For the first time in weeks, there was no gunfire. No drones. No alarms.
Just the sound of birds and wind weaving through the tall trees.
The cave they'd found was deep within the Whispering Pines, a place abandoned by civilization and cloaked in natural magic. Few dared to enter. Fewer still returned.
Which made it perfect.
Kael sat on a mossy rock, his makeshift scanner humming softly beside him. Zephyra was down by the river, washing her wounds.
For a while, neither spoke.
It was strange—peaceful.
Unfamiliar.
A Moment of Truth
When Zephyra returned, her cloak was damp, hair dripping with river water. She tossed him a fresh cloth. "Still alive?"
"Barely," Kael said, drying his face. "The bruises make sure I don't forget."
She sat beside him, shoulder brushing his. "You've got that look again."
"What look?"
"The 'I'm overthinking everything and planning to die in a genius blaze of glory' look."
Kael chuckled. "You know me too well."
Zephyra leaned in, voice quieter. "I had to. You're reckless."
He didn't deny it.
"I keep wondering," she murmured, "what my life would've been like if I hadn't taken that assignment. If I didn't meet you."
Kael looked at her, heartbeat slowing. "You regret it?"
"No." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I just didn't expect… this."
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
Kael hesitated—then rested his head gently against hers.
For a while, they said nothing.
Because silence felt safe.
By Firelight
That night, they sat by a fire just outside the cave, stars scattered across the sky like broken crystal. Zephyra lay on her side, tracing lines in the dirt with a stick.
Kael was staring at the document he'd saved. Still encrypted.
Still a mystery.
"You're not gonna open it tonight, are you?" Zephyra asked softly.
"No. Not yet."
"Good." She rolled onto her back and looked at the stars. "Because I want tonight to be… just ours. Not theirs. Not the empire's."
He nodded. "Then let's steal it."
She smiled faintly. "You always did like stealing."
"I stole you, didn't I?"
Zephyra turned to face him, golden eyes glinting. "You didn't steal me."
Kael leaned forward, heart pounding. "Then what?"
She whispered, "I chose you."
And then—she kissed him.
Soft. Certain.
Like they had all the time in the world.
Even if they didn't.
Discovery
The peace didn't last.
By morning, Kael's scanner beeped once.
Then again.
Zephyra sat up instantly, blades already in her hands.
Kael scanned the data. "There's a signal. Small… but it's moving."
She stood, cloak flowing behind her. "How many?"
Kael's voice was grim. "Only one. But it's her."
Zephyra's eyes narrowed. "The Princess-General?"
He nodded. "She found us."