Sylvie has one rule aboard the Solstice18: stay quiet, stay useful, and above all, stay invisible. As a low-ranking clone on a starship full of ambition and danger, the last thing she needs is to catch the attention of the captain.
But Jon Gavelan i...
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"Angel. Slow down."
Tumatakbo ako sa isang malawak na burol na puno ng magagandang bulaklak. Chasing after me is him, Jon. My Jon. As he catches up to me, he wraps his muscular arms around my waist, lifting me slightly off the ground.
His fingers weave through my silver hair, like he's committing every strand to memory. The other hand skims down the curve of my back, pulling me closer, closer, until I lean against his solid chest.
And when I glance up and back, there it is—his caramel gaze, soft and reassuring.
"Sylvie," he says my nickname like a musical lyric. "Sylvie."
Then, as dreams often do, the scene shifts and warps into something else. Suddenly, Jon and I are standing hand in hand on a high metal platform, hovering hundreds of meters from the ground. Nakahulma na sa magandang pangangatawan niya ngayon ang itim na kasuotang pandigma, samantalang ako naman ay nakasuot ng isang magarang puting bestida. Both of us are wearing spiky golden crowns, adorned with glowing red gems.
"Ready?" Jon smiles at me.
"Yes," I reply.
Then, I step forward, the platform's edge brushing against my high heels. I raise my hands, my gaze sweeping across the vast battlefield.
Waves of armored soldiers crash against one another in the barren dirt, clawing, swinging, screaming. Some fight like they still believe in victory; others fight like it's just to delay dying a little longer. The air is thick with smoke, laser shots, and the desperate clang of steel, but beneath that—if you listen closely—there's the sound of people breaking.
"My darling angel," sabi ng pinakamamahal kong si Jon na sadyang napakalambing ng boses. "Kill them all."
Without hesitation, a scream tears from my throat, raw and wild. Simultaneously, a massive sphere of crimson energy forms amidst the chaos, clawing its way out of nothingness, growing larger and larger with the intensity of my scream. Finally, it explodes, shattering everything and pulverizing everyone in its path—
Nagmulat ako't bumangon. Sweat drips down my face, my shaky hands scrambling at my neck.
What the hell was that?
"Sylvie," sabi ni Ivi, "you just had a nightmare again."
Right. Another nightmare. Damn it.
Humihingal pa rin ako nang mapatingin ako pakanan, sa ibabaw ng aking nighstand. Nakita ko roon ang data chip na ibinigay ni Pol kanina.
"I will play a soothing music to lull you back to sleep. Here's a live playlist called 'Healing Ragas.' Streaming now on Musify—"
"Ivi."
"Yes?"
"I'm going to use my goggles. Kindly prepare the room," kako habang kinukuha ang naturang gadget, handa nang isalpak sa may saksakan nito ang data chip.
