Chapter 249: Stargazing [Edited]
By nine in the evening, the thick canopy of coastal banyan trees had given way to open scrub and broad stone ledges overlooking the ocean.
Far below, the Sovereign Crest Compound looked like a cluster of tiny glowing lanterns scattered along the edge of the dark water, while the wind swept freely across the summit and carried the distant crash of waves up from the cliffs.
Julie marched near the front of the hiking column, balancing a wide-angle astrophotography rig on her shoulder while waving a red-filtered flashlight.
"We’re right on time!" Julie said, practically bouncing as she adjusted the astrophotography rig on her shoulder. "The Perseus-Delta shower should start any minute. Look at that sky! If the clouds stay away, I’m getting the shot of my life tonight."
"You said that about the sunset market, Julie, and you ended up filming forty minutes of a boiling soup pot," Vixen noted, walking alongside her with hands resting casually in her track jacket pockets.
"That soup was beautiful!" Julie shot back.
The summit of the atoll opened into a wide, windswept plateau bordered by a low wooden safety rail.
At the northern edge stood an old, open-sided timber pavilion topped with weathered slate shingles, built decades ago as a scenic lookout.
Above them, the night sky was vast, clear, and completely devoid of artificial light, a sprawling dome of ink and shimmering stardust.
Katie ran straight to the timber rail, pointing up with both hands. "Look! The stars are already blinking! Do you think one will fall into the ocean so we can fish it out with a net?"
"Most of them burn up before they reach the ground. And if one actually fell into the ocean, I doubt your little fishing net would survive."
Katie puffed out her cheeks. "Big brother always ruins everything."
"For your safety," Nicholas replied mildly.
Marina stepped between them with a warm smile, gently adjusting the hood of Katie’s fleece jacket.
"Alright, space explorers, let’s set up the blankets before the first shooting star arrives."
For the next twenty minutes, the plateau was filled with quiet chatter. They spread woven mats across the smooth rock face, sharing thermoses of hot ginger tea and sweet almond biscuits.
Then, right on cue at nine-forty, the first streak of brilliant emerald-white fire cut across the upper atmosphere, leaving a glowing trail that lingered against the void for two full seconds.
Katie gasped in pure delight, clapping her mittens together as three more meteors rained down in rapid succession, painting the dark sky with brief, dazzling arcs of light.
While everyone’s eyes were fixed on the heavens, Julie caught Marina’s eye and gave a subtle, double-blink signal.
Marina glanced at Katie and suddenly stood. "Come on, sweetheart. I think you left your scarf at the rest station."
Katie looked down at the perfectly warm scarf already wrapped around her neck. "But I’m wearing one."
"A thicker one."
"Why?"
"Because I said so. Don’t want you catching a cold" Marina said smoothly. "Nectron, could you carry the heavy thermos down for us? The path is dark."
"On it," Nectron rumbled, grabbing the stainless-steel container.
Julie immediately stood as well. "And I need to check something at the halfway hut."
Vixen sighed. "You don’t need to check anything."
"I suddenly do." Julie chimed with urgency, packing her spare lens caps into her satchel.
"Vixen, come with me, I need your help with something."
Before Selena could say a word, the five of them were already disappearing down the rocky stairs, their voices fading into the rustle of the night wind.
"Wait, take the main lantern—" Selena started, taking a step forward.
"We have the flashlight! Enjoy the meteors!" Julie’s voice echoed up the rocks, followed by the rapid, deliberate patter of feet hurrying away.
Selena stopped at the edge of the stairs, looking down into the dark trail, then turned back toward the plateau where Nicholas still stood by the railing, completely unbothered.
Nicholas watched them disappear down the trail and took another sip of tea. "They’re not coming back."
Selena stared after them. "You think?"
"Marina isn’t subtle. Neither is Julie. They’ve obviously been setting us up together, at this point we can only play along"
Selena pressed two fingers against her forehead, letting out an exasperated breath that misted in the crisp air. "They didn’t even try to make it believable."
"I guess you could say they’re committed to their goal."
Selena walked over to the open timber pavilion, leaning against one of the cedar support pillars. A sudden gust of wind swept across the plateau, whistling through the eaves.
The temperature had dropped sharply with the open skies, and Selena pulled her thin knit cardigan tighter around her arms, shivering slightly as the chill bit through the fabric.
Nicholas walked into the pavilion. Without a word, he unzipped his heavy jacket, slipped it off his broad shoulders, and stepped behind her, draping the thick, insulated garment over her frame.
The jacket was warm, carrying the faint, comforting scent of sandalwood and cedar.
It was far too large for her, the hem falling past her hips and the sleeves swallowing her hands, but the trapped heat immediately cut the wind’s bite.
Selena looked down at the dark fabric, then up at him, her eyes softening under the starlight. "You’ll freeze, Nicholas."
"I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I don’t catch cold easily."
Selena pulled the lapels snug around her neck, sliding onto the wooden bench beside him. The close quarters shielded them from the wind, leaving only the quiet rustle of the surrounding palms and the distant, rhythmic crash of the waves far below.
Another brilliant cluster of meteors streaked across the dark expanse, casting silver reflections across the water.
Selena watched the falling stars in silence for a long time, her hands buried inside the deep pockets of his jacket.
"Nicholas," she said softly, her voice carrying a quiet weight that broke through the wind.
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever thought about what comes after all this?"
Nicholas tilted his head slightly, looking out at the endless horizon. "After what?"
"After the Association. If the impures no longer existed" Selena turned her gaze to him, studying his sharp, unmoving face, "You cleared your name. Larry’s case is a stalemate. Once we find Specimen B and secure your sisters... what happens next?."
Nicholas went quiet.
Nicholas was quiet for a while. He had spent most of his life treating the future as something that existed only beyond the next contract. Retirement had once meant money, anonymity, and a house where nobody knew his name. Anything beyond that had never seemed worth planning for.
He looked down at his hands resting on his knees, then at the woman sitting beside him, wrapped in his coat, looking at him with genuine, unarmored care.
"I used to think my only objective was thirty million in an offshore account and a small house where no one knew my name," Nicholas said, his voice deep and unhurried. "A clean break. No ties, no noise."
"And now?" Selena asked, her breath catching slightly.
Nicholas turned his dark blue eyes to meet hers under the starlight.
"Now Katie wants to learn how to swim in the deep cove. Marina wants to open that spice shop she’s been talking about. And..." Nicholas glanced toward the ocean, the corner of his lips lifting into the faintest, softest trace of a smile. "I’ve realized thirty million dollars doesn’t make an empty house any less empty." Nicholas murmured.
He leaned back against the timber post, his shoulder brushing lightly against hers.
""Once the duplicate is dealt with, I’m buying a place here," Nicholas said. "Somewhere with a large kitchen for Marina, a garden for Katie, and a private dock."
Selena looked down at the wooden floorboards, a sudden, quiet ache of longing pulling at her chest.
"Sounds peaceful. Just the three of you."
"Four," Nicholas corrected smoothly.
Selena froze. She lifted her head, her dark eyes wide as she looked at him. "Four?"
"Yeah. I might have to consider getting married. Marina and Katie won’t let me hear the end of it if I don’t."
Selena’s face went red instantly, "Getting married?! You mean... you’re actually thinking about it?" Selena blurted, her face flushing even deeper. "To who?"
"Isn’t it obvious? I mean, who have they been setting me up with this entire vacation?" Nicholas asked, staring at Selena’s flushed face that seemed to get even redder with every passing second.
"Y-you c-can’t be serious! There’s no way I’ll agree to that!" She stuttered completely flustered.
But Nicholas said nothing. He simply looked at her, his deep blue eyes holding hers until Selena’s protest died somewhere in her throat.
Nicholas took a step closer, watching the color spread across her face. Selena instinctively leaned back, swallowing nervously, her eyes still locked with his.
"You can’t say that when you haven’t seen the files yet. Don’t worry, I’ll pay well. I just want to have you around."
The reddish tint on Selena’s face vanished instantly. Before Nicholas could react, she drove a sharp punch into his shoulder.
"Ouch" he grunted.
"Stupid brat. You can keep your money" She said storming off without another word.
His grunt turned into an amused chuckle as he watched her storm away. "Silly Supervisor." Nicholas shook his head, straightening as another meteor streaked across the sky.