Chapter 5
FIVE
NAVIRA
The cool morning air nipped against Navira’s face as she stood outside the Indiana power plant with her two oversized suitcases flanking her like loyal sentinels.
The larger one—a nylon monstrosity that had taken twenty minutes of strategic maneuvering to zip closed—contained everything from sweaters to swimwear, because how could she possibly know what the weather patterns were like on an alien planet.
The second, slightly more reasonable in size, held more clothes including some dresses, and enough toiletries to supply a small army.
Maybe I went overboard, she thought, eyeing the bags with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. But better to show up looking like I’m moving permanently than to need something I don’t have.
The restless energy that had kept her tossing and turning all night still hummed beneath her skin.
Every time she’d closed her eyes, her mind had spiraled through the same impossible loop: alien planet, elite swimmers, one month assignment, the mysterious Gerri Wilder—each concept more surreal than the last. By four AM, she’d given up on sleep entirely and spent the remaining hours getting ready, triple-checking her packing, and eating some breakfast.
The sound of tires on gravel made her turn, and relief flooded through her chest as a yellow cab pulled up to the curb. The door opened with a flourish, and Gerri Wilder stepped out like she was making an entrance at a red carpet event.
The woman was a vision in turquoise—a perfectly tailored pantsuit that somehow managed to be both professional and playful, paired with statement earrings that caught the morning light.
Her snow-white bob was styled to perfection, and her heels clicked against the pavement with the confidence of someone who had never met a surface she couldn’t conquer.
Gerri’s bright eyes took in Navira’s appearance with one sweeping glance, and her mouth curved into a knowing smile.
“Well, well. Looks like someone didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Heat crept up Navira’s neck, and she found herself laughing despite her nerves. “Is it that obvious?”
“Darling, you’re practically vibrating with excitement.” Gerri paid the cab driver and turned back to Navira, her expression softening with genuine warmth. “And a healthy dose of anxiety, if I’m not mistaken.”
Navira rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly feeling like a teenager caught sneaking out past curfew.
“I couldn’t turn my brain off. Every time I tried to sleep, I kept thinking about.
.. well, everything. The trip, the swimmers I’ll be coaching.
” She gestured helplessly at her suitcases.
“I haven’t felt this amped up in five years. ”
“Five years?” Gerri’s smile turned mischievous. “Interesting timing.”
Before Navira could ask what that meant, Gerri was already moving toward the power plant entrance with the brisk efficiency of someone who had done this dance many times before.
“Don’t worry about the nerves and lack of sleep, dear,” she called over her shoulder. “Wormhole travel has some lovely restorative properties. And Nova Aurora itself has a way of settling restless souls. You’ll feel rejuvenated in no time.”
Wormhole travel? Restorative properties?
The words hit Navira like a splash of cold water, snapping her out of her anxious spiral and replacing it with a dozen new questions. She grabbed her suitcases and hurried after Gerri, the wheels bumping and rattling over the uneven pavement.
“Wait, did you just say wormhole?” Navira caught up as they reached the entrance, where a security guard was already holding the door open with a broad grin.
“Morning, Gerri! Right on time, as always.”
“Steven, darling!” Gerri’s face lit up like she was greeting an old friend. “How’s Margaret’s hip doing?”
“Much better, thanks for asking. She’s been doing those exercises you recommended.”
Navira watched the exchange with growing bewilderment as Gerri sailed past the security checkpoint without so much as a pause, her heels clicking purposefully toward a bank of elevators. The casual familiarity, the way Steven waved them through like this was completely normal—none of it made sense.
“Gerri,” Navira called, struggling to keep up while maneuvering her unwieldy luggage. “What exactly do you do for a living?”
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and Gerri stepped inside, turning to face Navira with that same enigmatic smile as Navira followed her inside.
“Oh, a little bit of everything. Charity work, mostly. I help people find their true purpose and their destinies.” She pressed a button marked ‘B’ and folded her hands primly in front of her. “Sometimes all it takes is a proper nudge in the right direction.”
The doors closed with a whisper, and Navira felt her stomach drop as the elevator began its descent. But instead of the brief ride she’d expected, they kept going. And going.
“How far down does this thing go?” Navira asked, trying to keep the unease out of her voice.
“Far enough.” Gerri’s tone was soothing, almost hypnotic. “Just relax, darling. We’ll be on Nova Aurora in no time, and things will start to make sense.”
Make sense?
Every answer Gerri gave only spawned five more questions. But there was something about the woman’s presence—a warmth that seemed to radiate from her very core—that made Navira’s racing pulse slow to something approaching normal.
The elevator finally shuddered to a stop, and the doors opened onto a long, narrow hallway.
A single door waited at the far end, so distant it seemed to shimmer like a Navirage.
Gerri stepped out first and Navira followed her, although her unease started to climb again.
Their footsteps echoed strangely in the confined space while Navira’s suitcase wheels added a rhythmic percussion that seemed to count down the seconds.
“Gerri,” Navira said, her voice smaller than she intended. “Where exactly will I be staying once we get to Nova Aurora?”
“You’ll be staying at Alpha Thalric’s estate.” Gerri’s tone was matter-of-fact, as if she’d just mentioned staying at a Holiday Inn. “He’ll take very good care of you, I promise.”
“Alpha?” The word came out sharp. “Like... an alpha male? Or is that some kind of title on Nova Aurora?”
“Both, really.” Gerri glanced back at her with twinkling eyes. “He’s the leader of the Sea Wolf pack. Think of him as a cross between a diplomat, a military commander, and a very protective bodyguard.”
Sea Wolf pack?
Navira’s mind reeled. Every question she asked seemed to unlock a door to ten more impossibilities. Alien planets were one thing—she could wrap her head around advanced civilizations and interstellar travel. But packs? Alphas? What kind of society was she walking into?
Just relax, she told herself, echoing Gerri’s earlier advice. You wanted adventure, right? You wanted to feel alive again?
The door at the end of the hallway loomed larger as they approached, and Navira could make out elegant script etched into a small gold plate: G. Wilder.
Gerri produced a key from somewhere in her turquoise blazer and unlocked the door. The room beyond was surprisingly sparse—just a simple desk, a single chair, and nothing else. No decorations, no personal touches, no indication that anyone actually worked here regularly.
“This is... your office?” Navira asked, pushing her suitcases inside the small office.
“One of them.” Gerri moved to the desk and pulled open a drawer, retrieving what looked like a small metal egg. “I have workspaces all over the place.”
Before Navira could process that statement, Gerri walked to the center of the room and raised the egg to her lips.
She whispered something too soft for Navira to hear, words that seemed to shimmer in the air.
The egg rose from her palm, spinning faster and faster until it became a blur of silver motion.
Light began to emanate from it—not harsh and electric, but warm and blue and somehow alive.
The light expanded, growing into a perfect circle that hung in the air like a window.
And through that window, Navira saw another world.