STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

He’s not trying to hurt me. He really believes he’s helping.

His mouth felt dry. “I hear you, Darius.” The words barely passed his lips. “I’ll... think about it.”

Darius sighed in relief, his voice easing. “Good. Don’t wait too long, okay?”

Lucien ended the call, the device slipping from his fingers as he stared blankly at the wall.

Even the people closest to him were part of the system. There was no escaping it.

The black disk was still sitting on the bedside table, the constellation etched into its surface catching the low light.

No escaping... except her.

***

Lucien found himself seated at his small dining area. His hands rested on the cool surface of the table, the thumb drive from the Bureau lying in front of him. He stared at it, his thoughts circling round and round, and round again, but something pulled him out of the spiral – a sharp ache in his stomach.

He blinked, his hand moving to press against his abdomen. It wasn’t a stabbing pain, just a dull, persistent ache that made him wince. How long has it been since I ’ve eaten? He glanced toward the small kitchen unit in the corner

of the room, where his meal prep packages were stacked on the counter. Normally, they were his lifeline, a source of predictable sustenance

in a life built on routine.

But when he walked over and opened the nearest package, it was untouched. The next one was the same. And the next. One by one, he went through the stack, the reality sinking in with every unopened seal. How many meals have I skipped?

He tried to think back, but the last few days blurred together, each one bleeding into the next. The realization hit him harder than he expected – he couldn ’t even remember the last time he sat down and ate a proper meal.

He leaned against the counter, his hand gripping the edge as the dull ache in his stomach flared again. If I don ’t get some calories in, I’ll end up in the med station anyway. The thought sent a shiver through him. The last thing he

needed was more attention – more questions.

He pulled out a meal packet, tearing off the seal with shaky hands. The synthetic aroma hit him, a familiar combination of nutrients and artificial flavors. It didn ’t bother him in the past, but tonight, it was almost nauseating.

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