Chapter 5
Five
Jada
I’m startled awake early the next morning, but I can’t recall what woke me.
I don’t remember having a dream or hearing a noise.
It’s more of a foreboding feeling, like I’m supposed to be up and coherent.
Limbs tangled with a sleeping Torin, I breathe a deep sigh and look out my window, willing the anxiety away.
The Scales flash in orbit to the right diagonally from my point of view.
I squint, observing the balance looking off-kilter.
That’s not right… They’re always in balance.
I blink, clearing the sleep from my eyes, but now both sides look perfectly aligned.
What a strange morning. I slip my legs from Torin’s and slide off the bed.
Eyes adjusting to the darkened room, I find Tor’s discarded shirt from last night and slide it over my naked frame before tip-toeing to the bathroom.
After taking care of my needs and brushing my teeth, I splash water on my face and am brushing my hair when I hear Torin’s groggy voice call out to me.
“Jay, come here.”
“I don’t have another round in me after last night.
You’ve exhausted me.” I call back, gathering my hair in my hands and securing it into a low ponytail.
Looking in the mirror, I brush some loose pink hairs away from my eyes, revealing the dark blue irises and the round birthmark that graces my cheekbone.
My skin has brightened in the past few months, the feminine curves of my face once again full.
Losing Zellie took a lot out of me, but slowly—so slowly—I’m coming back.
I poke my head out to see him sprawled out in my bed, muscled arms resting behind his head. “As appealing as that is, that wasn’t what I meant,” he chuckles, nodding his head towards the screen mounted to the wall across from my bed. “Come look.”
Intrigued, I raise an eyebrow and move to the center of the room, the hem of Torin’s long shirt skimming my thighs with each movement. The screen is lit, displaying:
Day 5/7
Current time: 06:00
Jada Bellamy
Station: None
Please report to the Commons by 07:00.
The constellations are the only constant.
Huh. “What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure.”
I stare at the screen as if the words would rearrange themselves to reveal something less cryptic. “Do you think others got the same message?”
“I don’t know, Jay.” He sighs as I remain silent. “Want me to go check my chamber?” I know he’s trying to be accommodating despite not wanting to. I can’t blame him—I wouldn’t want to leave the warmth of my bed to travel elsewhere, either.
It’s probably nothing. Don’t waste a perfectly good morning. I shake myself out of the daze I was in and crawl atop Torin on the bed, shedding his shirt while I move. “On second thought, I’d rather spend the hour right here.”
Hand in hand, Torin and I enter the Commons to find the space full of humans in various states of intrigue and sleepiness.
Every seat is taken, including those in the exterior corridor, leaving only standing room.
I guess I wasn’t the only one eager to see what the mysterious message was all about.
I feel a hard stare before meeting Faye’s dark eyes across the room.
She looks from me to Torin, then back again.
Refusing to feel guilty, I straighten my spine.
Faye is the one who broke it off, not me.
Faye is always the one to break it off. I can’t force myself to become something she wants me to be, and I hate that she is unyielding in her position on the matter.
Not that I would ever ask her to change, I get why she feels the way she does.
The romantic in me enjoys the high of the chase, but the part of my soul that is a realist shudders at the inconsistent reality I’ve formed.
Torin must feel the rigidity in me, for he, too, finds my previous lover staring at me.
He wraps his arm around my waist, tightening his hold as he presses me into his solid side.
I shouldn’t take pleasure in the territorial side of him, but something deep within me purrs at his possessiveness, at being claimed as his.
Faye’s gaze narrows before breaking away towards the center of the room—at a holographic shape forming before our eyes.
A long, decorative cloak hangs off a tall frame. The slender being removes their hood, revealing dark but kind-looking eyes. The man bows slightly, pressing his hands together, before addressing the room.
“Citizens of Lunara, my name is Pluto Lazar. Though this name may be unfamiliar, you know me as the leader of The Kosmos.” The excitement in the room is electric.
The leader of The Kosmos, speaking to us?
What a blessing to have our divine order in the flesh—well, holographically.
Typically, their messages are delivered through screens or messengers.
This is a first, which leads me to believe they have an announcement or significant news to relay.
A jittery happiness has me looking up to Torin, who smiles just as wide back at me.
Across the room, Faye—to no one’s surprise—eyes the holograph suspiciously.
Pluto continues, “While this may be the first time you are seeing my form, I certainly hope it is not the last. For too long, distance has separated the Order from the lives of humans and Lunara. For too long, we have forgone strengthening the relationship between leaders and citizens. Starting today, we aim to make this change. The Kosmos resides in a great city named Astralis, on the planet Galatea.” Goosebumps line my arms. I’ve never heard these names, yet Galatea sounds mystical, ancient—something in the name calls to me, as if to say yes, home.
How could that possibly be, though, when Lunara is the only home I’ve ever known?
“Starting tomorrow, on the first day of our next cycle, transportation will be made available via portal to transfer you into Astralis to visit the City of Wonder for visitation daily. We welcome all of you to explore what the city offers and look forward to seeing you. Expect more information in the coming days. May the stars guide you. The constellations are the only constant.”
The hologram of Pluto bows once more before blinking out of existence, and the room erupts into animated chatter.
Enthusiasm within me bubbles as I look to Torin, who looks equally intrigued.
“A chance to go somewhere new,” I breathe.
I can’t explain it, but going to Astralis feels right.
First, the bright light weeks ago, the Scales being tipped, now this? Change is on the horizon; I know it is.
“What do you think it’s like?” Torin’s eyes are enlivened as we ponder the endless possibilities of a world that is ours for the taking.
“Enchanting, of course! If the Kosmos live there, then there’s no way it is anything less than magical.
Can you imagine?” Giddiness has overridden my senses.
The opportunity to explore life beyond the boundaries of this dull unit has my imagination creating endless dreamscapes.
Something, maybe my destiny, could be waiting for me out there.