Page 136 of The Alien in the Archive

The words hang heavy in the air, and I hear a faint intake of breath from somewhere in the crowd.

“Our people lost the Trinity—the Nyeri’i homeworlds—because we failed to act soon enough,” Rhyss continues, his voice steady, measured. “We silenced dissenters. We let them disappear because their ideas were inconvenient, and when the Borean Empire came for us, we were too fractured to defend ourselves.”

He sighs, shaking his head.

“This,” Rhyss says, gesturing toward me, “is not an easy choice. Thorne Valtheris was complicit through his silence, as were many. But history requires context. And Lady Seviris has shown us that our understanding of interspecies relations—particularly Merati-Borean alliances—was far morecomplex than we’ve allowed ourselves to believe. Knowledge like this cannot be ignored.”

He turns his head slightly, his gaze flicking—just for a second—and I follow his gaze to see Page’s friend Lyn Walker, who’s seated near the back of the chamber. She’s watching him closely, her hands balled into fists on her lap, her face ashen.

“And sometimes,” Rhyss adds, almost reluctantly, “the younger generation reminds us of things we would rather forget.”

I blink. I never thought I’d hear anything like that from him.

But I understand…because Page has taught me more than I ever imagined I could know.

Kyral inclines his head, as though satisfied. “The Tribunal has taken Professor Rhyss’s proposal under careful consideration. We agree that, under strict supervision, Thorne Valtheris’s knowledge represents an unparalleled opportunity for historical scholarship. His failure to act against the crimes of the Borean Empire does not excuse those crimes, but his testimony may yet serve a greater purpose.”

His gaze shifts back to me, and for the first time, I see something more than judgment in his pale silver eyes. Curiosity. Interest.

“Thorne Valtheris,” Kyral says, “you are hereby remanded to the supervision of Professor Davina Ferhalda. Your movements will be restricted, and you will submit to regular oversight by Library Security. Your purpose is clear: to assist in the cataloging and contextualization of the Obscuary texts, to provide testimony of your experience during the Convergence, and to contribute to a broader understanding of the Borean Empire’s history.”

The guards step forward, unlocking the cuffs from my wrists.

And suddenly—suddenly—the silence that has plagued me for hours is gone.

I stagger slightly, the sudden rush of sensation hitting me all at once. The bond roars back to life like a dam breaking, overwhelming me with warmth, with light, withher.

Thank God, oh fucking thank God…

Page’s thoughts fills my mind, profane as always, and I inhale sharply, as though I’ve been drowning and finally broken through the surface.

I can’t stop myself. My feet move before I realize what I’m doing. The guards move to stop me, but they’re too slow–and I’m across the chamber in seconds.

Page is already on her feet, her hands reaching for me before I even get there. I catch her around the waist and pull her close. I can hear the vague thoughts of others in the room, the judgments and the condemnations, but I just don’t care.

“Thorne,” she breathes, her voice trembling. She pulls away slightly to cup my face in her hands as she meets my gaze. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and her smile is wobbly, but it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. “We’re okay?”

I swallow hard. “We’re okay.”

The world around us doesn’t matter. The Tribunal’s murmurs, the scholars watching, the tension still lingering in the air—it all fades to nothing.

This isn’t over.

The thought cuts through the moment, harsh and real. I know it as well as she does. Kyral’s compromise keeps me out of a cell, but it doesn’t set me free. I’m on borrowed time, watched, judged at every step.

But I don’t care.

We’re together.

I pull her close again, holding her like I can keep the rest of the world at bay. My body aches, my mind feels bruised,and my past still looms behind me like a shadow I can never quite escape.

But in this moment, her warmth anchors me.

I’m not alone anymore…and with Page, I know I never will be again.

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