Stars Asunder: Book 9 in The System Apocalypse by Tao Wong

Author:Tao Wong [Wong, Tao]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LitRPG
Publisher: Tao Wong
Published: 2020-06-30T22:00:00+00:00

***

Morning light peeks out from the horizon, slowly working its way up. I know the dawn will be on us quickly now that the sun has begun its rise. Daylight comes fast on this planet, at least this time of year. The planet’s second moon hangs overhead, glittering with sunlight. After the ball, we’d used a public Portal to hop back to Pauhiri just so that we could rest in peace. Even if the residence they’ve given me isn’t mine, we’ve taken steps to fortify its security.

Turning from the windows—which are already darkening at my behest—I stare at my companion. Her eyes are closed, her breathing deep and even. There’s a smell coming from her body—flowery and light with that hint of nutmeg that I’ve realized is all hers. I know it’s a tech upgrade, nanites working deep within to ensure her olfactory residue is pleasant for her companion. Have to admit, it works. But her hair is disarrayed, coral ears twisted, sheets carelessly discarded with a single foot out. So different from my other companions.

Roxley would be out of bed already, on his neural link and notification screens, working hard as he stretched out muscles. Every moment, every second packed with work and Leveling. Of course, he’d stop the moment he realized I was awake, to join me for breakfast or a meal. But he’d always have that hint of impatience as he longed to get back to work. Impatient to get back to Leveling, to rebuilding his prestige, his people that he’d once failed.

Lana was a morning person too, but she loved lounging in bed. She’d work because she felt it was necessary, because people counted on us. But she’d do it in bed, hair disarrayed, that bountiful, curly red mop of hers splayed around the pillows. If we had any. The gods know, we spent more of our time moving from city to city, fighting monsters, than staying in a single bed. Our times together were rushed, intense… and often heart-breaking in their tenderness.

As for Catrin, it’s lovely. She’s athletic, skilled, and willing to give time and patience. Willing to let me set the tone of our relationship, while insisting on lazing around, sleeping in late. For all that, there’s a distance between us. One I’m not sure either of us really wants to bridge. Our time together is lovely, it’s professional, but it’s not real. What we have, it lies between a one-night stand and a relationship. And if I was the kind of person who brooded about relationships, I’d be concerned about it.

But…

Yeah, fine. I do, but only mildly. Too much of my mind, too much of my life is caught up in other pressures. Like the nosebleed I woke up to as my mind continued to process the library. I had to discard the pillow, store it away to hide the evidence.

“Morning.” Catrin greets me with a smile and a quick kiss. It’s minty and fresh, unlike my own. Nanites again. But she doesn’t complain about my breath.

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