STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

Chapter 3

Pulling his coat tighter around himself, Lucien slipped away from the main paths. He had no desire to get caught in post-event small talk, but the streets outside were just as crowded. Overhead, the steady whir of AstroSYS drones filled the air, their metallic forms gliding between buildings like silent sentinels. He was almost at a quieter part of the street when a familiar voice pierced the night.

"There you are—I was looking for you!"

With a sigh, he turned to see Darius jogging over, a grin plastered across his face. Steam curled from the coffee cup in his hand, and the enameled pin on his collar gleamed under the streetlights.

"Looking for me? Why?"

A casual shrug. "Figured you'd try to bolt. But you can ’t go hiding away just yet —Pascal’s hosting an afterparty. You should come."

Lucien raised an eyebrow, already shaking his head. "I don ’t think so."

Blocking his path, Darius planted himself in front of him. "Come on, man. You know you'll overthink yourself into a corner if you go home. What else are you gonna do? Stare at the ceiling? At least this way you'll have coffee. And Pascal —she's got that way of explaining things, you know? Makes everything click."

"I don’t need anything to click."

Unfazed, Darius grinned. "So? What’s a couple of hours? You like this stuff, don ’t you? How it all fits together—the stars, the collapse, the rebirth. You’re the most logical guy I know. You should be eating this up."

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