telling the truth. I can see it in the way she moves, the way she's focused on fixing the ship's systems, her whole body tense and tight like a coiled spring.

I know she's scared. And for the first time, I realize how deeply I care about her. I've always been carefree, always looking for the fun, the next adventure. But this—this—this isn't an adventure. This is life and death. This is her life.

She's going to vanish if we don't make it. And I won't let that happen.

But I need to do something. Something big. Something that will help.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask, keeping my voice casual even though I feel anything but.

She glances at me, her lips pressed into a tight line. "I'm trying to reboot the system, but it's taking longer than I thought. The damage to the ship was more extensive than I realized. I thought I had more time..."

I bite my lip, feeling the helplessness creep in again, but I push it aside. "Okay, so, we get the ship fixed and then what? Where exactly do we go once we're flying?"

"Home," she says quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't know where else to go. My world isn't like yours. It's... it's beyond your comprehension. And I don't think it's something I can explain in a way that makes sense. But I have to get there. Or else I won't exist anymore."

I nod slowly, trying to wrap my head around it. I want to understand, I really do, but I can't. Not fully. It's too alien, too far out of my reach. But I trust her. I trust her.

"You're not going anywhere, Asa," I whisper, my voice fierce. "We'll make sure you don't."

She doesn't say anything at first, just looks at me with those deep, searching eyes. And for the first time, I wonder if she's trying to figure out if I'm being serious. If she's wondering whether I'm strong enough to keep my word.

"I'll be with you," I say, my voice quieter this time but more resolute. "I don't care how hard it gets. We'll find a way."

She nods slowly, her fingers tightening on the console. "I believe you. And I won't let you down."

That's when I hear the distant hum of voices—Rora, Ruka, and the others, making their way to the bridge.

"Looks like we've got company," I say, a small grin pulling at my lips.

Asa smiles faintly. "We'll need all the help we can get."

Asa's POV

I glance over at Chiquita again, her grin infectious despite the situation. She's not giving up on me. Not now, not ever. And for some reason, that makes my chest feel just a little less tight.

She's right. We've got this. Together.

But time is still ticking.

I take a deep breath, staring at the countdown clock on the dashboard. We have 24 hours left, and if we're going to make it, every second counts.

The repair systems blink to life on the screen.

There's no turning back now