Page 24 of Swipe Right for Stardust

“Vanessa,” I said, my voice tight with concern. “Are you experiencing any... temporal distortions?”

She looked at me, her brow furrowed. “You mean like how sometimes it feels like we’re moving in slow motion, and other times everything’s sped up? Yeah, I noticed that too.”

“It must be an effect of these crystals,” I mused. “We should be careful. There’s no telling how it might affect us.”

As if on cue, the world around us began to shimmer and shift. I saw echoes of ourselves, ghostly images moving through the maze alongside us. Past, present, and future seemed to blur together.

“Zarnak!” Vanessa cried out, her voice sounding distant and echoey. “What’s happening?”

I reached for her, my hand passing through several of her temporal echoes before finding solid flesh. I pulled her close, anchoring us both in the present moment.

“Hold on to me,” I instructed, my arms wrapped tightly around her. “We need to stay grounded in our own timeline.”

She nodded, her face pressed against my chest. Her heart raced, matching the frantic beat of my own. We stood there, holding each other, as the world twisted and warped around us.

Slowly, the temporal distortions began to subside. The echoes faded, leaving just the two of us, still locked in an embrace.

“I think it’s over,” Vanessa whispered, but she made no move to pull away.

We stayed like that, neither of us willing to be the first to let go. Finally, reluctantly, we separated.

Vanessa’s cheeks flushed. “Thanks for keeping me anchored.”

“Anytime,” I replied, surprised by the huskiness in my voice.

We continued through the maze, but something had shifted between us. Every glance, every accidental touch, seemed charged with new meaning.

As we neared what I hoped was the exit of the maze, Vanessa suddenly stopped.

“Zarnak,” she said, turning to face me. “I just wanted to say... I’m really glad you’re here with me.”

“As am I, Vanessa. As am I.”

VANESSA

The crystalline maze shattered behind us as we stumbled out, our breaths coming in ragged gasps. Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived.

I glanced at our nav device, frowning as the display flickered erratically. The coordinates blinked in and out, replaced by strange symbols I didn’t recognize. “Zarnak,” I murmured, “I think something’s wrong with?—”

But before I could finish, the screen stabilized, showing our position once more. I shook my head, wondering if I’d imagined it.

A sudden whistle pierced the air. I looked up to see the sky darkening, not with clouds, but with a swarm of razor-sharp crystal shards hurtling towards us.

“Run!” I yelled, grabbing Zarnak’s arm.

As we sprinted across the open ground, I felt an odd fluctuation in my suit’s temperature regulators. A chill ran down my spine, followed immediately by a wave of heat. I pushed the concern aside, focusing on the immediate danger. We’d have to deal with any equipment glitches later—if we survived this crystal storm.

A particularly large shard whizzed past my ear, slicing a few strands of hair. I yelped, ducking instinctively.

In that moment, Zarnak’s massive form enveloped me. He pulled me close, shielding me with his body as we stumbled towards a small opening in the rocky terrain.

We tumbled into the cave, pressed close together in the tight space. The storm raged outside, crystal shards pinging off the rock face.

His breath tickled my neck, sending shivers down my spine. The soft fur on his chest brushed against my arms, and I caught a whiff of his scent - earthy and wild, like a forest after rain.

My heart raced, and not just from our narrow escape. I looked up, meeting Zarnak’s intense gaze. Time seemed to slow as he leaned in, his lips meeting mine.

The kiss started soft, tentative. Then, as if a dam had broken, it deepened with unexpected passion. My world narrowed to this moment, this sensation. The feel of his lips on mine, the heat of his body pressed against me, the thundering of my own heart.

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