Page 11 of Swipe Right for Stardust

“Look at the state of them!”

“I can’t believe they made it through with that thing attached to them.”

I shared a look with Zarnak, and shrugged. Despite the stares and whispers, I felt oddly confident standing next to him.

Lysandra Vex, the host, approached us with a bemused expression. “Well, well. It seems you two had quite the adventure. And you’ve brought back a souvenir, I see.”

I grinned, holding up our joined arms with Taffy still firmly attached. “Meet our new team mascot.”

ZARNAK

Istood next to Vanessa in the crowded atrium, acutely aware of the curious stares from the other contestants. Taffy, our newfound tentacled companion, remained firmly attached to both our arms. The creature’s grip tightened slightly, as if sensing my discomfort.

Lysandra raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s certainly... unique. I’m not sure we’ve ever had a contestant bring back a souvenir quite like this before.”

Suddenly I felt the need to defend Vanessa. “I am uncertain as to why a Cephalox was introduced. They are not usually found outside of their native habitat.”

“I see,” Lysandra replied, her tone neutral. “Well, I’m sure our viewers will be fascinated by this development.”

As we spoke, I noticed Caelan hovering nearby, his expression unreadable. There was something in the way he looked at Lysandra that set off warning bells in my mind. My analytical instincts kicked in, and I began to catalog their body language.

Lysandra’s posture stiffened almost imperceptibly when Caelan approached. He, in turn, seemed to be trying too hard to appear casual. There was an underlying tension between them that I couldn’t quite decipher.

“Looks like we have quite the power couple here,” Caelan said, his tone jovial but his eyes sharp. “You two certainly know how to make an entrance.”

Vanessa laughed, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents. “Oh, we just got lucky, I guess.”

Luck? No, it had been more than that. We had worked well together, our strengths complementing each other perfectly. I opened my mouth to say as much, but Lysandra cut in.

“Well, lucky or not, you’ve certainly made an impression,” she said. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to address the other contestants.”

Lysandra moved to the center of the room, then a voice rang out, silencing the murmuring crowd. My ears twitched slightly as I focused on her words, my mind already analyzing the acoustics.

“Attention, contestants! Congratulations to all of you for completing the first round of challenges. You’ve all shown great ingenuity and teamwork.”

Vanessa shifted beside me, her arm brushing against mine through Taffy’s tentacles.

“However,” Lysandra continued, “this is just the beginning. The real adventure starts now.”

Caelan stepped forward, his movement drawing my attention. The subtle shift in Lysandra’s posture didn’t escape my notice. Her shoulders tensed, her smile tightening at the corners. Caelan, for his part, exuded an air of forced casualness that set my fur on edge.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Caelan announced, “it’s time to reveal the next phase of our competition.”

A holographic display flickered to life, showcasing a 3D map of a planet.

“Behold, Nexus Prime,” Lysandra said, her voice carrying across the room. “This will be the stage for your next challenge - a point-to-point race across five distinct biomes.”

“Now, for the starting order,” Caelan said, a hint of something I couldn’t quite place in his tone. “Based on your performance in the escape room challenge...”

My stomach plummeted as the realization hit me. Our struggle with the confetti-filled room would come back to haunt us. I glanced at Vanessa, guilt washing over me. Her face reflected the same dawning comprehension.

“And in last place, starting with a significant time delay,” Lysandra announced, “Vanessa Wilson and Dr. Kolvari.”

My fur bristled with frustration but I tried to maintain my composure. We could still overcome this setback with proper planning and execution.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle squeeze on my arm. Vanessa had reached out through Taffy’s tentacles, her touch both surprising and comforting. “Hey,” she whispered, “we’ve got this. We make a great team, remember?”

Her confidence warmed me, easing some of the tension from my shoulders. I nodded, determination replacing my earlier doubts.

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