"What?" she muttered, cheeks slightly pink.


    I hesitated for half a second before reaching out and patting her head. Just once.


    "You''re cute when you''re mad," I said.


    Emily smacked my arm, but not before I saw the smallest twitch of a smile.


    Then I felt Emily’s arm slip around my waist.


    I glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you were mad at me."


    She smirked, tilting her head just enough to brush her lips against my jaw. "Mmm," she mused, her voice teasing. "I still am. A little."


    My hand instinctively found her hip, my fingers pressing into the curve. "Oh, really?"


    She hummed, leaning in, just close enough to make me desperate for more. "I like watching you squirm."


    Fucking hell. I had never wanted privacy more.


    <hr>


    The Peregrine jolted as I steered it over another boulder, the suspension groaning under the weight of the terrain. It was hard to find a route forward, the forest ground was shit. Twisting, uneven, riddled with roots and loose rock. I had to keep both hands tight on the wheel, but even then, it was a fight. Whoever colonized this planet would have their work cut out for them.


    Emily sat beside me, quiet, her arms folded, gaze distant.


    Yeah. She was still pissed. Had a nasty bitch face on, as though she wanted me to comment on it. So I took the bait.


    I exhaled through my nose, watching the way her fingers drummed against her knee. Measured. Tense. Like she was holding something back.


    I glanced at her between turns. “Emily, can we talk about it?”


    She didn’t look at me, just let out a breath that was almost a laugh, except there was no humor in it.


    “It’s not just about the portals, Luca.” Her voice was steady, but I knew her well enough to hear the weight behind it. “It’s the way you went through with it without really… listening to me. When you do that, it...” She hesitated, her fingers curling slightly. “It brings up a lot of old shit.”


    I frowned, focusing back on the road. “What do you mean?”


    She stared ahead, her jaw tightening. “My dad left when I was a kid. One day he was there. Then he wasn’t.” She shook her head. “After that, I spent years feeling like I didn’t matter. Like my voice didn’t matter. I don’t ever want to feel like that again.”


    A sharp pang hit my chest. I knew Emily’s parents had split, but she’d never said much about it. Now, suddenly, it all made sense, why she got so pissed when I ignored her warnings, why she needed to be heard.


    “I didn’t realize it was like that for you,” I said carefully. “Em, I swear, it’s not that I don’t value what you say. I just, I was focused on what we needed to do.”


    She finally turned to me, her eyes sharp. “But that’s the thing, Luca. You’re the captain. You make the calls. And I trust you.” Her voice softened, just a little. “But I also need to know you trust me, too.”


    Shit.


    I swallowed, gripping the wheel a little tighter. That one stung, because she was right. I hadn’t meant to dismiss her, but that’s exactly what I’d done.


    The Peregrine jerked over another ridge, sending her leaning against my shoulder for half a second. I took the opportunity and let my hand drop to her thigh, squeezing gently.


    “I do trust you,” I said. “I just… didn’t think about it like that. I should have.”


    She exhaled, her tension easing just slightly.


    “This isn’t just about me, Luca.” She turned back to the window, watching the trees blur past. “You saw what happened to Chris. You saw what’s happening to this planet. This System bullshit has changed everything. And now, it’s not just portals, it’s the wildlife, the environment, everything. We don’t know how dangerous it’s going to get.” She let out a quiet laugh, but there was no amusement in it. “You think I want to lose anyone else? You think I can?”


    Ah. There it was.


    I ran a hand through my hair, my chest tightening. Her team, our team, wasn’t just some crew to her. They were her real family, the one she’d built for herself. The thought of losing them? Losing me? It scared the shit out of her.


    I swallowed hard and nodded. “I get it.”


    “I love how reckless you are, Luca,” she admitted, shaking her head. “You make me feel alive. But sometimes, I just need to know you see me in all of it, too.”


    Silence settled between us, just the hum of the engine and the scrape of tires against stone.


    Then, after a long moment, I smirked. “So… what you’re saying is, you actually like me being reckless. You just want me to run my crazy plans by you first?”


    My grip tightened on her leg, my heartbeat picking up. Damn.


    Then she sighed dramatically, glancing at me from under her lashes. “Maybe, just maybe, next time, you could talk to me before you activate something that turns the whole planet into a goddamn video game?”


    Stolen novel; please report.


    I laughed under my breath, lifting her hand to my lips and brushing a kiss over her knuckles. “I’ll try to behave.”


    “Liar.”


    “Yeah.”


    This time, when she leaned into me, she didn’t pull away. And just like that, we were okay again. For now.


    <hr>


    A voice broke through my focus.


    “Luca?” Emily. Her voice was calm but firm. I had zoned out as the hours passed, maneuvering through the terrain, and met her eyes from across the cockpit. “We’re coming up on a clearing. Might be a good time to stretch, check the route.”


    I pulled the Peregrin to a stop, its engine cutting off with a sputtering groan that left the clearing quiet. The kind of quiet that settles in your bones and reminds you how far from home you really are.


    I stretched my arms over my head, feeling the stiffness in my shoulders ease as I leaned back against the seat. Two days of driving across alien terrain wasn’t exactly a joyride, but at least the navigation software said we were making progress.


    The crew stirred around me, groaning and unbuckling like we hadn’t just been on another world for weeks already. The stillness outside was strange, almost too quiet, but a quick glance at our remote sensors confirmed the good news: no portals in sight.


    We had miles of nothing between us and the nearest one, which meant, for once, we might actually get to breathe. No mobs, no chaos. Just us and this weird, beautiful planet.


    “Finally,” Ryan muttered, rubbing his eyes as he leaned back in his seat. “A little peace and quiet. No screeching mobs, no wild beasts. I might actually sleep tonight.”


    “Yeah, unless something decides to sneak up on us while we’re drooling on our pillows,” Joey said, unbuckling and stretching. “Always the quiet places, you know?”


    “Don’t jinx it, Joey,” Zoe said, grabbing her pack from the overhead compartment. “I’m claiming this as our one safe spot, and I’m not letting you ruin it.”


    I was about to chime in when Emily leaned over, her green eyes sparkling. “Hey, Luca. Did you catch that in the last scan? Waterfall nearby. I think we need to check it out. Stretch our legs, splash around a little. What do you think?”


    For a second, my brain flicked back to our summers back in Sandworth Falls, New Hampshire, back before everything changed. That waterfall. The one buried in the forest, where the air always smelled like pine and wet stone, where we’d spend whole afternoons leaping off the rocks into the lagoon below, screaming like idiots. Hot sun, cold water, lazy picnics on smooth boulders with Emily, Ryan, Danny, Zoe, and so many of our friends, before we all had responsibilities. Before the System arrived.


    I smiled, shaking my head. “Of course you’re thinking about a waterfall. Alright, fine. We’ll make camp here, and whoever wants to play tourist can head that way. But someone’s still setting a perimeter.” I threw a pointed glance at Ryan, but he just grinned like the jackass he was.


    Zoe didn’t wait for another word. She was already out of the Peregrine, slinging her rifle over one shoulder and heading straight for the treeline. “I’m going,” she called over her shoulder. “If it’s anything like that last spring we found, I’m not missing it.”


    Danny scrambled out after her, almost tripping over his own boots in his eagerness. “Wait up! You need someone to watch your back, right?”


    Ryan snorted, shaking his head as he stepped out into the clearing. “Yeah, sure, Danny. I’m sure it’s all about safety and not the fact that you’re hoping Zoe finally lets you hold her hand.”


    Danny flipped him off without turning around, his pace quickening as Zoe laughed and kept walking.


    I caught the glint in Ryan’s eye, and yeah, I could tell he wasn’t as cool about this as he pretended to be. The guy had been stringing Zoe along for months, whether he realized it or not, and now that Danny was stepping up, it was killing him. Good. Maybe he’d learn not to be such a cockblock.


    <hr>


    As the rest of us started unloading gear, Emily leaned in close to me, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Hey, maybe we should hold off on the waterfall for a bit.”


    I frowned, glancing at her. “Why? I thought you were all about it.”


    “I am,” she said, her lips curving into one of those knowing smiles that usually meant trouble. “But, you know... Danny and Zoe. I think they could use a little time to themselves. We’ll get our turn later.”


    It took me a second, but the gears finally clicked into place. My brow furrowed, then I gave a slow nod. “Oh... right. Yeah, okay. We can wait.” I had no idea what exactly they’d get up to, but I wasn’t stupid. If Zoe was dragging Danny along with that gleam in her eye, they weren’t going to be focusing on alien wildlife.


    Emily laughed softly, patting my arm. “You’re cute when you’re clueless, you know that?”


    “Thanks... I think,” I muttered, shaking my head but grinning. “Alright, fine. Let’s give them some space. Ryan can wait his turn to ruin their vibe later.”


    We stepped out of the Peregrine, the forest air cool against my skin as we made our way toward the others. Ryan and Joey were already unloading the perimeter sensors, Ryan muttering something about how the stakes never went in straight.


    “Need a hand?” I asked, walking up to Joey.


    “Yeah, here,” Joey said, passing me one of the compact sensor units. “Set this one by those rocks over there. If anything bigger than a squirrel comes near camp, it’ll trip the alert.”


    “Got it.” I took the sensor and started toward the rocks, the quiet buzz of camp life behind me. Part of me was relieved to let Danny and Zoe have their time, but a tiny part couldn’t help feeling a bit envious. They had their moment, their escape. Me? I was Captain Sensible, stuck with perimeter duty.


    “Next time,” I muttered, placing the sensor down and watching its tiny red light blink to life. “Next time, I’m sneaking off with Emily first.”


    <hr>


    Ryan was on the other side, tinkering with another sensor. “Let’s just hope we don’t have to use them. I’d rather enjoy a quiet night for once.”


    I shot him a look as I adjusted the last sensor by the rocks. “Says the guy who spent the last two days complaining about how boring things have been. Make up your mind, man.”


    Emily walked by, arms full of gear, passing a camping chair to Ryan before heading toward the edge of the clearing. She glanced back, smirking. “You know, for once, I’m with Ryan. A quiet night sounds perfect. Besides, the map says we’re clear, so I’m going to trust it. Not that we have a choice.”


    As we worked, the conversation shifted, circling back to Chris, still laid up in the Peregrine’s medical pod. “How’s he doing?” Ryan asked, glancing toward the med bay, where the faint hum of the pod was the only sign of life. “Think he’ll be back on his feet soon?”


    “Should be,” Joey said, his tone brightening. “The med pod’s worked miracles. The scans say his arm’s almost fully healed. Just needs a few more hours, and he’ll be good as new.”


    “Good,” I said, stepping back and folding my arms as I surveyed the camp. “I’ve been missing his terrible jokes. The sooner he’s back, the sooner we can start ragging on him about being the first one to get hit.”


    Ryan chuckled, leaning on his knees. “Yeah, poor guy. He’s never gonna live that down. First major injury on New Dawn, and it’s because he couldn’t dodge a bug. Classic.”


    “Cut him some slack,” Joey said, shaking his head but smiling. “The guy did get his arm melted. I’d say that earns him a little sympathy.”


    “Sympathy?” Ryan said, feigning shock. “What’s that? This is New Dawn. We heal fast, then we roast each other. That’s the rule.”


    As the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows through the trees, I glanced around the camp, taking it all in. Ryan was fiddling with the stove, looking like he was trying to perfect some masterful recipe with our shitty rations. Joey was off by the perimeter sensors, checking them for what had to be the fifth time, like he didn’t trust the damn things to keep us safe.


    Emily was adjusting the spotlights; her attention to detail was ridiculous but kind of endearing. She shifted one just slightly to cast the perfect glow over the camp. It was peaceful, like we’d carved out this tiny little haven in the middle of all the chaos New Dawn could throw at us.


    I knew it wouldn’t last. Peace never did, not for us.


    That’s when the forest went silent--