Mortals don’t fall in love with clarity.
They stumble into it through proximity.
Through repetition and shared damage.
Most bonds begin by accident and survive on choice.
Love is rarely about being seen completely.
It’s about being seen enough and deciding that ‘enough’ is worth protecting.
Loss is guaranteed.
Mortals know this and build attachments anyway.
The scribe finds this irrational.
If there is meaning in mortal bonds, it isn’t in how long they last.
But in how willingly they are risked.
Record Seven - Lia
The ship tore through the void, streaking toward Aegis-4, a frozen landscape of jagged ice and high tech cities.
Inside, Lia leaned back, boots on the console. Meanwhile, Elos stirred beside her, eyes still drunk on last night's sins. His voice, husky and lazy.
“Mmm…did I dream it, or did I actually break you last night?” he said. Groggy. Smirking.
“Both.”
The ship ripped through the atmosphere, turbulence shaking them as the HUD lit up with warnings.
AI ship.
“Heads up captain. Aegis-4 has some fucked up security. They don’t like outsiders. If we don’t spoof some credentials, we’re gonna get shot before we even land.”
She spun her chair around, looking at Elos.
“Alright genius, how do we fake credentials?”
Elos stretched like a lazy cat, yawning, then smirked.
“Simple. We don’t.”
She grunted.
“You wanna just waltz in and let them blast us out of the sky?”
“No, I wanna waltz in, let them think they have the upper hand and then flip the whole situation.”
Pause.
“...fine. But no shenanigans that might get us killed Elos”.
The ship roared down, cutting through the blizzard raging over Aegis-4’s capital city. Towers of gleaming metal pierced the storm, blue lights glowing against the ice.
As they descended, an automated warning blared over the comms.
“Unidentified vessel, you are entering restricted airspace. State your business or be obliterated.”
Elos leaned over, pressing the comms button.
“Oh, hey there, sweethearts. We’re just two lost travelers looking for a nice warm place to get drunk and f*** till we pass out. Any recommendations?”
Silence.
Aegis-4 control.
“...what?”
AI ship.
“ I cannot believe you just said that.”
Aegis-4 control now annoyed.
“State your ship ID and purpose. Now.”
Elos tilted his head, pretending to think.
“Hmmm…Nope. I don’t feel like it.”
Silence.
“You have ten seconds to comply before we open fire.”
‘Oh, baby, don’t threaten me with a good time.” Elos said, grinning . Stretching.
The alarm blared.
AI ship.
“Incoming fire!”
Outside, the city’s defense cannons locked onto them.
She slammed the controls, jerking the ship into evasive maneuvers as bolts of energy streaking past, searing the air.
Elos laughed like a lunatic, absolutely delighted.
“What did I just say Elos!” she shouted, dodging fire.
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“That you love me! “
AI ship.
“You’re insane.”
The ship spiraled through the sky, dodging lasers . Elos pressed the comms again.
“Listen up dumbasses. You fire one more shot and I’ll turn your city into an unrecognizable smear on the ice.”
He pressed a giant glowing button .
A beat of silence.
She froze and slowly turned her head.
“...Elos.”
“..Yes baby.”
“..What is wrong with you. Why did you press that.”
Elos squinted at the console and Leaned closer.
“Ooopsie. Turns out that wasn’t taunt.”
Her eyes twitched.
AI ship.
“...oh no.”
“Please don’t say oh no..”
“The CHRONO-ESSENCE SINGULARITY ATOMIC VOIDREND OBLIVION PULSE GUN is online.”
“Why do we have that again!”
From the underside of the ship, something began to descend. Metal plates peeled apart with a sound like a coffin being unzipped. It was way bigger than anyone responsible should be allowed to design. A weapon that looked like it had been engineered by someone having a mental breakdown or something. It towered on massive articulated arms, each joint rotating.
A sphere of blooming light blossomed in front of the weapon.
Elos watched the forming singularity with sparkly eyes.
Absolutely enchanted.
He lifted his hands up and slowly, sweetly, drew a heart shape in the air, fingers glowing faintly as spacetime buckled.
“Well…looks like we’re gonna die together.”
He finishes the heart.
“Soulmates.”
She just stared at him. Her face blank. Her mouth opened. Nothing came out.
The weapon finished charging.
The singularity collapsed inward.
Then fire.
A total erasure pulse detonated outward from the weapon.
The pulse ripped forward, devouring distance, chewing causality, tearing a clean, merciless wound through space……
Then
Lia shot upright in bed, air tearing into her lungs like she’d been underwater too long.
Her hands flew to her chest. Her heart racing.
The room was dark. Quiet. Real.
Her blanket was twisted around her legs. Her window rattled softly in the night wind.
“… A dream.”
She looked down at her hands. Steady. Her fingers curled once, slowly, as if testing whether control still belonged to her.
“ Why did I dream that.”
She sat there for a second, frozen.
Her hands clenched into the sheets as she stomped her feet against the mattress, knees drawing up and dropping again in frustrated thumps. Her shoulders burned. Her face felt hot.
“..ugh..”
She flopped forward, burying her face into the pillow and screaming into it, muffled and embarrassed, all sound swallowed by fabric.
What kind of dream was thaat...
Her fingers flexed blindly, gripping the sheets, twisting.
She felt something warm.
Solid.
Breathing.
She froze.
Slowly, she turned her head.
Mina.
Curled beside the bed on a folded blanket, half on her side, half on her stomach, hair fanned messily across the pillow. One hand was tucked under her cheek, the other resting near lia’s pillow like she’d fallen asleep mid-conversation and never moved again.
Her breathing was slow. Even. Comfortable.
For a moment she just stared. She let her head sink back into the pillow.
The memory came back in pieces.
Knocking.
Not normal knocking. Not polite.
Desperate.
Her door had rattled in its frame, the sound sharp and frantic. She remembered bolting upright on the couch, heart already racing before she even reached the handle.
When she opened it, Mina nearly collapsed into her.
She had stumbled forward, knees hitting the floor hard, arms locking round her waist like letting go would kill her. Mina’s whole body shook.
“Mina..?” She had breathed, startled, hands flying to steady her.
Mina clung tighter.
“ I..Lia..I woke up in an alley,” she cried, words tumbling over each other. “I don’t.. I don’t remember what happened. I don’t remember how I got there.”
Her voice cracked completely then. Fear. Raw and unfiltered.
She had crouched instinctively, pulling Mina closer.
“Hey…slow down. What do you mean alley? Did someone.… are you hurt?”
Mina shook her head against her chest, tears soaking through her shirt.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I woke up and it was dark. Cold. I thought I was alone but then I saw…something. Just staring at me.”
She had felt a chill crawl up her spine.
“Did you see their face?” she asked gently.
“No I don’t remember what it looked like Lia. I don’t remember why I was lying there. I don’t remember anything.”
She had pulled Mina into a tighter hug without thinking.
“Should we go to the police?” she had said softly.
“Maybe we could go to the hospital and check if...”
Mina’s arms wrapped around her even more.
“I just want to stay here.”
They then ended up on the bed after that, sitting first, then slowly lying down. Mina had curled close, like the space between them was the only safe space left in the world.
“ I remember you calling me.” Mina had murmured into her shoulder. “ I remember leaving. Walking. And then… nothing. Next thing I knew I was waking up in an alley. And something was looking at me.”
Her face faded at the edges, exhaustion finally winning over.
She had wrapped an arm around Mina, pulling closer, listening her breathing slowly even out.
“What are you thinking about?”
She blinked.
Mina was half-awake now, eyes barely open, hair messy, face pressed on the pillow.
“Nothing,” she said quickly.
“Hmm.” Mina said, hands curled under her head.
“Did you sleep well?’
“Mm.”
Silence settled in again, thick but not uncomfortable.
“But… I felt you moving around.” Mina added, a teasing edge slipping into her voice.
“You wanted to feel me up didn’t yo…”
“What is wrong with you?” She snapped, sitting up too fast, sheets sliding down her legs.
Silence.
She ran a hand through her hair, breath uneven now.
“Are you sure we shouldn't go to the police? Or the hospital ? You don’t even know what happened to you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m fine. I don’t feel hurt.”
“But what if…”
“ I just want to be with you.”
She didn’t say anything then. Just sat there at the edge of the bed. Staring at the floor.
“Ooooh,” Mina teased gently. “Are you blushing?”
“I’m not,” she said immediately, grabbing a pillow and tossing it straight into Mina’s face.
“I’m fine.” Mina added. “Don’t worry. You should start getting ready for the cafe or you’ll be late.”
“Are you coming?” she asked.
“No.”
“I’ll stay here and sniff your…”
She shot up immediately and marched straight toward the bathroom.
What is wrong with her, she thought.
She brushed her teeth in silence, staring at her reflection. Her face was calm, unreadable, like nothing had happened at all. She washed her face, tied her hair back, went through the rest of her routine on autopilot.
She walked toward the door later, ready to leave.
Mina was watching her, propped up slightly, expression soft and fond.
“Have a great day.” Mina said.
“Daarling.”
She didn't respond.
She opened the door.
And closed it behind her.
Outside, she leaned back against the door and let out a slow breath.
Her head tipped back slightly, eyes unfocused, her face caught somewhere between worry and tenderness.
Footsteps.
She lifted her head.
Elos was passing by.
The dream flashed back.
“Did I dream it, or did I actually break you last night”
“Both.”
Vivid and humiliating.
She crouched down on the floor, clearly embarrassed.
“Kill me now!”
She felt him stop and look at her.
She shot up and let out small, sharp shriek.
“Hiii..!”
Why did that come out like that.
“Where are you going?’ she asked too fast.
Idiot, why did you ask him that. We are not even close.
“To the cafe.”
“I’M GOING THERE TOO,” she said, way too loudly, like she didn't literally work there.
He nodded once. “Mmm.”
Silence.
“Um..Elos..”
“Should we….walk together? She asked, eyes dropping immediately to the floor.
“Sure….”
“Uh…cafe girl.”
Huh.
“Its Lia.” she said quietly.
“Right. Sorry. I don’t remember names well. Forgive me.”
And somehow , she knew he meant it.
“Its okay,” she said.
She looked back at her apartment with a worried look before starting down the stairs together.
The stairway was too narrow. The kind where two people technically fit, but only if they pretended they weren’t constantly bumping into each other.
Her shoulder bumped his forearm.
Her foot almost stepped on his.
Her fingers brushed his coat.
She felt like she was on fire.
She glanced up at him.
He looked completely unbothered. Calm. Focused on the stairs like this was just a normal comfortable walk.
They bumped again.
And again.
And then..
Suddenly, he stopped.
Before she could ask why, his hands were on her arms. One each side. Steady and gentle.
He lifted her. Easily . Turned slightly.
And placed her down one step ahead of him.
She froze.
Her brain shut off completely.
She stood there. Staring at the wall. Heart screaming.
“..This is easier,” he said.
She swallowed.
Her face felt like it might actually melt.
She nodded without turning around and kept walking, every step suddenly ten times louder in her head.
They reached the building’s front door.
Elos stopped to tap his key-card against the reader.
Beep.
She stood a little to the side, fanning her face. Her ears still warm.
The door clicked open.
She slipped out beside him.
Outside, the air felt wider. Cooler. The street was still half-asleep, people moving in slow lines, cars whispering past instead of roaring.
They started walking side by side. No bumping now.
Silence stretched between them, thin but loud.
Then
Smack.
Something soft slapped across Lia’s face.
She froze then pulled it off her nose.
A flier.
FIREWORKS SHOW.
TONIGHT.
DON’T MISS IT.
CRYSTAL AVENUE PARK.
ALL ARE INVITED.
Her eyes skimmed it once. Twice.
Her chest did that small, stupid jump it always did when something sounded nice.
Should I…
Mina’s face slid into her thoughts. The way she’d clung to her. The way she’d whispered she didn’t want to be alone.
She folded the paper on itself, then again, then again. She stuffed it into her shoulder bag and let out a quiet sigh.
They walked a few more steps.
“Want to go to that?”
“Mmm, but I..”
“Together.”
She stopped.
Her head turned slowly.
Elos was looking at her, calm as ever.
“Huh?”
