Thriexa Aizih POV

  Dreinas met my gaze, her expression firm. “Then you have a choice to make. But make it now.”

  I stared down at Jace, his face far too pale, his breath coming in uneven gasps. Jace was human. He had always been human. Would he even forgive me for changing that?

  But the answer was clear.

  If I didn’t, he would die.

  I swallowed hard, my entire body trembling with fear, frustration, and something far deeper. I couldn’t lose him. Not like this. Not after everything we had survived together. 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 took a deep, unsteady breath and turned to the Klaro. “Prepare the transformation portal. Now.”

  The process moved faster than I could process. Jace’s body was lifted carefully onto a transport, his breathing shallow, the life slipping from him second by second. I followed closely, unable to take my eyes off him. Would he even want this? Would he hate me for it?

  I shoved those thoughts aside. He had no choice. And neither did I.

  The transformation chamber loomed ahead, its glowing archway pulsing with dormant energy. A machine designed to reshape a body, to strip away what it was and make it into something new. I had walked through it countless times, had seen my people use it, but never had it felt so terrifying.

  The Bopro worked quickly, recalibrating the portal for a full transformation. I stood there, my heart pounding, my fists clenched at my sides as they prepared him.

  Dreinas stood beside me, watching with a solemn expression. “This will change everything for him. You know that.”

  “I know,” I whispered, my throat tightening. “But at least he’ll be alive.”

  The Bopro nodded to me. “It’s ready.”

  Jace’s body was carefully placed at the center of the portal, and with one last glance at him—the man who had saved me without hesitation, the man who had stood at my side—I activated the transformation.

  A bright light engulfed him, swallowing his form in a cascade of energy. The chamber hummed with raw power, and I held my breath.

  Jace Strickland was no longer human.

  I followed as the Klaro carried him to the hospital, every step heavy with dread. My mind raced through possibilities, searching for something—anything—to keep him alive. The transformation portal had been my only choice, but now… now all I could do was wait and hope.

  I barely noticed Dreinas staying behind, her gaze locked on her father. But as the doors to the medbay closed behind me, I caught a glimpse of her stepping forward, her entire body radiating fury.

  Dreinas POV

  I had never felt rage like this before.

  I stood rigid as my father was held in place by two of my warriors, his breathing heavy, his eyes still burning with hatred. I had worked tirelessly for this peace, given everything to see our people finally move beyond the past.

  And he had nearly ruined it.

  “You disgrace us all,” I hissed, stepping closer. “We had peace—we had a future. But you couldn’t let go of your hatred.”

  He glared at me, but there was something else beneath it—uncertainty.

  “You are weak, Dreinas,” he spat. “You’ve abandoned what it means to be Dephorian. We are conquerors! Not diplomats. You think peace will save us? It will make us vulnerable.”

  I clenched my fists. I had heard these words my entire life—spoken by him, by my grandfather, by every voice that had shaped me since birth. But I wasn’t that child anymore. I would not be shackled to their mistakes.

  A decision formed in my mind, cold and absolute.

  “By the laws of our people, your actions tonight are treason,” I said, my voice steady. “You have not only dishonored our ancestors—you have risked the future of our species. You have broken the foundation of what we are meant to be.”

  His expression flickered. “You wouldn’t—”

  “I will.”

  The words left my mouth with finality.

  I knew what had to be done. I had to assume leadership. I had to sever the last tie to a history that refused to die. And I could not delay.

  But tradition required one thing first. The victim must bear witness.

  Jace would not be able to stand for his own justice, but the one who loved him could. I turned to one of my warriors. “Summon Thriexa. She will stand in his place.”

  As they moved to carry out my command, I let out a slow breath, steeling myself. The next time I spoke, it would not be as my father’s daughter.

  It would be as the new leader of the Dephorians.

  Thriexa Aizih POV

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  I sat beside Jace, my hands wrapped around his motionless fingers. His breath was steady now, but I knew it wasn’t natural—it was because of what he had become.

  He wasn’t human anymore.

  And I didn’t know if he would ever forgive me for that.

  A sharp knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. One of Dreinas’s warriors stood at the entrance, their posture stiff with formality.

  “Dreinas calls for you,” they said. “You must bear witness.”

  I inhaled sharply, already knowing what that meant.

  It was time for justice to be served. I hated leaving Jace, but the Klaro were all here and I know that Dreinas needs me to be there.

  I followed the warrior through the dimly lit corridors, my heart pounding with unease. The weight of expectation pressed heavily on my shoulders. I had always known that other species held different customs when it came to justice, but to witness it firsthand—to stand as the representative of the one who had been wronged—made my stomach twist in discomfort.

  The main hall was packed with both Eova and Dephorians, their faces tense with anticipation. Some of my people stood rigid, their expressions unreadable, while the Dephorians looked on with a mixture of reverence and resignation. Dreinas stood at the center, her presence commanding, her golden eyes burning with certainty.

  “Tonight,” she began, her voice carrying across the hall, “we sever the last chain binding our people to a war that has defined us for generations. My father, Xuun, has committed the greatest betrayal to our kind. He has jeopardized the peace we have fought for, defied our laws, and acted out of blind hatred rather than wisdom.”

  She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. I watched the crowd carefully, sensing their shifting emotions. Many Dephorians agreed with her, though some held lingering doubt. They were raised to follow their leaders, and now their leader had been declared a traitor.

  “As the new leader of the Dephorians,” Dreinas continued, “I formally declare this war over. We will not pursue the Eova any longer. We will return to our world and rebuild our people, not as conquerors, but as survivors. We will carve a future for ourselves—one not dictated by vengeance.”

  A murmur rippled through the crowd. The finality of it was sinking in.

  I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe. It was the right decision, the one I had fought for, yet the unease in my chest remained.

  Then Dreinas turned to me. “Thriexa Aizih.”

  I stiffened as all eyes shifted to me.

  “You stand as the witness for the one my father sought to destroy. It is tradition that the victim, or their representative, be present for the sentencing. Do you accept this?”

  I hesitated, my fingers curling into my palms. The Eova did not believe in execution. We did not believe in violence. But we also respected the laws of other species. And if I refused, I would be dishonoring the fragile peace we had just built.

  I lifted my chin and nodded. “I accept.”

  Dreinas gave a single, solemn nod before turning back to her father.

  The hall fell silent as she unsheathed the ceremonial blade from her belt, its surface gleaming under the harsh lighting.

  “For your crimes against your people,” she declared, “you are sentenced to death.”

  Xuun did not beg. He did not plead. He merely stared at his daughter, his expression unreadable. And then, in one swift movement, it was over.

  I exhaled shakily, my heart pounding, my entire body rigid. The Dephorians stood still, honoring their tradition with unwavering discipline. The Eova around me remained silent, uncomfortable yet understanding. This was not our way, but we had chosen to respect theirs.

  Dreinas straightened, turning back toward the gathered crowd. “With this, the past dies. And now, we move forward.”

  The Dephorians bowed their heads.

  The war was over.

  Dreinas turned to the gathered Dephorians, her voice unwavering. “Return to your ship. It is time to go home. Our people have been lost for too long, but no longer. We will rebuild, and we will do so without war.”

  The Dephorians hesitated for only a moment before bowing their heads in acknowledgment. One by one, they turned and filed out of the hall, heading toward their transport. Their departure felt surreal—after so many lifetimes of pursuit, of war, they were simply… leaving.

  On the other side of the room, Xilta stepped forward, giving me a long, unreadable look before turning to the Eova. “We are done here. It is time we return to our own path.”

  The Eova followed her without question, exiting the hall until only Dreinas and I remained. The silence between us was heavy, neither of us speaking for a long moment.

  Finally, she exhaled, the weight of what had just happened settling onto her shoulders. “It’s over.”

  I nodded slowly. “Yes. But we still have to live with it.”

  Dreinas let out a slow breath before turning back to me. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, but also something else—relief.

  She reached into the folds of her uniform and produced a small, sleek device, placing it in my hand. “This is a communication link. If anything happens, if you ever need to reach me, use it. Peace between our people will take time, but it will not survive without effort.”

  I turned the device over in my palm before looking back at her. “I meant what I said back there. You and I—we did something no one thought was possible. And after everything… I consider you a friend.”

  Dreinas studied me for a long moment before nodding. “As do I, Thriexa Aizih. May our people never meet again in war.”

  Dreinas’ expression softened, though her stance remained firm. “I will not justify my father’s actions, nor will I defend the violence that has followed us for generations. What he did was an act of hatred, and for too long, our people have allowed hatred to dictate our future.”

  She took a slow breath, her golden eyes steady. “For centuries, we have embraced war, believing it to be our only purpose. We convinced ourselves that vengeance was our right, that the pursuit of the Eova was our legacy. But in doing so, we became blind to our own downfall. My grandfather, my father… they believed that revenge was survival. They were wrong.”

  Dreinas takes a deep breath, her voice unwavering. “That ends today. As long as I lead, we will not invade another planet. We will not be conquerors. We will return home, and we will rebuild—not as warriors, but as a people with a future.”

  She looks into my eyes, her gaze more vulnerable than before. “For what it’s worth, Thriexa Aizih, I am sorry—for my father’s actions, for my ancestors, for everything my people have done. If I had the chance to change history, I would have. But I can change the future. And I will.”

  She hesitated for a moment, then her gaze flickered with something thoughtful. “I saw the way you reacted when the human was injured. There was desperation, fear… but more than that. There was love.”

  My breath caught in my throat, but I said nothing.

  Dreinas continued, softer now. “I hope to have someone care for me like that one day. Someone who would throw themselves in front of a blade just to protect me.”

  The words settled deep in my chest, stirring something I had been trying to avoid. She was right. I had fought against acknowledging it, but there was no denying it anymore. I loved Jace.

  And now, there was nothing stopping us from being together. He was one of my people now. No longer human, no longer an outsider.

  But that thought brought a new fear, colder and more suffocating than before. When Jace wakes up, will he hate me for what I’ve done?

  I had changed his entire existence. Without his consent.

  Dreinas took one last look at me, as if memorizing the moment. Then, with a nod of finality, she turned and walked away, her steps measured, purposeful. I watched as the powerful leader disappeared into the corridor, stepping toward a future free from war, a future she had fought to claim.

  The room felt emptier without her presence, the weight of everything settling onto my shoulders. I had done what I set out to do. Peace had been secured.

  But as I turned toward the corridor leading back to Jace, the unease in my chest remained.