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Chapter 5: Skov’s End - Part 2

  The Valkyrion touched down without so much as a tremor. No Nyx waiting for us, just some old guy in grease-stained overalls, barely glancing up from his datapad.

  I knocked against the metal railing to get his attention. “Looking for Nyx.”

  He didn’t even bother looking at me. “She’s at her apartment.”

  I frowned. “Since when does she have an apartment?”

  Now he did look up, leveling me with an unimpressed stare. “Since forever. Same one you went to last time.”

  I blinked. Last time?

  “Have I?”

  The guy grunted, barely acknowledging me, which was answer enough.

  A weird half-memory pulled at my brain, but I had no idea if it was real or just something from the game.

  Luckily Ares, chimed in. “I know the location, Commander. Marking it on your nav system.”

  So much for a quick in-and-out.

  “Great,” I muttered, stretching my neck. “Guess we’re making a house call.”

  I checked my wrist console, a sleek black device wrapped around my forearm. A flick of my fingers, and a holographic map flickered to life, showing Nyx’s location, coordinates, and the best route through Skov’s End’s haphazard mess of tunnels and platforms.

  One click, and the display minimized, blending seamlessly back into the band. The thing could track enemies, calculate gravity fields, and probably make toast if I asked nicely. Too bad it couldn’t fix my damn ship.

  I glanced at Zara. “You coming?”

  She smirked, arms crossed. “I think you can manage a visit to your little girlfriend’s place on your own.”

  “She’s not—” I started, then stopped when I saw the way she raised an eyebrow. Yeah, no point.

  “Yeah, yeah.” She waved me off. “I’ll see you when you get back. Or call me on this.”

  She held out her wrist. A quick tap, and our devices synced, a tiny icon flashing to show the link.

  “Probably should’ve done that earlier, don’t you think?” she added.

  I smirked. “You know, usually when a girl asks for my contact info, it’s with less attitude and more flirting.”

  Zara rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “Yeah? Must be nice being delusional.” She turned away, already done with my existence. “Try not to embarrass yourself at your girlfriend’s place.”

  I shook my head, checked my nav one more time, and set off toward Nyx’s place.

  Skov’s End was a madhouse.

  A tangled mess of buildings welded into the asteroid’s rocky guts, some looking half-finished, others half-collapsed. Jagged stone and rusted metal blended together, giving the whole place a haphazard, duct-taped charm. It shouldn’t have worked, this floating chunk of rock had no right to support life.

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  And yet, it did.

  The outer layers of the asteroid were laced with pressurized plating and electromagnetic field generators, trapping enough atmosphere to keep people breathing, assuming you didn’t step outside the safe zones. Gravity plating had been bolted into the infrastructure, keeping everything at a near-standard pull, though you could feel the occasional hiccup when you walked, a faint lightness before the field corrected itself.

  You could almost mistake it for a real city, assuming you ignored the lack of a sky, the absence of sunlight, and the way the air always felt just a little too stale, recycled one too many times. No open streets, no wind, just a maze of rusted corridors and neon-lit alleys, all crammed into the hollowed-out bones of an asteroid.

  I cut through the winding alleys, sidestepping a puddle of something that probably wasn’t water. Under a rusted neon sign, a vendor was grilling something that smelled half-spicy, half-toxic.

  Probably questionable.

  But my stomach made the executive decision before my brain could stop it.

  “Two,” I said, tossing him a few credits.

  The vendor grunted, handing over two greasy wraps that looked vaguely edible. No questions, no receipt, just how I liked my street food.

  I also snagged a six-pack of Thermic-Cola in route.

  Nyx loved the stuff.

  By the time I reached her place, the food’s grease had already soaked through the paper. Classic.

  The door was exactly how I remembered it.

  Except…

  I didn’t remember it.

  Not at first.

  Just earlier, when the guy at the docks mentioned it, I had no clue I’d been here before. No memory of this place, of coming here, of anything.

  But now? I knew this door.

  The way the metal bent inward just slightly at the bottom-left corner. The streak of blackened soot near the keypad, like someone had tried to torch it open. The faint groove near the handle, a tiny scratch from a blade… my blade.

  I frowned, fingers tightening around the food bag.

  The hell was going on?

  The memory wasn’t just there, it felt normal, like it had always been rattling around in my brain. Like I’d stood in this exact spot before, hit this buzzer, and waited for the door to—

  The door slid open, and my brain short-circuited.

  I’d known Nyx in the game, felt her presence, heard her voice like she was right there. Every tease, every taunt, every little movement, so real it might as well have been.

  But now?

  This wasn’t code. This wasn’t a simulation.

  This was her. Flesh and blood.

  Her scent hit next. Warm and sweet. Like a fresh cinnamon roll with vanilla icing. Not something that could be programmed.

  My pulse kicked up. She hadn’t even said a word yet.

  She leaned against the doorframe, tail curling behind her, golden eyes flickering like molten metal. Slow smile. Lazy. Dangerous.

  “Ah, le voilà…” she purred, her accent warm and familiar, like she was half-mocking, half-seducing me. “Look what zee cat dragged in.”

  Her arms stretched up in a way that was not necessary, a slow, deliberate motion that only made the whole situation worse. Or better.

  Her eyes, amber eyes locked onto mine with a sharp amusement that told me she already knew I was staring.

  As an Enferian, her skin was deep, smoldering red, like she’d just stepped out of a fire. Smooth, unblemished, except for those intricate, dark markings that traced along her lower abdomen, sinuous, faintly glowing like embers still burning beneath the surface.

  She wasn’t wearing much.

  Tiny black crop top, loose off one shoulder. Thin lace stockings hugging long, toned legs. A barely-there thong resting on her hips, teasing more than it covered.

  My first thought?

  Some horny modder had definitely added extra clothing options to the game.

  Not that I was against it.

  It took me a second to remember that words existed.

  And that I should probably use some.

  Her tail flicked, curling playfully as she tilted her head, one of her small, curved horns catching the light.

  She scoffed, placing a hand on her hip, eyes narrowing. "You stare at me like a starving man, but you say nothing?"

  I blinked, exhaling through my nose. “Sorry, I was distracted.” I leaned against the doorframe, mirroring her stance, letting my gaze flick over her once more. "What’s with the getup?"

  Her smirk deepened. "Lounging, mon cher. It is my day off." Her voice was light, teasing, but her eyes stayed sharp, watching me, measuring my reaction. “I did not expect company… especially not yours.”

  A slow grin tugged at my lips. “You sure the old man down at the docks didn’t ring ahead?”

  Nyx let out a sharp breath, stepping in closer, the warmth of her body rolling off her in waves.

  "I would never lie to you."

  She placed a hand on my chest slowly.

  “I am your Nyx, non?”

  Her fingers fanned out over my jacket, smoothing it down, trailing over my shoulders before pressing into the fabric.

  She was waiting.

  Expecting something.

  My grin widened, tilting my head. “Shall we continue this inside?”

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