10:31, February 10, 2295

  Terminal 1, Songnei Starport (松內星港), No. 340-9, Dunhua North Road, Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan, Imperium of Dragons territory

  Xin's fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on the steering wheel as he navigated toward Songnei Starport. His mind, usually consumed with algorithms and data structures, kept drifting to the woman beside him. He stole a glance at Lorna — the infamous Psi Lynx agent — her profile illuminated by the midday sun streaming through the window.

  Maybe this is the beginning of something, he thought, allowing hope to bloom.

  "And we're in. Songnei Starport. Not bad, right?" Xin gestured through the window toward the sprawling architecture rising from the lush greenery. The starport's central structure, a massive, saucer-like platform suspended above a network of sleek bridges and walkways, gleamed under the midday sun.

  Suddenly, Lorna's stomach made a rumble that growled through the silence of Xin's car. She clenched her fists, as if willing the sound away, her blue eyes flickering with annoyance.

  "Hungry?" Xin asked, a playful lift in his tone as he glanced sideways at her and set his car on auto-pilot mode on a straight road. His mind raced with possibilities—maybe a shared meal could be the foundation for a deeper connection. He'd read once that sharing food created bonds between people. For a man who'd spent most of his life analyzing data rather than building relationships, this felt like a critical data point.

  "I had some breakfast on the plane this morning. But it wasn't really my taste," Lorna replied, avoiding eye contact as she pulled her hair into a half-up ponytail using a rubber band from her coat pocket, a few aureate strands draped over her shoulders.

  "You Alliance agents flew into the Imperium on a civilian plane?" Xin prodded, raising an eyebrow. "That's risky. And unlikely."

  "Okay, fine. It was actually a StarWhale shuttle piloted by my colleague, but I'm not supposed to tell you that," Lorna conceded gruffly, her ponytail swaying as she turned to face him.

  Xin felt a small victory at having gotten her to reveal something classified—a hint of trust, perhaps? "I understand. Let me see," he ventured. His fingers fumbled for a moment before they found their way to a small compartment beside him—the car's mini fridge.

  "Hmm, fancy rice ball," Her gaze fell upon the triangular parcel he presented to her—an onigiri, its seaweed wrapper glistening under the dim light of the vehicle's interior.

  "Go ahead, try it," Xin encouraged, his voice soft with anticipation. The rice ball was a simple offering, yet it held within it the comforting flavors of home—the taste of the sea wrapped in warmth. He watched her closely, hoping that this small gesture would breach the professional barrier between them. "You can give it back if you don't like it."

  With a reluctant grace, Lorna accepted the morsel, her fingertips brushing against his as she took it from his hands. The brief contact sent electricity through his system, his programmer's mind struggling to process the sensation. Unwrapping the onigiri, the savory aroma of tuna filled the car. "Hmm. Reminds me of Boston somehow."

  The first bite was hesitant, but soon her guarded demeanor gave way to a relaxed posture.

  "Never thought I'd enjoy something so terrestrial again," Lorna murmured between bites, her voice softened.

  "Sometimes the simplest things—" Xin began, but stopped short, caught in the orbit of her sapphire gaze. In that moment, he could imagine a future where they shared more than just missions and danger—perhaps late nights discussing the mysteries of the universe, or quiet mornings over coffee.

  "Are the most profound," she finished for him, a faint smile tugging at the edges of her lips — so fleeting, it was as though she dared the universe to take notice.

  "That they are," Xin agreed, his heartbeat accelerating. He pressed a button on the steering wheel and allowed the car to drive itself. "By the way, do you mind if I change? This prisoner outfit isn't comfortable." He grimaced at the gray jumpsuit that marked him as a former captive.

  "Go ahead. I've seen plenty of guys naked. No big deal," Lorna replied nonchalantly, taking another bite of her onigiri.

  The casual comment pierced through Xin's romantic musings. Plenty of guys? The thought of Lorna with other men sent an unexpected pang of jealousy through him. He pushed it aside, reminding himself that he barely knew her.

  "Thanks, just give me a minute," Xin said as he quickly fetched a pair of black pants and threw his gray prisoner suit in the backseat. It was then that something clicked in his mind as he glanced at Lorna and ventured. "So, you've seen plenty of guys...?"

  "Forget I said anything," Lorna waved off his question and turned to face him, taking in his bare torso and noting the shape of his rib cage beneath his skin. "Wow, you're skinny."

  Self-consciousness washed over him. During his military service, he'd always been the smallest in his unit, a target for good-natured ridicule. "Yeah. Malabsorption, the doctor said," Xin shrugged as he put on his pants, carefully putting the flash drive containing the Moondust Crystal's info into a side pocket. "Been like this since I was a kid." He suddenly wished he had the imposing physique of the Bloodtroopers they'd evaded.

  "Here, you should eat some," Lorna said as she offered him the half-eaten onigiri.

  "It's alright, it's yours," Xin smiled politely and reached for a green hoodie in the backseat, wanting to cover his thin frame.

  "No, you need it too," Lorna's tone turned serious as she held the rice ball out to him with a bite taken out of one side. "Besides, I don't eat that much."

  Xin's heart skipped a beat as he looked into Lorna's sapphire eyes. The simple gesture of sharing food—her food—felt incredibly intimate. He nodded before taking a bite from the same spot where her lips had just been, a thrill running through him at this indirect kiss.

  The smile that bloomed on Lorna's snowy countenance was the most enchanting thing he had seen all morning, even the sunlight streaming in through the windows seemed dull in comparison. Xin allowed himself to believe that perhaps she felt it too—this strange, budding connection.

  "Thank you, Lorna," Xin said with a hint of warmth in his voice as he put on his hoodie and felt a slight blush creeping onto his olive cheeks.

  "And thank you too, Xin," Lorna said, the last fragment of rice disappearing into the sanctuary of her mouth. "I feel better now."

  "I'm glad," Xin nodded over the staccato rhythm of his hear as he put his Quantum Watch back on the left wrist. He noticed her eyes tracking the movement.

  "Your Quantum Watch looks rather new," Lorna remarked with a guarded but polite smile. "Custom-made variant?"

  "Curious?" Xin lifted his left wrist, revealing his Quantum Watch just a bit more. The timepiece, glowing with an ethereal green light, was nestled within a robust casing of dark silver that emphasized resilience. Its translucent band revealed a network of verdant pulsing illuminated wires, a world of information condensed within them.

  "Hmm. Fancy," Lorna remarked, her eyes lingering on the watch. "Probably a higher class model than mine."

  Pride swelled in his chest at her assessment. "Yeah. Saved up a few month's salary for this one," Xin withdrew his wrist as he continued. "You said you're heading for Terminal 7?"

  "Yep. That's where my colleagues will be waiting," Lorna replied.

  The serenity of the moment shattered, a reverberation echoing through the Starport outside. Lorna's eyes snapped to the horizon as if she were expecting the assault, her body tensing against the sudden sound.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Buddha's balls…" Xin's pulse raced in his ears and his breaths were quick and shallow as he watched the terrifying Radi-Mons emerge. Mutated hounds with gray skin and gnarled bones unburrowed from the asphalt road in the distance, chasing after unsuspecting pedestrians.

  "Bone Fiends," Lorna's voice cut through the chaos, calm and unwavering, "they're fast, but dumb." Her finger pointed at a scuttling horror that dashed toward their car, blocking their way.

  Xin's analytical mind raced. Fear clouded his thoughts, but Lorna's composed demeanor provided an anchor. "So…do we fight it or –"

  "Just drive over it," Lorna said coolly, as if discussing what to have for lunch.

  "Right," Xin clenched his jaw and pressed down on the pedal. The car lurched forward, crushing the Bone Fiend underneath its wheels with a sickening crunch. A black liquid oozed onto the front of the car.

  "See? Easy as pie," Lorna smiled and leaned back in her seat. "I'll cover any car wash fees for you."

  "Appreciate it," Xin breathed out, trying to compose himself as they continued driving forward. He wanted to appear as unfazed as she was, to match her courage with his own.

  More grotesque creatures emerged — giant mutated stink bugs with hyena-like heads attached to their bodies. Despite remaining undetected by Xin's car, their appearance was enough to make his hands tremble on the wheel. These creatures walked on all fours, with their front legs resembling mantis claws as they approached civilians in every direction.

  "Skuggrs," she continued, undeterred by the bile-spitting creatures that now flanked the Fiends around the terminal they drove by, their exoskeletons reflecting the harsh light of emergency beacons. "Keep clear of their spray— it eats through armor like acid through paper."

  Xin marveled at how calm Lorna remained. "How long have you been doing this job?"

  "Almost five years," Lorna replied nonchalantly as she pulled out the familiar small vial from her coat pocket. The blue liquid within shimmered in the dim light. She uncorked it and took a sip before continuing, "It's like sex, really. The first try scares the fuck out of you. Gets easier every time you do it. Eventually, you learn to enjoy it."

  Xin felt a surge of hope at her words, though his thoughts were now consumed with images of him and Lorna, their naked bodies intertwined in passionate intimacy under a soft blanket. "You make it sound... enticing," he said hoarsely.

  "I've found that most guys lose their fear once I tell them that," Lorna finished before taking another sip from the vial and closing her eyes in pleasure. "Mmm, much better."

  "Snack after the meal?" Xin redirected his focus to Lorna, raising his brow, eager to maintain this rapport between them.

  "It's an old habit. Keeps me grounded." Lorna replied as she re-corked the vial and slipped it back into her trench coat.

  Xin watched as a drop of the blue liquid landed on Lorna's index finger. She licked it off with clear intentions of savoring every last bit. The innocuous gesture sent his mind racing to places he dared not voice.

  "A pretty niche choice of snack, for sure," he said, voice slightly husky.

  But before he could continue, Lorna pointed her freshly licked finger toward the sky in the distance.

  Xin's gaze followed her outstretched hand to the hulking forms resembling dark brown three-eyed octopuses emerging from behind the buildings. Their tentacles writhed with a sinister intelligence as they floated through the air.

  "Krakens," Xin whispered, his voice a fractured echo of terror. "I've seen one in the ZenFusion lab before. Dilinur had the BioScience guys dissect its brain last year. Some sort of field coordinator?"

  "Exactly," Lorna affirmed, withdrawing her finger. "They're cowards, but other Radi-Mons get smarter when in proximity. If you can take one down, their control over the other monsters will be disrupted."

  Before Xin could fully process it all, an urgent male voice tinged with a Novian accent filled the air, each word sharp and punctuated. "Team, do you copy? Terminal 7's a no go. Rally Point Echo has been compromised—"

  "How compromised, Diego?" Lorna's gaze focused on the speaker positioned between her and Xin.

  "Crawling with Radi-Mons. I'm looking at the info sent by our NexLink satellites. The next rally point remains undetermined," Diego's response came.

  "How're Thomas and Emmanuel doing?" Lorna interjected, her calm belying the gravity of their predicament.

  "They got separated. Still alive, though," Diego replied curtly. "Find cover and await new coordinates. I'm rerouting to a secure extraction site."

  "Understood. Stay on this frequency," Lorna acknowledged as she assessed the shifting tide of battle outside the car with an analytical eye. Imperium security, accompanied by the occasional Bloodtroopers, began engaging Bone Fiends and Skuggrs around them as Xin's car moved into Terminal 3.

  "Keep driving, Xin," she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument.

  "Will do," he managed to reply as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his mind racing through possible escape routes.

  But then, Lorna's gaze pierced the haze of destruction, locking onto a lumbering goliath rampaging across a plaza in the distance. "Skarn," she muttered the name with disdain, her body quivering with rage.

  As Xin followed her line of sight, he felt his breath catch in his throat. The five-meter monstrosity dominated the terminal floor, its massive chitinous form gleaming with a sickly, wet sheen under the emergency lights. Skarn's elongated skull was crowned with jagged, bony protrusions, and his cavernous maw gaped to reveal row upon row of dagger-like teeth. A pair of glowing orange eyes burned with malevolent intelligence amidst the textured plates of his face. Metallic tubes and conduits protruded from his neck and shoulders, remnants of the Imperium's enhancements pulsing with an ominous rhythm.

  Most terrifying were his massive arms — disproportionately muscular appendages ending in enormous clawed hands that swept through concrete pillars as if they were made of paper. The behemoth moved with terrifying purpose on powerful reptilian legs, his muscular tail sweeping debris and bodies alike as he advanced. From his waist, five black tentacles writhed with seemingly independent will, lashing out as Skarn tore through the terminal, leaving nothing but devastation in his wake.

  "Xin, we have to split up." Lorna's voice sliced through in the car as she rose in her seat, her eyes never leaving the carnage wrought by Skarn. "Find Thomas and Emmanuel. I'll go after that fucker."

  "You're going after that large Radi-Mon alone?" Xin's heart drummed as he processed her words. The prospect of being separated from her sent a cold wave of fear through him, not just for his own safety, but for hers.

  "Skarn is not just any Radi-Mon. He's a Primarch. The one that lords over all of them," Lorna unfastened her seat belt. "In his weakened state, I could take him down."

  Xin studied the beast through the windshield, his analytical mind cataloging details even through his fear. "He's received cybernetic enhancements. ZenFusion's tech, it looks like." He recognized the distinctive design of the implants, similar to prototypes he'd seen in the research labs.

  "Possibly. But I don't give a damn," Lorna said.

  Panic surged through Xin. He couldn't let her go alone—not against that monster. A desperate need to protect her, to prove his worth, overwhelmed his usual caution.

  "Well then. I’ll see you on the flip side –" she rose from her seat.

  "Wait!" he spat out as he reached into storage space at the car's door to take out a 10mm Magnum of his own. The gun was much more angular than Lorna's 10mm, its bulkier barrel sported what resembled a sensor and a box beneath it. "You see this? My personal modified 10mm has an AI-assisted targeting system. I taught myself weapon modding after work. Calibrated the sights, too."

  Lorna stared at the pistol, frowning, her voice laced with impatience. "And?"

  "I'm not the best shooter around, but with this, I can be of use," His side fingers tightened around his gun. The green sheen of the weapon glinted under the sunlight, its AI-assisted targeting system whirring softly. "Let me help you with the fight!"

  He brandished it before Lorna, his olive features hardening with determination. In his mind, he saw himself fighting alongside her, their skills complementing each other—he, the tech specialist with his enhanced weapon; she, the psionic warrior with her impressive abilities. Together, they would be formidable.

  But it was not enough.

  "Xin, it's nice of you to try," Lorna sighed, her ponytail whipping like a flag as she looked away. "But Skarn is way above your league."

  The car's interior dimmed, a sharp contrast to the chaos outside, where the whir of Skuggrs cut through the smoggy dusk.

  Xin's grip tightened around his pistol, his jaw set in defiance. The hope that had been building—that they could be partners, equals—began to crumble. "But I can—"

  "No, Xin," she interrupted, the firmness in her tone leaving no room for argument. "Your presence would distract me. Find Thomas and Emmanuel instead."

  The words hit him like a physical blow. Was he not an asset to her? Was he a liability, a distraction?

  "You can—" Xin began, but the words faltered against the resolve etched into her face.

  "Yes, I can handle myself," Lorna finished for him, her icy eyes darkening with a subtle rage she allowed to surface. "I always do."

  Xin swallowed hard, the bitter taste of rejection washing away the sweetness of their shared moment.

  Then, without waiting for a response, she stepped out of the vehicle. "We'll talk later."

  "No problem, Lorna. Stay safe," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else, his hands now trembling with something more potent than fear as he watched her stride forward. The trench coat fanned out behind her like the wings of some avenging angel. Xin watched, his throat tight, as she sauntered into the battlefield.

  With a heavy heart and a loaded gun, Xin drove away. Perhaps in Lorna's world, he was just another civilian to be protected, not a partner to be valued.

  In the distance, amid screams and the cacophony of destruction, Lorna advanced toward her quarry, the lone huntress in pursuit of the beast. And Xin felt smaller than he ever had in his life.