The workshop doors hissed shut behind her.

Akiko tugged the edge of her suit's collar, realigning the fabric against her neck as she stepped into the Driftknight's lounge. It was more of a glorified break room welded to the rear bulkhead, but it had soft seating, ambient lighting, and a viewport that actually showed something other than hull plating. Which counted as luxury on this ship.

The crew had already started to unwind.

Jace was sprawled half-sideways over a mesh recliner, grinning like he'd just won a bet no one else had made. He held a flask in one hand and a preemptive hangover in the other.

"Two days," Jace was saying. "Two damn days where I don't have to watch my back, fix a turret, or ration my liquor." His grin was lopsided. "I plan to forget how to spell my name."

Joran leaned back, arms crossed over his chest. "You barely remember it now."

"Exactly," Jace shot back. "No learning curve."

Laughter followed, too loud, too sharp. Relief masquerading as humor.

Akiko passed behind them toward the viewport, offering a nod that wasn't quite a greeting. Her body still buzzed from the work with Tanya, nerves not fully settled. But the murmur of conversation, the rhythm of people not currently trying to die, was steadying.

Raya sat on one of the benches near the side wall, datapad in her lap, stylus spinning slowly in her fingers, but her eyes weren't on it. They were on Akiko.

Caught.

Akiko looked away too quickly.

The viewport showed the edge of Callistra below. a wash of soft violet cloud bands lit from behind by the system's pale sun. The moon's surface shimmered faintly beneath them, threaded with lines of habitation light like veins of amber in ice. Pretty. Artificial. Calm.

The kind of place you could pretend to rest in.

The lounge door slid open again.

Tanya entered with the energy of someone already exhausted. "If one more coolant line tries to leak during final thrust rebalancing, I swear I'm locking myself in a spa capsule and not coming out 'til next cycle."

Akiko turned to face her. "I'm around to help, if you need me. Just say the word."

Tanya shot her a sideways look. "You volunteering to work through shore leave?"

Akiko shrugged, casual. "If it lightens your load."

Before Tanya could answer, another voice cut in. "I thought you were resting during shore leave."

Akiko froze. Raya hadn't raised her voice. But the weight of the statement landed all the same.

Akiko opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again.

Tanya, mercifully, cut in before the moment could stretch too long.

"Actually," she said, dragging a chair over with one foot, "Lila's got some ridiculous plan involving massages and hot stone therapy. So you're off the hook, fox. No augments. No drills. No dangerous improvised reactors."

Akiko exhaled, her smirk half-sincere. "So I'm being forcibly relaxed?"

"Think of it as a strategic realignment of priorities."

Jace lifted his flask again. "To spa days and no explosions."

Joran nodded. "For once."

Akiko leaned back against the wall, eyes flicking from Tanya to Raya and then out the viewport again.

No explosions. That would be nice.

The shipwide intercom crackled. Kara's voice came through, clipped and no-nonsense as always. "Final approach commencing. All personnel on downtime, prepare for disembarkation. Five minutes to atmospheric entry."

The background hum of the Driftknight shifted. Subtle at first, then rising in pitch as the ship adjusted its vector.

Akiko stepped away from the wall and triggered her magboots. They clunked softly into full lock, anchoring her to the deck as the inertial push started to build.

The others strapped into the recessed harnesses along the lounge walls. Even Jace had the sense to settle in, flask stowed with exaggerated reluctance.

Akiko stayed upright.

Outside the viewport, the swirling violet bands of Callistra's upper atmosphere unfurled like painted silk, thin but brilliant where the moon's tenuous gases caught the light.

Then, with a soft shudder, the Driftknight pierced the cloud layer.

And below, sunlight broke through, caught and scattered by the moon's orbital mirror focusing arrays. An artificial daylight amidst the rest of the dim outer system.

The moon's surface glittered beneath them: graceful towers clustered along networks of crystalline domes, with terraces and hanging gardens spilling green against the stone. Open plazas glowed under the thin light, stitched together by winding pathways of polished glass.

It was unlike anything Akiko had seen in this world. Or any world, really. A resort moon. A dreamscape for those with credits to burn and sins to forget.

Raya stepped up beside her, the hush of her presence barely audible over the hum of the ship.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Akiko nodded. "Yeah. It is."

But when she glanced sideways, Raya wasn't watching the view. She was watching her. The smile on Raya's face was soft. Confident. The kind of smile that knew exactly what it was doing.

Akiko looked back to the viewport a little too quickly.

Raya didn't say anything. She didn't have to.

The ship began its final deceleration, gravity pulling more firmly as docking clamps engaged. With a gentle thrum and a hydraulic sigh, the Driftknight settled into place.

"Come on," Raya said, nudging Akiko lightly with her shoulder. "Don't think you're skipping out on shore leave."

Akiko raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't planning to."

"Good," Raya said, eyes still warm. "Because I'm making sure of it."

The harnesses released around them with a hiss. The crew began to shuffle toward the lift, laughter and conversation trailing behind them.

Akiko disengaged her boots and stepped away from the viewport, shoulders tight. Raya didn't press.

When Akiko finally stepped off the loading bay and onto the platform, the air hit her like a balm. Clean, perfumed, just cool enough to make her forget the stagnant ship corridors.

But the moment passed too fast. Her eyes tracked the distant domes, the security drones drifting like dandelion seeds high above the plazas. All glitter and curated snowfields. A paradise bought with ash and ore, funded by the raw grind of the outer colonies.

She could feel the layers beneath the city's beauty. The hidden currents. The soft hum of something watching. Even paradise had its price. She just didn't know who, exactly, would be paying it.

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Raya tugged her forward, fingers warm and certain around hers.

For a heartbeat, Akiko thought to pull away, but she didn't. Something in her chest, too tightly wound to name, unraveled by half a breath.

The warmth of the resort closed in around them as they stepped inside the hot springs. Steam coiled in the air from hidden vents. The hum of conversation blended with the subtle burble of water features tucked into corners. Staff in pale robes moved like quiet ghosts, guiding guests through check-in with serene smiles.

Akiko was too aware of how out of place she felt. But beside her, Raya moved with practiced ease, like she belonged here. Like she belonged anywhere.

"This place has private baths," Raya said, glancing over with a sidelong smile. "And I booked us one."

Akiko raised a brow. "You planned this."

"I knew you'd find a reason to work through shore leave unless someone stopped you. So, I'm stopping you."

They passed through an archway into a quieter hall, the walls lined with softly glowing panels and muted doors. Akiko could already feel the heat of the springs bleeding through the stone beneath her boots.

At the door to their suite, one of the attendants offered soft towels with a polite incline of the head. Akiko accepted hers with a quiet nod, then hesitated, her suit still sealed around her like a second skin.

With a thought, she sent the retraction command through her neural link. The magitech layers shimmered, dispersing into the anchor embedded at the base of her spine with a soft flicker of light.

The real battle, she suspected, wasn't behind her in the stars. It was in what waited beyond the next door: steam, silence, and the unfamiliar safety of someone else choosing to stay.

The air turned humid the moment they stepped past the partition, thick with steam and the faint scent of minerals. A low murmur echoed from deeper in the springs, water lapping against stone, voices muted by the warmth.

Akiko hesitated a breath, letting the moisture cling to her skin, fogging the edges of her vision as she trailed behind Raya toward the water.

She shed the borrowed towel, folding it neatly before setting it aside. The heat radiating from the stone floor prickled at her bare feet, a welcome contrast to the stale chill of the ship.

Without a word, she slipped into the spring's edge, knees drawn in, arms wrapped loosely around them. The water hugged her legs like silk, almost too warm, but she didn't flinch.

Raya waded deeper. Her dark hair caught the light through the steam as she sank into the water with a contented sigh, arms stretching wide along the ledge behind her.

A soft ripple followed Raya's movement, reaching Akiko's ankles before fading into a stillness that left space for silence. But not from her thoughts.

She hated how right Raya had been. Not that she'd ever say it aloud.

"You're brooding," came Raya's voice.

Akiko glanced up. Raya's dark hair twisted into a damp knot, a few loose strands trailing like ink against her cheek. Hands on hips. Smile amused. She tilted her chin toward the center of the pool.

"Come on. You're supposed to be relaxing, not sulking like a cornered fox."

"I am relaxing," Akiko muttered, ears flattening a fraction. Even she didn't believe it.

Raya waded closer with a sigh, the water rippling around her thighs. "You're thinking about work again. Aren't you? What you could be fixing. Planning. Building."

Akiko's tail twitched behind her. That wasn't it, but she didn't correct Raya.

"There's always something," she said instead.

"There is always something," Raya said, voice softening. She settled beside her, shoulder brushing Akiko's. "But that doesn't mean you have to run yourself into the ground doing it alone. You've been going nonstop. You need to breathe before you break."

Akiko didn't respond. She watched the ripples spreading from her knees, watched them dissipate without resistance. She didn't want to talk about this.

Do you really want to put her through this?

The thought rose sharp and uninvited. She'd seen this story before. Lived it. Intensity. Fire. Then ash.

Ethan had been like that. Bright, reckless, fleeting. Before him, others. Faces blurring together. A different world, but the same mistakes. It always ended with her walking away. Or burning the bridge behind her. A hundred different variations, but they all ended up with someone getting hurt. Usually literally.

Raya didn't deserve that.

"You're still brooding," Raya said. Her voice was teasing, but not sharp. "If I dunk you, will that reset your brain?"

Her hair was slicked back, droplets tracing slow paths down her collarbone.

Akiko blinked, startled at the direction her mind was starting to go unbidden. "You wouldn't dare."

Raya arched a brow. "Wouldn't I?"

Before Akiko could shift away, Raya reached out and gently tugged her wrist.

"Come on," she said. "You can't hide on the edge forever."

Akiko hesitated. The warm rock at her back felt safe. Still. The deeper pool glittered like uncertainty made liquid. But Raya hadn't let go.

She forced a breath, unfurled her legs, and let herself be guided. Her feet skimmed the stone steps beneath the surface, water creeping up to her waist, then chest. The heat swaddled her, coaxing out the tension she hadn't admitted to holding.

"See? Not so bad," Raya murmured, her fingers brushing Akiko's wrist as she let go. "You're allowed to enjoy yourself. Even now."

Akiko smiled, or the shape of a smile, at least. She tilted her head, letting the ends of her hair trail in the water.

They didn't speak for a while. The heat of the springs wrapped around them, the soft gurgle of the water and distant hum of filtration systems filling the space where words might have been. Akiko floated for a moment, letting the buoyancy hold her. Just breathing. Just being.

Raya drifted nearby, close enough for presence, far enough for space.

"It's easier to breathe when you're close," Raya said quietly.

Akiko's thoughts froze. Raya was staring at the water now, voice barely above a whisper.

Akiko's breath caught. Her usual armor of wit, sarcasm, indifference had no place here. Nothing to deflect with. No safe path forward.

Raya looked at her again, dark eyes steady. "I don't need an answer. Not now. I just wanted to share a moment before it slips away."

Akiko swallowed. She wanted to say yes. Gods, she wanted to mean it. But promises weren't things she gave lightly. Not anymore.

Raya offered a quiet smile. "I'll give you space."

The water rippled around her as she crossed to their towels and began to pack up. She glanced back at Akiko one last time, giving a small smile that made Akiko's heart flutter.

Then she was gone.

Without quite meaning to, Akiko drifted back a step, letting the water fall lower as she found the rise of the steps. She sank down, arms curling tight around her knees, tail brushing slow circles through the water behind her.

She didn't sigh. Not yet. That would acknowledge something she wasn't ready to admit.

Her skin tingled from the heat. The air clung to her. It was the most peace she'd had in days, and still, her thoughts spun.

Raya's touch had been light. Gentle. So simple. And it had left her hollow.

Not in the painful way. Not even in the way that came after a fight. Just, an awareness. A soft, gnawing thing in her chest, like a thread she couldn't stop tugging at.

She pressed her forehead against her knees.

The water lapped faintly against the stone. Somewhere far off, the resort's ambient music shifted chords. Calm and distant. Made for guests who didn't think too hard.

It's easier to breathe when you're close.

Akiko's ears drooped slightly as she replayed those words, over and over. She wanted to dismiss them as naïve, but they weren't. They were honest. Vulnerable. And that made them terrifying.

She'd been here before. This precipice of connection, staring into the possibility of something real, only to feel it slip through her fingers because she couldn't hold on without burning herself or the other person.

Could she let herself try again? Could she risk taking someone like Raya, someone kind and steady, into her chaos?

Her reflection in the water caught her eye. She stared at herself, the mist of the bathhouse obscuring her face. And just like that, another memory surfaced. A firelit room, a familiar voice, and the steady presence of someone who had once tried to help her sort through the storm in her heart.

Akiko sat slumped in a chair near the fire, a mug of something strong in her hand.

The heat from the flames couldn't quite chase away the hollow ache in her chest, and the alcohol wasn't doing much better. She muttered under her breath, her thoughts a swirling mess of anger and sadness.

"You're brooding," a calm voice said.

Akiko's ears twitched. She glanced up to see Elyas, her sister's husband, seated across from her, his hands deftly repairing the strap of a leather satchel. His movements were precise, unhurried, completely at odds with the whirlwind in her head.

"Maybe I like brooding," she shot back, her words slightly slurred.

Elyas chuckled softly. "You like brooding as much as a fox likes sitting still. Which is to say, not at all."

Akiko frowned and took another swig from her mug. "It's not like you'd get it, Elyas. You and Kaede, you've got the whole perfect, stable thing going on. Not everyone's got that kind of luck."

"It's not luck," Elyas said, his voice steady. "It's work."

"Yeah, well, I've done the 'work,'" Akiko muttered, her tail swishing in agitation. "And it still falls apart. Every time."

Elyas set the satchel aside and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His gaze was calm but piercing, the kind of look that made you feel seen even when you didn't want to be.

"Akiko," he said, his tone gentle but firm, "you burn bright. That's who you are. But if you want something to last, you can't expect it to thrive on sparks alone. It takes patience. Trust. And the willingness to grow together, even when it's hard."

Akiko scoffed, though her ears drooped slightly. "Easy for you to say. You've got Kaede. You've always had Kaede."

Elyas shook his head. "Kaede and I have had our share of storms, just like anyone else. The difference is, we decided those storms were worth weathering. It's not about avoiding the pain, Akiko. It's about what you're willing to fight for."

His words lingered, the weight of them cutting through the haze in her mind. She didn't respond, but part of her wanted to believe him, to believe that she could be more than the chaos she carried.

Akiko blinked, and the memory faded. She was back in the bathhouse, starting to feel a bit flushed from the heat.

Raya had pulled her deeper. Not just into the pool. And for a moment, Akiko had let her. Smiled. Played along. It had felt good. It had also felt like drowning. A different kind of pressure coiled in her chest. Something old. Protective. Dangerous, even now.

She had a job to do. Work to return to. A shield to refine. A system to stabilize. Purpose was safer. Purpose didn't ask questions she didn't want to answer.

She exhaled quietly, the closest thing to a sigh she'd allow. Then, without hurrying, she stood. Her limbs protested the change in temperature as the water slid from her skin. She reached for the towel, movements smooth, automatic.

Time to go.

The walk back to the Driftknight was cool against her skin, despite the lingering warmth in her muscles. The city lights glittered in muted pastel above. Callistra's domed resort spires cast gentle halos against the sky, synthetic starlight bleeding into real.

Akiko walked with quiet steps, tail low, expression unreadable.

There was work to do. And questions she could avoid a little longer.

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