Page 73 of New World

Julia let out a soft chuckle, the sound warm and full of amusement, her arms tightening around Mei. “You aren’t the only one who is difficult to kill.”

Mei pulled back just enough to tilt her head up. Julia, several inches taller, was smiling mischievously, her hands resting lightly on Mei’s back, as she asked, “Are you always this heavily armed? Or are we expecting an ambush?”

Mei blinked, then realized what Julia was feeling beneath her cloak—the subtle but unmistakable outline of her weapons.

Mei shook her head playfully. “I see you’ve already forgotten all the defensive training I gave you onboard the Gliese.”

Julia’s eyes gleamed. “Oh, trust me. I haven’t. The kick to the groin? Very effective; thank you for that little lesson.”

Mei laughed, pulling back fully, her gaze flicking to the dark-haired man standing beside Julia. He had an imposing presence, though he radiated a calm, steady intensity rather than raw aggression.

Mei’s brows lifted. “Did you…?”

Julia giggled and shook her head. “No, I didn’t use it on Roan.”

Mei’s eyes widened slightly as realization fully set in. Roan Landais. The son of Coleridge Landais.

In person, he was different from what she’d expected—but there was no mistaking the resemblance to the infamous Legion General.

Julia casually threaded her arm through Mei’s, as if this were any normal reunion, as if they weren’t on an alien planet in the middle of a war. Mei held onto her for a second longer, grounding herself in the miracle that they were here, together, against all odds.

“It’s unbelievable,” Julia murmured, as if reading her thoughts. “The fact that we both survived the Gliese breaking apart, ending up in the same system?” She gave a small shake of her head. “Nothing short of impossible.”

Mei inhaled deeply, still struggling to process it all, then asked the question that had been burning in her mind for months. “Do you know how far we are from Earth?”

Julia’s smile faded slightly. “Not yet.”

Mei hesitated. “Do you want to know?”

Julia’s sharp eyes flicked to her, searching her face. “Do you?”

Mei’s gaze drifted to Dorane, whose eyes held a quiet intensity that made her heart flutter. He held out his hand to her. She didn’t hesitate as she took it and shook her head in response to Julia’s quiet, searching question.

With a gentle smile playing on his lips, Dorane’s other arm encircled her waist, his touch light yet reassuring. Mei felt the warmth of his body, the unspoken promise in the way his fingers curled against her side—but before he could say anything, another voice called out.

A teasing, familiar voice.

“Pandochka.”

Mei stiffened. Her lips parted. She turned toward the ramp of Dorane’s ship?—

“Sergi!” Mei breathed, her heart pounding as she stared up into Sergi’s grinning face.

Sergi stood at the top of the ramp, looking exactly the same—tall, lean, sharp-eyed—with a smirk that could melt glaciers. But he wasn’t alone. A young woman stood beside him, watching with quiet amusement.

Mei couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. For a moment, the entire galaxy felt like it had shrunk down to just him.

Sergi opened his arms, the familiar crooked grin on his lips and affectionate warmth dancing in his eyes. With a sharp intake of breath, Mei launched forward, sprinting toward him.

She didn’t slow down. She didn’t care that they weren’t alone. All of her father’s training about discipline vanished as she hit him at full force, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as she buried her face against his shoulder.

“I hate you,” she muttered against his skin, her voice shaking, her fingers digging into his shirt.

Sergi’s low laughter rumbled through him, and he tightened his grip on her, supporting her easily as he turned in a tight circle.

“I missed you too, Little Panda.”

Mei sniffed hard, blinking rapidly as her chest constricted with emotion too big to name. She pressed her forehead against the curve of his neck, inhaling his scent, his presence, the very essence of home.

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