And together, in the softened city, they stepped forward—cloudlet hot, hearts steady—into the long, slow work of keeping choice alive.

They moved together then, down the twisted walkway of the Aeroplex toward the relay. The closer they drew, the more the air tasted like static. Mira’s skin prickled; the Bond’s threads wove through her like a current looking for an address. She found herself humming under her breath, a tone she’d never heard but recognized with an intimacy that made her belly ache. Jalen matched it—low, counterpoint, steady.

Jalen squeezed her hand. “Remember who you are,” he said.