Youri woke to silence.
For several seconds he didn't move.
His eyes stared upward as his mind slowly caught up with his body.
Then memory came rushing back.
The Hound.
The Trident.
The burning plasma tail piercing through NOIR's cockpit.
The last thing he remembered was the smell of smoke and the taste of blood before darkness swallowed him.
Youri blinked slowly and lifted his hand.
To his surprise, it moved easily.
He flexed his fingers, turning his arm slightly as if testing whether the limb actually belonged to him.
No pain.
Just stiffness.
The doctors had clearly done more than simple treatment.
But as soon as his feet touched the floor, the aftermath of the battle hit him all at once.
Not physical pain.
Something heavier.
The weight of memory.
The faces of pilots who had died in that battle.
The Terrian ships destroyed by the Hound.
The beam that had carved through the battlefield.
Youri slowly lowered his head, pressing his hand against his face as he exhaled deeply.
That was when the door slid open.
Leonora stepped inside.
She walked slowly toward him, her posture composed but her eyes carefully studying him, as if confirming he was really awake.
Youri looked up.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Leonora reached the bed and sat quietly at the edge.
Youri broke the silence first.
His voice was softer than usual.
"You're mad I sent you back to Central… aren't you?"
Leonora stared at him for a second.
Then a faint smile appeared on her face.
"Yes… and no."
Youri tilted his head slightly.
"But what's really bothering me now," she continued quietly, "is something else."
Youri frowned.
"What is it?"
Leonora took a slow breath before answering.
"We've been called to a council meeting."
Youri leaned back slightly.
"Already?"
Leonora nodded.
"It's about the incident."
Her voice grew more serious.
"The intruders managed to pass through the Catacomb defense grid and land on one of the nodes."
Youri's eyes narrowed.
Leonora continued.
"From the information we've gathered so far, it's still not clear what exactly they took. But something was removed from the node's inner systems."
Youri's expression darkened.
"And the council thinks—"
"That they were after the Catacomb infrastructure itself," Leonora finished.
Youri ran his hand through his hair slowly.
"If someone understands how the Catacombs function… they could bypass planetary defenses."
Leonora nodded.
"Or prepare for a future invasion."
The room fell quiet.
Youri leaned forward and pressed his palm against his forehead.
"And this had to happen while I was in charge."
Leonora immediately leaned closer and gently placed both hands on his face, forcing him to look at her.
"This is not your fault."
Her voice was firm.
"This was a deliberate attack."
Youri studied her eyes.
"Planned."
"Yes."
"And most likely an inside job."
Youri reached up and lightly touched her hand.
"I guess that means we just have to find whoever did it."
For a brief moment Leonora didn't respond.
Then something changed in her expression.
A hesitation.
"You need to recover first," she said quickly. "We'll deal with that later."
Youri noticed the shift immediately.
But he didn't press further.
Not yet.
Another week passed.
Youri's recovery shocked the medical staff. Injuries that should have taken months to heal had disappeared within days. By the end of the week he was already cleared for travel.
Which meant there was no avoiding the council meeting.
The destination was Batuzane.
On the day of their departure, Youri and Leonora boarded a diplomatic transport bound for the planet.
The journey was quiet.
Too quiet.
Youri noticed Leonora watching the stars outside the viewing window for most of the flight.
She seemed distant.
Finally he spoke.
"What's with that look you've had lately?"
Leonora didn't answer immediately.
Then she turned toward him.
"I think we should take a break from royal duties."
Youri blinked.
"For a while."
Youri frowned slightly.
"Is this because of the incident?"
Leonora looked at him steadily.
"Why isn't that enough of a reason?"
Youri leaned back in his seat.
I have survived worse."
Leonora's eyes sharpened.
"Barely."
Youri sighed.
"That's the job."
"That job almost killed you."
The tension between them suddenly thickened.
Youri straightened slightly.
"And what do you expect us to do?" he asked. "Just walk away?"
Leonora crossed her arms.
"Yes."
Youri stared at her.
"You can't be serious."
"I'm completely serious."
"We have responsibilities."
"And we also have a life," Leonora shot back.
Youri shook his head.
"You're talking about abandoning everything You have worked for."
"I'm talking about surviving long enough to enjoy it!"
Her voice rose slightly before she forced herself to calm down.
For several seconds neither of them spoke.
Finally Youri sighed again.
"You're scared."
Leonora didn't deny it.
"Yes."
The honesty in her voice caught him off guard.
"I almost watched you die," she said quietly.
"And if that had happened…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
Youri leaned forward slightly.
"We can't run from this."
Leonora looked away toward the window again.
"I'm not asking you to run."
"Then what are you asking?"
Her voice dropped almost to a whisper.
"Just… stop fighting for a while."
Youri watched her carefully.
Then he nodded slowly.
"We'll talk about it after the council meeting."
Leonora didn't look convinced.
But she didn't argue further.
Hours later their transport landed in Batuzane.
Waiting for them at the landing platform was a familiar figure.
Roland.
The moment he saw them exit the ship, his face lit up.
"Finally!"
He rushed forward immediately.
"I haven't seen you two in months!"
Leonora barely had time to react before Roland wrapped her in a tight hug.
"I missed you!"
She laughed softly despite herself.
"Roland—"
Then he turned toward Youri and pulled him into a hug as well.
"And you!"
Youri smiled faintly.
"Good to see you too."
But Roland noticed something.
The moment he stepped back, his cheerful expression faltered slightly.
To the citizens of Batuzane, the incident above Terria had been kept quiet.
Most people believed it was simply another border conflict.
Only a few knew the truth.
And Roland could see the weight of it written clearly on their faces.
He didn't ask about it.
Instead he gestured toward the vehicle.
"Well," he said with forced enthusiasm.
"Looks like the council's waiting."
Youri and Leonora exchanged a brief glance.
The meeting ahead would decide more than they realized.
And neither of them knew yet—
that the events above Terria were only the beginning.