CHAPTER 88: CH 88: A REWARD FOR YOU - PART 4

The ship’s engines whirred to life the moment Nova and Malrik stepped inside. The artificial lighting cast a cool glow across the metallic walls as the door sealed shut behind them.

Nova barely gave Malrik time to catch his breath.

"Nyx. Take off. Immediately."

A gentle hum vibrated through the floor as Nyx responded.

"Took you long enough. Do you want me to do a little more damage before we part ways with this charming rock?"

Nova paused by the control panel, fingers gliding across its surface.

"No. That won’t be necessary."

"You sure? The Queen did try to use you and chain you here. Would be a shame if we left without leaving a mark."

Nyx’s voice held a teasing edge.

Nova’s eyes glinted.

"She’ll find the other ’gifts’ I left behind soon enough."

Malrik, leaning against the wall behind him, narrowed his eyes.

"What kind of gifts?"

Nova turned slightly.

The smile on his face was... unsettling.

Malrik immediately raised his hands.

"Actually, you know what? I don’t want to know."

Down the hall, Anna’s familiar voice broke the tension.

"You’re back!"

She rushed over, a mixture of relief and fatigue in her features.

"You made it out in one piece."

"We always do. Can you show Malrik to one of the empty rooms? Let him rest a bit before I finish up his vow."

Nova replied smoothly.

Anna glanced at Malrik and gave him a nod.

"Come on. This way."

Malrik followed her without argument, barely keeping his eyes open.

He could feel something inside him still rotting, his insides tugging with each breath, but the pain was dulled. Not gone—just... stalled.

Not long after, Malrik returned, his armor stripped off, a plain tunic covering his frame.

He found Nova waiting in the ship’s central common area, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the center of the room where a sealed containment chamber pulsed faintly with glowing green light.

"You ready?"

Nova asked without looking at him.

"As ready as I can be."

Malrik answered honestly.

Nova motioned toward the chamber. A cylindrical glass tube, reinforced with swirling rings of aetheric metal, stood upright in the middle.

Suspended within it, like a star frozen in time, was the Core of Life—gently swirling with threads of pale gold and shimmering emerald energy.

"This is the thing that kept you from collapsing entirely. And the reason you’re still breathing right now."

Nova said.

Malrik’s expression hardened.

"You said I needed to complete one last step?"

Nova nodded.

"The bond’s in place, but your body hasn’t fully adapted. The core’s influence is keeping your organs from falling apart, but if you want to survive beyond the next few days, you’ll need more than borrowed strength. You’ll need resonance."

"Resonance?"

"Put your hand on the glass."

Malrik hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and placed his palm flat against the tube.

The response was instant.

The Core of Life surged with light. Thin strands of energy wrapped around Malrik’s hand, winding up his arm like living vines.

He gasped, instinctively trying to pull away, but Nova’s voice cut through the rising panic.

"Don’t move. Let it sync."

Malrik clenched his jaw and held his ground.

The energy spread across his chest, seeping under his skin. His heart thudded loudly in his ears—then steadied.

His breathing grew smoother. The burning pain that had plagued him since the battlefield ebbed away, replaced by a soothing warmth.

His body shimmered faintly with the same greenish glow, and for a moment, his reflection on the glass wasn’t that of a broken soldier. He looked... reborn.

Then the glow settled.

Malrik stepped back slowly, blinking.

"What just happened?"

"You’ve been partially synchronized. It’s not a perfect bond, but it’s enough to keep you alive—and fighting."

Nova explained.

"I feel like I could punch a mountain."

Nova chuckled faintly.

"Don’t get cocky. You’re still adjusting. The core is sustaining you, not empowering you. Think of it like... a graft keeping your body stable. Your strength will return with time."

Malrik flexed his fingers, then looked at Nova with renewed focus.

"This core... where did you even find it?"

Nova gave him a sideways glance.

"That’s not something you need to know. Yet."

Malrik didn’t push. Not tonight. Whatever Nova had gone through to obtain this thing, it had saved his life. That was enough—for now.

He bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you. I won’t waste this life."

Nova met his gaze, and for once, his expression softened just a touch.

"See that you don’t."

______

The ship’s bridge hummed softly with the sounds of idle systems and distant star engines.

Outside the viewport, the expanse of space stretched endlessly, broken only by the occasional drifting comet or distant starflare.

Inside, a rare silence had settled over the group, each of them nursing some measure of exhaustion or thought.

Anna broke the stillness first.

"So... what’s our next destination?"

She was seated near the edge of the console, legs crossed, trying to sound casual, though the tension in her shoulders said otherwise.

Everyone was waiting for Nova’s answer.

Before he could speak, Nyx’s voice cut clean through the air.

"Actually, before you answer that—there’s something you should know."

Nova raised an eyebrow, silently granting her the floor.

"I wasn’t able to trace the ones who took the Core of Reason, but I did manage to track the general direction of their escape route. I ran projections on where they could’ve gone, and there’s one place along that path that stood out to me."

She began,

The screens flickered, and a projection of a planet came up—an orb of vibrant greens and deep silvers surrounded by tight orbital rings of artificial satellites.

"Rikaidou. A closed-off world that enforces absolute security."

Anna leaned forward. "I’ve heard of it... That’s the planet that refuses all trade and diplomatic contact, right?"

"Exactly. Despite having rich aether deposits, advanced tech, and high living standards, they’ve kept their borders sealed for decades. Voluntarily. No explanation. No outside influence allowed."

Nyx confirmed.

"That’s suspicious," Malrik muttered.

"That’s why it interests me. And if I had to guess, it’d be the perfect place to hide a stolen core. Hidden in plain sight."

Nyx added, tone dry.

The crew turned to Nova.

He stared at the projection for a long moment, then gave a small nod.

"We’ll take the risk."

Anna looked hesitant.

"You sure? They’re known for shooting on sight."

Nova shrugged.

"Then they’ll just have to miss."

Malrik snorted.

Nyx’s voice crackled again.

"Plotting a course to Rikaidou. Let’s see how welcoming this hidden world really is."

The stars shifted as the ship angled forward, ready to burn toward a new unknown.

The engines began to power up, a low thrum rising beneath their feet as the ship reoriented toward its new path.

Rikaidou shimmered on the map like a distant secret, veiled behind its silence and isolation. Anna glanced at Nova once more, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

"You really think the core’s there?"

She asked quietly.

Nova didn’t answer right away. His gaze stayed locked on the glowing planet, unreadable as ever.

"I cannot say anything about that just yet."

He finally said,

"How reassuring. Let’s hope they enjoy surprises."

Nyx muttered.

With that, the stars stretched—and they vanished into the void.