Chapter 2:
The acid rain of the previous night had stopped. The morning light reflected off the glass towers of Aetheria, casting long, golden stripes across the floor of Ryan's apartment. The apartment was on the 79th floor of one of the central hab-stacks, a perch from which the bustling streets below were nearly invisible, reduced to silent, flowing rivers of light from the flying vehicles. Silent, controlled, and tidy—a reflection of Ryan's military life.
Ryan awoke in bed but didn't open his eyes. His body was a map of the previous night's exhaustion and a deep, settled ache. In his right hand, the one he had hidden in his pocket, there was now a dull, persistent throb. It was a silent reminder of the terrifying disease, a shadow that haunted his every moment. But right now, more powerful than the physical pain was the warm presence beside him.
He turned gently. Nyra was fast asleep next to him. Her brown hair was spread across the pillow, a few strands catching the soft morning light as they fell across her face. Her breathing was calm and deep. Looking at her sleeping, innocent face, Ryan's chest filled with an indescribable sense of peace.
This woman was the anchor of his life. In this neon-drenched world of war, death, and destruction, Nyra was his only sanctuary, his stream of calm water. It was for her that Ryan fought this hell every day, with the sole hope of returning to this peaceful harbor at the end of it. He gently reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. At the touch of his fingers, a faint smile graced her lips in her sleep.
A short while later, Nyra's eyelids fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes, her deep brown irises slightly lost at first, then lighting up the moment she saw Ryan.
"Morning, Commander," her voice was sweet, laced with sleep.
"The most beautiful morning I've ever seen," Ryan tried to smile. His own voice was a bit hoarse.
Nyra scooted closer, resting her head on his chest. "You're exhausted. Did you get any sleep?"
"How could I not, with you here?" Ryan deflected. He didn't want her to know about his nightmares, where he repeatedly saw himself lost in a horrific battle of metal and flesh.
Nyra sensed his evasion but didn't press the issue. She could see the dark circles under his eyes and the weariness etched on his face. She gently caressed his cheek. "How was the mission?"
"Easy," Ryan told a bald-faced lie. "A few cyborg punks were making a scene. We went and had a word."
"Hmm, I can tell by the state of your hand," Nyra gestured towards his right hand, which Ryan had tucked under the pillow.
Ryan froze for a second. Had she seen something? But he quickly realized she wasn't talking about the dark patch on his skin, but the stain of dried blood on his knuckles, a souvenir from last night's fight. He forced a laugh. "Well, we had to have a *strong* word."
Nyra sighed. She sat up in bed. "It's this 'strong word' of yours that I'm afraid of. One day, you'll lose yourself in the process." She stood up and walked towards the coffee machine in the corner of the room. "Coffee?"
"From your hands, I'd even drink poison," Ryan said, a playful tone in his voice.
"Then today's your lucky day," Nyra winked at him over her shoulder. "We both have the day off. Any plans, Commander Solas?"
"Just one," Ryan said as he sat up, trying his best to ignore the pain in his right hand. "There is no Commander Solas today. Just Ryan. And his plan is to take his girlfriend to the quietest, most beautiful places in the city. No guns, no explosions, just peace."
The sound and aroma of brewing coffee filled the room. Nyra returned with two mugs, handing one to Ryan before sitting next to him again. As Ryan reached for the coffee mug, he felt that sharp jolt of pain again in his right hand. For a split second, his face contorted, but he smoothed it over instantly. Nyra was sipping her own coffee, so she didn't seem to notice.
"So, just Ryan and Nyra today?" Nyra asked, looking up from her mug, her eyes full of mirth and love.
"Just Ryan and Nyra," Ryan confirmed and took a sip. The hot coffee seemed to melt some of the exhaustion and ice-cold fear settled inside him. He knew this peace was temporary. He knew the shadow inside his body was growing day by day. But this day, this moment, he wanted to live it just for Nyra.
Nyra rested her head on his shoulder. "Then let's see this city anew today. Not through your eyes, not through mine. Through ours."
Ryan placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. He wanted to let himself float in this stream of calm water for just a little longer, forgetting the storm of the world outside.
###
Leaving the safe haven of Ryan's 79th-floor apartment, the two of them entered the bustling skies of Aetheria. They boarded an autonomous sky-cab that flew them through the upper echelons of the city. Below, hundreds of meters deep, was the dark, polluted world of places like Kyto Level-7, where Ryan had fought with death just last night. And above, the corporate towers, luxurious penthouses, and the gleaming, government-controlled world. Ryan stared out the window, always struck by the vast difference between these two worlds. Which one was he fighting for? The glittering lie above, or the hard truth below?
"What are you thinking so hard about?" Nyra asked, gently squeezing his hand.
Ryan turned to her and smiled. "Just thinking that the most beautiful view in this city is sitting right next to me."
A blush spread across Nyra's cheeks. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Flatterer," she whispered.
Their destination was 'The Elysian Bio-Dome.' It was a massive glass sphere in the middle of the city, inside which a piece of perfect, artificial nature had been preserved. As the sky-cab landed on the Bio-Dome's platform, they stepped into a different world.
The air inside was pure, filled with the sweet scent of flowers and the rich aroma of damp earth—a complete contrast to Aetheria's metallic tang. Through the glass ceiling above, a controlled, bright sunlight streamed in. The place was a heaven of glass, crafted with thousands of species of plants, vines, and waterfalls. Programmed butterflies fluttered by on their neon-colored wings, and genetically engineered birds sang sweet melodies.
"Sometimes I can't believe a place like this exists inside this city," Nyra said, looking around with enchanted eyes.
"Places like this exist only because soldiers like us are necessary," Ryan said in a low voice, a hint of melancholy in his tone. He held Nyra's hand tighter. "Come on, let's forget about soldiers and scientists today."
They began to walk, hand in hand. They talked about their past—the story of how they first met at the military academy, where Ryan was a star cadet and Nyra was the girl who scored better than him in strategy class. They talked about their little dreams. Ryan spoke of wanting to build a small house in the mountains, away from the city, after he retired. And Nyra spoke of wanting to create technology that would heal human suffering, not create weapons of war.
Their laughter and conversation brought the serene environment of the Bio-Dome even more to life. In these moments, Ryan forgot the weight of his duty to the EVA, the growing darkness inside his body, and the bloodstains on his hands. Here, he was just a man in love, spending a beautiful day with the person he loved.
They came to the edge of an artificial lake. Bright blue flowers, brought back from Earth's extinct species list, bloomed near the water. Ryan absentmindedly reached out to pluck one, but Nyra caught his hand.
"They're beautiful here, Ryan," she said in a soft voice. "Let them be."
Ryan looked at her. Her eyes held a deep affection for nature. Ryan pulled back his hand—the hand that was accustomed to destroying, not creating.
As they walked, they moved deeper into a less crowded section of the Bio-Dome. Suddenly, a sharp, knife-like pain shot through Ryan's left leg, just below the knee. The pain was so unexpected and intense that a pained gasp almost escaped his lips.
He couldn't take another step. It felt as if the muscles in his leg were turning to stone. He quickly glanced down. Even through his trousers, he could feel it—that familiar darkish patch was spreading across the skin, just as it had on his hand the night before. This shadow-like disease was now attacking a new part of his body. Panic turned his blood to ice.
"Ryan? What's wrong? Why did you stop?" Nyra's voice was filled with concern. She was looking at his paling face.
Ryan quickly composed himself. He tried to keep his expression neutral with every ounce of his willpower. He knew if he stumbled now, Nyra would figure everything out.
"It's nothing," he answered almost immediately, his voice surprisingly calm. He pointed a finger towards a large, strange-looking tree nearby. "Just... I was just looking at that tree. How strange, right? Its leaves are as clear as glass."
It was the first, weakest excuse that came to his mind. But it diverted Nyra's attention. She walked towards the tree, her scientific mind piqued with curiosity. "Oh, that's a Lucida Fibra. Its cellulose structure is crystalline. Imagine that..."
While Nyra was occupied with the tree, Ryan remained rooted to the spot, gritting his teeth. His left leg was going numb, as if it were no longer a part of his own body. He focused all his mental energy on trying to regain control of the limb, on pushing the pain to a corner of his mind. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, completely out of place in the Bio-Dome's cool temperature.
###
Looking into Nyra's concerned eyes, Ryan's heart skipped a beat. He never wanted to lie to those eyes, but now, lies were his only armor. He forced a tired smile onto his face.
"I'm fine, Nyra," he said calmly. "Really. It's just... the exhaustion from last night hitting me all at once. It's the adrenaline crash."
It was a perfect half-truth. He was, indeed, exhausted. Nyra studied his face for a few moments, as if trying to gauge the truth of his words. Ryan felt naked under her gaze. But finally, she let out a small sigh and nodded.
"You need more rest," she said in a soft voice, her concern not yet fully faded. "Come on, that's enough for today. Let's go home."
Ryan felt a wave of relief. He carefully put weight on his left leg. The pain had subsided, but the feeling of numbness lingered. He began to walk as if nothing had happened, every step a severe test of his willpower.
They were mostly silent in the sky-cab on the way back. The cheerful energy from the morning seemed to have been lost in the Bio-Dome's artificial paradise. In its place, a gentle, contemplative silence had settled. Nyra rested her head on Ryan's shoulder, gazing out at the neon-drenched city, while Ryan closed his eyes and tried to focus on the familiar scent of her hair, ignoring the cold current flowing inside his body.
Back at the apartment, they ate dinner—simple noodles and synthetic vegetables they had cooked together. Afterwards, they sat on the sofa. The room's lighting was dim. The massive window offered a view of Aetheria by night—a glittering expanse of countless star-like lights, spreading across an endless metropolis.
Nyra put on one of her favorite old music channels. Soft, synthetic melodies filled the room.
"That house by the mountains," Nyra said suddenly in a low voice, "what would it look like?"
Ryan turned to her, startled. "Which house?"
"The one you said you wanted to build after you retire," Nyra turned to face him, her eyes filled with a dreamy haze. "Tell me. I want to hear."
Ryan was speechless for a moment. How could he speak of a future that wasn't written for him? But looking into Nyra's dreaming eyes, he couldn't say no. The soldier inside him gave him an order: protecting this woman's dream was the most important mission of his life.
He smiled, a sad but warm smile. "The house would be made of wood," he began, his voice deep. "Not some modern polymer or chrome, but real oak. There would be a small porch in the front, where we'll drink coffee and watch the sunrise. Behind the house, there would be a garden for you. You'd plant all your favorite flowers there—blue orchids, glow-tulips, whatever you want."
Nyra listened, mesmerized.
"And there would be a workshop for me," Ryan continued, "where I'd fix broken hover-bikes or old drones. No weapons, just simple machines. In the evenings, we'd sit on the porch, and above us, there would be real stars, far away from the artificial light pollution of Aetheria."
As Ryan described this impossibly beautiful future, the dark patch on his right hand throbbed with a dull ache. He hid it with his other hand. He was painting a picture of a life where there was no shadow of a nameless disease, no inevitable death, no secrets. Only love and peace. Telling this lie was breaking him from the inside.
After he finished, Nyra was quiet for a moment. Then she moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest. "Your dream is beautiful, Ryan."
"Our dream," he corrected her, stroking her hair.
After a while, Ryan felt Nyra's breathing deepen. She had fallen asleep on his chest, lost in the day's exhaustion and the secure dream of their future.
Ryan stared out the window. Nyra was sleeping peacefully on his chest, but Ryan was wide awake. He looked at his right hand. This hand, which touched Nyra with so much love, was the very same one that held a terrible truth. He had sworn to protect her, but how could he protect her from his own body, this greatest of all enemies?
He gently wrapped his arms around her. He felt as if time was running out. But whatever time was left, he would spend every moment of it protecting the smile on Nyra's face. He would not let this stream of calm water run dry, not until the very last drop had evaporated from his life.