Thriexa Aizih POV

  Dreinas and I stood side by side in the quiet chamber, the weight of our conversation lingering in the air. The fire of determination in her golden eyes mirrored my own. We had done what no Eova or Dephorian had done before—we had agreed to peace. But the hardest part still lay ahead.

  “How did your father take it?” I asked, breaking the silence.

  Dreinas exhaled, crossing her arms. “Not well. He sees it as weakness, as a betrayal to everything our people have fought for. But I told him the truth—that chasing you across the stars has left us with nothing. That if we continue down this path, there won’t be a future for the Dephorians. He was angry, but he didn’t refuse outright. He’s still weighing his options.”

  I nodded. “Xilta was the same. She was furious at first, told me that trusting a Dephorian was no different than handing our survival over to chance. But she knows that we’re out of options. We can’t run forever, and for the first time, we don’t have to. It took time, but she finally agreed—begrudgingly.”

  Dreinas glanced at me, a slight smirk tugging at the edge of her lips. “So we convinced them.”

  “Barely,” I admitted, shaking my head. “And now we have to convince everyone else.”

  She chuckled. “That part might be even harder.”

  Together, we turned to face the few remaining Eova and Dephorians who had stayed behind, the ones who had witnessed our moment of understanding. Some stood with skeptical gazes, others with curiosity, but all were waiting.

  I took a deep breath before stepping forward. “This war ends today. We have lived in conflict for too long, letting the mistakes of the past define our futures. But Dreinas and I have chosen a different path. We are choosing peace.”

  Dreinas stepped beside me, her voice steady as she added, “We will no longer hunt the Eova, and they will no longer run from us. But our paths must now diverge. We will rebuild our worlds separately, ensuring a future where our people thrive—free from the burdens of our ancestors’ war.”

  Silence filled the room. Then, slowly, murmurs of uncertainty turned to quiet acceptance. It was the first step, but it was enough.

  For the first time, the cycle was breaking.

  Dreinas turned to face the gathered Eova and Dephorians, her voice firm yet welcoming. “Tonight, we celebrate. This is not just an end to war but the beginning of something greater. We will honor the lives lost, the struggles endured, and the future we now have the chance to build.”

  I nodded in agreement, stepping beside her. “Let this night be one of unity, not division. Though our paths will separate, tonight we stand together. There will be a gathering in the main hall. All are welcome to join and witness the first night of true peace between our people.”

  The peace between our species had begun.

  The banquet hall was alive with a cautious energy, an uneasy mix of Eova and Dephorians filling the space, their voices hushed but expectant. The tension in the air was unmistakable, a fragile thread woven between generations of conflict. But beneath it, there was something else—hope. Long tables lined the room, adorned with food and drink from both species, an unfamiliar blend of cultures coming together for the first time in centuries.

  I stood near the center, watching as hesitant glances were exchanged, movements uncertain. The initial moments were stiff, filled with the weight of old wounds and mistrust. The Eova stayed close to their own, the Dephorians did the same, both sides feeling the invisible walls still standing between them. Some Eova kept their distance from the Dephorians, while others cautiously engaged in conversation. Dreinas stood among a small gathering of her people, her posture poised yet open, trying to set the tone for those around her. She met my gaze and offered a small nod, silently acknowledging the progress, however slow, that was unfolding before us. She was trying, and so was I.

  My eyes found Jace across the room, standing near Tocci. He had been quiet since the announcement of peace, watching everything unfold with careful eyes. When he caught my gaze, he gave me a small nod. A silent reassurance. I exhaled and turned back to Dreinas, who had stepped beside me.

  “It’s strange, isn’t it?” she mused, watching the room. “Seeing our people in the same space without weapons drawn.”

  I nodded. “Strange, but necessary. This is the first night of something new.”

  Then, slowly, something shifted. A hesitant Eova spoke to a Dephorian, their words careful but genuine. A few moments later, another followed suit. What started as scattered conversations soon turned into genuine exchanges, quiet chuckles, and the first real smiles I had seen shared between our people. The ice was melting, if only slightly.

  Dreinas stepped beside me, watching the interactions unfold with a mix of surprise and cautious optimism. She studied me for a moment before giving a small smile. “Let’s hope it lasts.”

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  I turned to her with a quiet chuckle. “I never thought I would be standing here, sharing a drink with a Dephorian.”

  She smirked. “And I never imagined I’d see my people sitting with yours, actually talking instead of fighting. It’s surreal.”

  We both looked around, observing the hesitant conversations that were now shifting into genuine exchanges. The tension was still there, lingering beneath the surface, but it was different now—less about fear, more about uncertainty.

  “What was it like?” I asked suddenly. “Growing up on that ship, chasing us across the stars?”

  Dreinas’s expression darkened slightly, her gaze drifting. “It was all I ever knew. Every lesson, every story—it was always about revenge, about reclaiming what was lost. But it never felt right. We weren’t chasing a future. We were chasing ghosts.”

  I nodded, understanding more than I expected. “And now?”

  She exhaled, looking at me with something close to relief. “Now, for the first time, I feel like I can actually live.”

  Jace Strickland POV

  I leaned against one of the pillars, watching the room carefully. Tocci was next to me, her arms crossed as she scanned the crowd just as I was. Earlier, I had updated the President, informing him that the aliens had agreed to peace. He wanted constant updates, but for now, all he needed to know was that we had done the impossible. The Eova and Dephorians had agreed to end the war. Now, all I could do was watch, waiting for the moment when history would either hold or fall apart.

  “How do you feel?” she asked, her voice light but edged with curiosity.

  “Like I’m waiting for something to go wrong,” I admitted. “This kind of peace doesn’t happen overnight.”

  Tocci smirked. “You sound like Thriexa.”

  I didn’t respond, because she wasn’t wrong. I had spent enough time watching Thriexa to understand her instincts. And right now, those instincts were screaming at me that something felt… off.

  Before I could say anything more, the doors at the far end of the hall slammed open.

  A figure strode in—hulking, furious, and radiating unchecked rage. The room fell into dead silence. I recognized him immediately—the Dephorian leader.

  His eyes burned with hatred, his posture coiled like a predator preparing to strike. And his gaze was locked onto Thriexa.

  Thriexa Aizih POV

  I turned just as the room fell into silence. A chill ran down my spine as I saw him—the Dephorian leader, seething, his stance poised for attack.

  The moment Xuuns entered, I reached out with my abilities, searching for his intentions. But it was like staring into a storm—his mind was a torrent of rage, hatred, and wounded pride, swirling so violently that it was impossible to pinpoint his next move. His emotions burned so fiercely that they clouded everything else, making his thoughts erratic, unreadable.

  “You would disgrace us like this?” his voice thundered, reverberating through the hall. “You think peace erases what has been done? You think sharing a meal with your enemies makes you safe?”

  The Dephorians in the room tensed, some taking hesitant steps back. Others, including Dreinas, stood firm.

  “This peace was agreed upon,” she said coldly, stepping forward. “This chase is over. Do not make a fool of yourself tonight.”

  But he wasn’t listening. His rage drowned out everything else.

  I pressed deeper, forcing myself to see past the chaos of his emotions. And then—

  I saw it.

  A flicker of intent, razor-sharp, cutting through the fog of fury. But it came too late.

  His hand shot forward, and in an instant, I saw the weapon in his grasp.

  He was coming for me.

  Jace Strickland POV

  I didn’t think.

  I moved.

  Before Thriexa could react, before anyone could stop him, I lunged forward—putting myself between her and the attack.

  A sharp, blinding pain exploded through my side as the weapon found its mark. The force sent me crashing to the ground, my vision flickering, my breath leaving me in a sharp gasp.

  I heard voices shouting. Movement. Chaos. But all I could focus on was her—Thriexa, her violet eyes wide with shock, falling to her knees beside me.

  I tried to speak, but darkness was already pulling at the edges of my mind.

  And then, everything went black.

  Thriexa Aizih POV

  “Jace!” My voice ripped through the chaos as I dropped to my knees beside him, pressing my hands against the wound, but the blood was already pooling beneath him. His breath was shallow, his body unnaturally still.

  “Klaro!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “We need a healer—now!”

  I barely registered the movement around me, but I caught a glimpse of Dreinas and two Dephorian warriors restraining her father. He struggled against them, his eyes still burning with rage, but Dreinas’ voice was sharp and unwavering. “You are finished. This act is treason against our people.”

  I couldn’t focus on their words. My hands trembled as I pressed harder against Jace’s wound, as if sheer will could keep him with me. The Klaro rushed to my side, their hands glowing faintly as they assessed the damage. Their expressions darkened.

  “We left the human healing crystals on Earth,” one of them murmured. “He won’t make it long enough to get there.”

  The words struck me harder than any weapon ever could. No. No, this can’t be how it ends.

  I looked at Jace, his face pale, his breathing ragged. He had saved me. Thrown himself in front of an attack that wasn’t meant for him.

  Dreinas knelt across from me, her eyes flicking from Jace’s wound to the Klaro struggling to stabilize him. She hesitated for only a moment before speaking. “Would he survive if he were one of you? If he were Eova?”

  I blinked, her words sinking in like a heavy weight. The transformation portal.

  “Yes,” one of the Klaro answered cautiously. “His body would regenerate differently. We could heal him.”

  Dreinas turned to me, urgency flashing in her golden eyes. “Then you have a choice to make. But make it now.”

  I felt the weight of the decision settle over me like a crushing force. Jace was human. He had always been human. Would he even forgive me for changing that?

  But I knew the truth: if I didn’t, he would die.

  My hands clenched into fists, my entire body trembling with fear and frustration. I couldn’t lose him. Not like this. Not after everything we had survived together. Not after he had fought so hard to stand beside me. The thought of his life slipping away beneath my hands was unbearable. The weight of what I was about to do pressed down on me, but I knew—there was no other choice.

  I turned to the Klaro. “Prepare the transformation portal. Now.”