STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

She didn ’t flinch. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Corin let out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. “Do you? Because the last thing we need is someone like him screwing this up. ”

Lucien met his gaze, his voice steady. “I’m not here to screw anything up. I found something—something you need to see.”

Corin scoffed, his eyes narrowing.

Before he could push further, Lyra stepped between them, arms still folded but posture unyielding.

“Stop, Corin.”

Her voice carried an edge now, a quiet authority that filled the space and silenced the room.

She turned to him, unwavering. “I know you don’t trust him. I don’t trust him either —not fully.”

Lucien swallowed hard, watching her, but she didn ’t look away from Corin.

“I brought him here because I believe he’s important.”

Corin opened his mouth, but Lyra raised a hand. “We don’t have to like him. We don’t even have to believe him. But if there’s even a chance that he has something we can use, we can’t ignore it.”

The words settled over the room. Corin clenched his jaw before he turned away, muttering under his breath.

Something shifted inside him —gratitude, maybe. Respect. “Thank you.”

She didn ’t respond, her expression unreadable as she turned back to the table.

Her lips moved silently. What am I doing?

Lucien stepped forward, fingers sliding into his coat pocket.

He placed the drive on the table with deliberate care.

The others watched, their expressions a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Even Lyra, for all her composure, couldn’t quite hide the tightening around her eyes and temples.

***

“This is what I found.”

Corin scoffed. “A chip. Great. Let me guess—it’s going to save the world?”

Lyra shot him a sharp look before turning to Lucien. “What’s on it?”

Lucien hesitated. “Proof,” he said finally. “Proof that the Celestial Order isn ’t just controlling people... it’s erasing them.”

The room went silent.

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