STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

Darius was a symbol of everything Lucien used to be —loyal, devoted, unquestioning.

He wouldn ’t understand. Or worse... what if he does, and he still won’t help?

***

The apartment felt hollow. The usual quiet stretched thin, morphing into a high-pitched drilling in his ears. A ray of light through the blinds catching his eye blinding him for a second, dammit.

He tossed his bag into the corner and sank onto the edge of the bed, rubbing the bright blindness out of his eyes.

His wrist device chimed, shattering the stillness.

Lucien flinched, glancing down to see Darius ’s name flashing on the display.

He hesitated, then answered. “Hey.”

Darius’s voice was calm, but the concern beneath it was impossible to miss. “Hey yourself. You didn’t come back after your break. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I needed some air.” Lucien forced the words out, his voice hollow. “Wasn’t feeling great, so I decided to head home.”

“That’s... not like you.” A pause, then, “You should think about taking some time off. Go to the med station, get checked out. They can run an alignment scan—just to be safe.”

“I don’t need an alignment scan, Darius. I’m fine.”

Darius’s hesitation stretched over the line. “Lucien... We’ve known each other for years. I know when something’s wrong.” His tone softened, almost pleading. “Look, if you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your friends. You know what happens when things fall out of sync.”

Even Darius...

He took a slow breath in, trying to keep his voice steady. “I appreciate it. Really, I do. But I don ’t need a scan.”

“Lucien.” Darius’s voice grew firmer, the shift sending a cold ripple down Lucien ’s spine. “You know I can’t ignore this. If you don’t go voluntarily, I’m going to have to report it.”

“Report what?”

“Your misalignment.” The words conclusive. “It’s for your own good. If something’s wrong, the med station can help fix it. But you need to act before it gets worse.”

The words hit him like a blow.

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