Page 67 of New World

Unlike the artificial brightness of the Legion-controlled cities, Kryla’s lighting was soft, warm, and intimate—angled downward or close to the ground, creating an otherworldly ambiance. Bioluminescent lanterns hung from metal poles, casting soft gold and green light onto the stone-paved walkways.

The marketplace was in full swing, despite the late hour. Merchants hawked their wares in a dozen languages, some human, others deep-throated or insectile. Exotic fabrics hung from wooden stalls, shimmering like liquid under the lights. The scent of grilled meats and sweet pastries drifted through the air, mingling with the smoky spice of incense from an apothecary’s corner stand.

Mei weaved through the crowd with practiced ease, her senses attuned to every detail. The soft clink of credits exchanged. The low murmur of negotiations. The sound of children laughing as they darted between adults, playing a game of chase.

She paused near a rising staircase, her fingers brushing the worn stone railing before leaping onto the roof of a low building. The settlement’s architecture was compact, built for efficiency against the sandstorms. The rooftops connected in sections, forming a natural pathway for anyone skilled enough to navigate them.

From this vantage point, Kryla stretched before her like an ancient maze, bathed in the golden hues of its ground-lit streets and the stark white glow of its landing pads. The stars above shimmered in breathtaking clarity, unpolluted by city lights.

Mei leaned against a metal cooling vent, tilting her head back to stare at the cosmic expanse overhead.

An alien world… in a galaxy far from Earth.

Sometimes it still didn’t feel real.

She had grown up beneath artificial lighting, surrounded by reinforced steel walls, training for battles that had nothing to do with the universe beyond them. But this—this was different. Out here, in the vast unknown, she was free.

Her thoughts drifted to Dorane.

His quiet confidence. His teasing. The way he pushed her buttons just enough to make her want to shove him… or kiss him.

I enjoy being with him.

The realization hit her harder than she’d expected. She wasn’t just attracted to him—she trusted him. She liked him. She felt safe in his presence in a way she never had with anyone but the crew of the Gliese.

Was she ready to promise him something more than this moment?

Would he be?

Mei exhaled, shaking her head. It wasn’t the time to get lost in what ifs. Not when there was still a threat looming over them.

The settlement was unfamiliar. She needed to know its escape routes, its blind spots, its weaknesses. Zoak was still out there.

She couldn’t afford to be careless.

As she scanned the crowd, a ship descended toward the docks, its engines humming as it lowered onto one of the outer landing pads. New arrivals. Potential threats.

Mei was about to move when a familiar shape caught her eye.

A tall, hooded figure wove through the crowd with effortless grace, his movements fluid, precise. Mei’s body went still, instincts kicking in.

Zoak.

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

The Turbinta assassin was here.

She tracked his movement, her muscles coiling in anticipation. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry, but there was purpose in the way he moved—cutting through the shifting masses with predatory ease.

Mei followed from the rooftops as far as she could, leaping silently across the narrow gaps between buildings. When the structures grew too distant, she descended into the street, seamlessly merging into the crowd.

Zoak slowed.

As if… sensing her.

Mei ducked behind a merchant’s cart, pretending to inspect a rack of dark red fabric. The moment Zoak turned forward again, she resumed her pursuit, closing the distance.

He knows someone’s watching.

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