Page 138 of Stars in Nova

‘Patience is a virtue,’ Sax countered, grinning. ‘Helps that I’ve got ample vices to compensate for it.’

Kisan sucked his teeth at his recalcitrant friend and turned his gaze toward the horizon.

Where the faintest hint of dark clouds began to gather, the sight stirred something in him—a rare glimmer of hope.

Still, Kisan’s forbearance wore thin, his muscles taut with anticipation. He had fought battles, braved storms, and faced down armies, but this waiting was a different kind of agony.

Then, it happened.

A single droplet fell, soft, tentative, landing on his upturned face.

Then another, and another, until the sky opened up in a gentle but steady downpour.

He closed his eyes, feeling the incredible relief against his skin.

The sound of a storm lashing the rocks around was a rhythmic drumming that seemed to echo the planet’s heartbeat.

The rain painted the dry, cracked ground in shades of dark brown, the soil greedily soaking up every drop.

‘Fokk, it worked,’ Kisan growled, welcoming the rhythm of healing and renewal.

Sax tilted his head back, letting the water stream down his face.

‘Guess I can’t complain about the boots now,’ he rasped. ‘Though I still expect a toast in my honor.’

The view was breathtaking.

The once lifeless plains shimmered as the downpour fell in sheets, pooling in the basins of empty lakes. Streams began to form, snaking across the land like veins, bringing life back to a dying body.

On the ground, a few clicks away from the Sable men, Samira and the Vaelorii stood in stunned silence, faces tilted toward the sky.

Around her, her people emerged from their underground refuge, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief as they beheld the miracle unfolding before them.

The water soaked their hair and clothes, but they didn’t care.

Children laughed and splashed in the puddles, their delight infectious as it rippled through the crowd.

Elders wept with visible relief, their weeping mingling with the rain that washed away years of despair.

Kisan let the showers drench him. Cool droplets cascaded over his face, soaking into him as he gazed at the rejuvenating land below.

‘Kralji.’

He snapped his eyes open to see his woman racing toward him. Her hands were outstretched as the precipitation saturated her hair and clothes.

Her eyes shone with unbridled joy, tears blending with the shower on her cheeks.

He laughed as she fell into his arms.

‘It worked,’ he rasped, his voice tinged with relief.

She lifted her eyes to him, her face radiant. ‘You’ve given us our world back.’

He shook his head. ‘We all made it happen, and it’s only the beginning.’

They kissed and stood in a close embrace away, their gaze on the miraculous sight, not caring one iota that they were getting soaked.

The Sable Group’s Oracle materialized beside the couple, her holographic form flickering in the precipitation. ‘The process is stabilizing,’ she reported. ‘We can expect sustained rainfall for the next few days.’

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