STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

There it was—that hook. Logic. Structure. The way Darius framed it like a puzzle waiting to be solved made it harder to ignore.

Sensing the hesitation, Darius turned and walked backward, his grin widening. "This is where you say, ‘You know how to twist my rubber arm,’ right?"

A flat glare. "That ’s my line."

Darius laughed, falling into step beside him before slinging an arm around his shoulders as they turned down the side street. "I knew you'd say yes."

***

Pascal’s apartment was tucked into the corner of an older building, its weathered exterior standing in contrast to the spotless streets outside. Inside, the space was modest but inviting, the warm light of a single floor lamp lending the room an intimate atmosphere.

Stepping inside behind Darius, Lucien looked at the familiar faces—Pascal, Leona, and Carter. Pascal, sharp-featured and exuding quiet authority, leaned against the counter with a steaming cup of tea in hand. Leona, younger and full of restless energy, sprawled across the couch, while Carter occupied the small dining table, his posture relaxed yet attentive.

A smirk crossed Pascal’s lips as she approached. “Darius finally dragged you out of your cave. ”

He offered a small shrug. “Something like that.”

A knowing chuckle escaped her before she turned back to her tea. Darius wasted no time, flopping onto the couch beside Leona and diving headfirst into conversation.

As the evening wore on, talk inevitably drifted to the remembrance show and the planetary alignment. Pascal’s voice, calm yet commanding, carried over the quiet hum of conversation.

“What struck me tonight wasn’t the alignment,” she mused, “but the reminder of how far we ’ve come. People forget how bad the Age of Discord really was. They romanticize it—like it was just a hiccup in history. But it was hell.”

From the couch, Leona nodded eagerly as she gestured animatedly. “Exactly! Without AstroSYS, we ’d still be stuck in that chaos. People think morality just... exists. But it doesn ’t. It has to be built.”

At the dining table, Carter shifted in his chair. “Nietzsche saw this coming,” he said, drawing curious glances from the group.

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