Chapter 4

Costa was already pulling me toward the tunnel entrance, but I resisted, needing answers. "What kind of abilities?"

Lady Arinna's expression was grim. "The kind that could bridge the gap between our species permanently. The kind that could change everything."

A thunderous crash echoed through the chamber as the main entrance burst open. Figures in gleaming armour poured through, their weapons crackling with energy that made the air itself seem to burn.

"Go!" Lady Arinna shouted, pressing something small and warm into my free hand. "Find the old places in Voidhaven. Find those who remember. And whatever you do, don't let them separate you again—not until you're both complete."

Costa swept me up in his arms as my legs chose that moment to betray me again, and we plunged into the tunnel just as the first energy blast scorched the crystal where we'd been standing.

The tunnel was darker than the crystal chambers above, lit only by veins of bioluminescence that pulsed irregularly through the walls. Costa moved with surprising grace despite carrying me, his feet finding purchase on surfaces that would have sent me tumbling in the dim light.

"Can you sense them following us?" I whispered against his ear, trying to ignore how right it felt to be in his arms.

"Not yet," he replied, his voice tight with concentration. "But they will. Lord Vexan's forces are persistent if nothing else."

The tunnel branched ahead of us, splitting into three directions. Costa paused, his head tilting as if listening to something I couldn't hear.

"This way," he said, taking the leftmost path. "I can hear the transit systems."

As we descended deeper, the air grew warmer and carried unfamiliar scents—ozone and something sweetly metallic that made my teeth ache. The object Lady Arinna had pressed into my hand was growing warmer too, almost hot against my palm.

"Costa," I said, opening my hand to examine it. A small crystal pendant lay there, no bigger than my thumb, but it pulsed with the same rhythm as my heartbeat. "What is this?"

He glanced down and nearly stumbled. "I... I remember that. You wore it the night we met." His markings flared brighter. "But that's impossible. It was destroyed when they arrested us."

"Maybe it wasn't destroyed," I said, watching the pendant's light dance across the tunnel walls. "Maybe it was waiting."

A distant rumble shook the tunnel, and dust rained down from above. Costa picked up his pace, and I could hear the mechanical hum of the transit system growing louder.

"Whatever happens when we reach Voidhaven," he said, his voice low and urgent, "promise me you won't let them convince you to give up. Not this time."

I looked up at his face, seeing determination mixed with something that looked almost like fear. "I promise," I said. "But you have to promise me something too."

"Anything."

"When I start to remember who I really was—what I really was—don't let it change how you see me."

He stopped walking then, setting me down gently but keeping his hands on my shoulders. In the pulsing light of the tunnel, his alien features seemed both strange and achingly familiar.

"Ariella," he said, "I fell in love with your soul, not your species. Whatever abilities you possessed, whatever you're capable of—that's just part of who you are."

The pendant in my hand suddenly blazed with bright light, illuminating the entire tunnel. And with that light came a rush of memory so intense it drove me to my knees.

I remembered the night we met, but not as a frightened human girl. I remembered walking into the Le Glow Club with purpose, my enhanced senses picking up every alien pheromone and whisper. I didn’t understand why, but I never really fit in anywhere, so it seemed like any other day.

I remembered moving through the crowd with deliberate grace, my skin already beginning to shimmer with a subtle luminescence that shouldn't have been possible. I remembered catching Costa's eye across the room and feeling something ancient and powerful spark between us—a recognition that transcended mere attraction.

"I was looking for you," I gasped, the memories flooding back so fast they left me dizzy. "Even then, I was looking for you, though I didn't know why."

Costa knelt beside me, his hands steadying my shoulders. "And I for you. The fortune teller—she wasn't human, was she?"

I shook my head, another piece falling into place. "No. She was one of your people, disguised. She knew what would happen if we met."

The pendant's light began to concentrate, forming a small holographic projection between us. A map of Voidhaven appeared, with one location pulsing brighter than the others—not the Le Glow Club, but somewhere deeper in the district.

"The Nexus," Costa whispered, recognition dawning in his eyes. "That's where they performed the binding ritual."

"Binding ritual?" I repeated the words, stirring something deep within me.

Before Costa could answer, another tremor shook the tunnel, this one strong enough to dislodge chunks of crystal from the ceiling. His arms wrapped around me protectively as debris showered down around us.

"They're using sonic disruptors," he said grimly. "They're trying to collapse the tunnels."

I clutched the pendant tighter, and it responded by pulsing faster. Strength was returning to my limbs with each beat, as if the light itself was feeding my body's recovery.

"I can walk now," I said, pushing myself to my feet. This time, my legs held steady.

Costa looked at me with surprise and something like pride. "The awakening is accelerating."

We continued down the tunnel, moving faster now that I could keep pace. The transit hum grew louder until we rounded a bend and found ourselves facing an ancient maintenance hatch. Costa pressed his palm against it, and the metal groaned in protest before reluctantly sliding open.

Beyond lay a cavernous space filled with the rushing shapes of transit pods—sleek, crystalline vehicles that moved along invisible tracks at dizzying speeds. The air here was charged with energy, making my skin tingle and my newly awakened senses stretch outward.