Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

The air in Vera's bedroom felt heavy, charged with the weight of an ending no one wanted to name.

Syn stood before a long mirror, his fingers fumbling with the buttons of his old Kingdom soldier's uniform.

The olive fabric clung to his shoulders, he looked like what he was a few month ago. But only this time, he was on the other side.

Aster paced the room, her blonde ponytail swaying with each restless step. Her teal eyes darted between Syn and the floor, as if memorizing him might keep him here.

"This is a mistake," she said breaking the uncomfortable silence, her voice sharp but trembling at the edges. "You should not go, this is like walking into a blackhole, suicidal."

Syn's hands paused, his hazel gaze meeting hers in the mirror's reflection. "It's not a mistake Aster," he said, firm but gentle. "I have to do this, now, before it's too late."

Pako, sprawled across the bed with her tan legs dangling, clutched a crumpled piece of paper—the contract she'd made him sign.

Her dark eyes glinted with defiance as she waved it at Aster. "He's coming back. It's written right here. And if he doesn't…" She grinned, hiding her nervous face, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I've got permission to drag him home—any way I want using any method."

Aster stopped pacing, her lips twitching with a mix of annoyance and envy. "Yeah? Well, I want in on that." She rummaged through Vera's nightstand, tossing aside toys they had planned to use and cuffs but not a sign of the contract paper, or any paper, her movements frantic. "Do you have another paper? Pako, give me one."

"Don't have any," Pako said, her tone teasing but tight. She hugged the contract to her chest like a shield.

Aster groaned, her hands balling into fists.

"Fine. Add my name to it." She shot Pako a look that dared her to argue.

Pako hesitated, her fingers tracing the paper's edge.

For a moment, her bravado faltered, revealing a flicker of fear—she didn't want to share this promise, not even with Aster.

But she relented, scribbling Aster's name in a messy scrawl. "Here," she said, thrusting it toward Syn. "Sign it again."

Syn took the paper, his lips quirking into a half-smile.

"You two worry too much." He scratched his signature beside Aster's name, the pen's scratch loud in the quiet room. But as he handed it back, Aster's words cut through his calm.

"It's not about the promise Syn," she said, her voice low, intense. "It's the fact that we can bring you back—do anything to you—and you can't be mad. We have your consent." Her eyes locked on his, a mix of love and warning, daring him to do anything unwanted.

Syn shivered, a chill snaking down his spine. Had he made a mistake by signing it too quickly without giving it a thought?

He shook the thought off. this was the minimal assurance he could give the girls who care about him so much, turning back to the mirror.

"How do I look?" he asked, smoothing the uniform's collar, looking sharp and ready.

"Like a slave," Pako said immediately without hesitation, her voice flat but biting.

Aster snorted, a reluctant grin breaking through her tension. "Yeah, what she said."

Syn chuckled along with them too, lightening the mood.

Hisssss~

The door hissed open, and the room seemed to still. Vera stepped in, her purple hair catching the dim light, her presence commanding despite the shadows under her eyes.

Behind her, a quieter figure followed—Mia, with her straight white hair cascading over her face, she wore a simple white t-shirt and jeans.

Her beauty was understated, cute but almost ghostly, but her presence carried an edge Syn couldn't place.

"Mia," Syn said, wishing her, his voice softening. A memory of his old crush flickered, but it clashed with the stranger before him, the Mia from his memory was different from the person standing in front of him, he was sure.

Mia bowed slightly, her voice barely above a whisper, her cheeks red. "Hello, Syn." Was it shyness? Guilt for what she did?

He couldn't tell.

Vera's gaze swept the room, lingering on Syn's uniform. "Mia's going with you to the Kingdom," she said, her tone clipped, professional, leaving no room for argument. "She's unrecognized there unlike us. She'll blend in and stay close to you, giving her full support for this mission."

Syn nodded, though questions tugged at him.

Mia, a maid in the Kingdom, yet somehow invisible?

The Mia he'd known had been warm, vibrant. This Mia felt like a shadow, her lowered head hiding secrets.

"Fine," he said, trusting Vera's judgment despite the unease.

Aster and Pako exchanged a glance, their eyes narrowing at Mia.

She was the one who got to go, to stay by Syn's side. The unfairness of it hung unspoken, a bitter thread weaving through their silence.

Vera broke the tension.

"Fifteen minutes," she said, her voice steady and blunt but distant.

"Your ship's ready." Without another word, she turned and left, the door hissed shut behind her, footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Syn faced Aster and Pako, his heart heavy. "I guess… we'll meet soon," he said, trying to sound certain.

They didn't answer.

Aster's jaw tightened, her eyes glistening. Pako stared at the contract, her fingers crumpling its edges.

Syn stepped closer, his hands gentle as he cupped Aster's face, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"Hey, don't be sad. I'll be back." He turned to Pako, kissing her too, her warmth a fleeting anchor.

He waited, hoping they'd join him to the hangar, but they stayed rooted to the places where they sat, their silence louder than words.

Still defiant.

Syn nodded to Mia, and they moved toward the door.

"Syn!" Pako's voice cracked like a whip. He turned back to look at her.

She lunged, grabbing his collar and pulling him into a desperate kiss.

Tears streaked her cheeks—not the wild, reckless Pako, but a raw, vulnerable one, a rarity.

Before he could catch his breath, Aster was there, her arms around him, her lips claiming his in a kiss that tasted of salt and sorrow.

Pako craved more, she climbed him, her legs around his waist, and joined in the kiss, and their kisses merged—clumsy, chaotic, a tangle of love and fear.

Mia stood aside, her shy glances darting between them, an outsider to their storm of emotion.

Syn gently disentangled himself, his voice soft but firm. "Please be safe," Aster whispered, her voice breaking.

"Don't take stupid risks," Pako added, her eyes fierce. "Think of us. Call us. Stay in touch."

"I will," Syn promised, his throat tight. He nodded to Mia, and they stepped into the corridor, the door hissing shut behind them as Aster and Pako followed them too, on either side of his.

The hangar bay hummed with the low thrum of machinery, the stolen Kingdom ship gleaming under harsh lights.

Vera stood by its ramp, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Mia climbed aboard first, taking the pilot's seat with a quiet competence that only deepened Syn's unease.

He approached Vera, his boots heavy on the metal floor.

"Bye, Vera," he said, his voice calm but laced with conviction. "I'll be back soon."

She nodded, her purple eyes meeting his, shimmering with unshed tears. "I'll say this one last time," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't go. Please stay."

Syn shook his head gently. "I am sorry, I can't."

Vera's composure cracked.

She stepped forward, her hands trembling as they reached for him.

Syn closed the distance, his lips finding hers in a kiss that tasted of goodbye. His hands, wrapped her waist.

Vera's tears fell freely now, warm against his cheeks, and she curled her arms around his neck, clinging to him as if she could hold him there forever.

"Be safe," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please."

"I will," he said, pulling back gently, his hands lingering on her shoulders. He offered a small, reassuring smile, then turned to the ship.

Aster and Pako had joined Vera now, standing a few steps behind. Their faces were mirrors of grief—Pako's jaw set, her eyes red; Aster's hands clenched, her lips pressed tight to keep from sobbing.

Syn raised a hand, a final wave, and climbed aboard.

The door slid shut with a hollow clang, sealing him inside with Mia as he sat beside her, buckling the seat belt.

Engines roared to life, a low vibration shaking the ship.

Through the viewport, Syn saw them—Vera, Aster, Pako—still waving, their figures shrinking as the hangar bay's massive doors parted.

The void yawned beyond, stars glinting coldly. The ship lurched forward, sucked into the vacuum, and blasted into the dark.

Syn leaned back in his seat, his heart pounding. Mia sat silent at the controls, her white hair glowing faintly in the console's light.

Ahead lay the Kingdom, a web of danger and deceit.

Behind him, the pirate ship faded into the stars, carrying the women who'd fought to keep him, who'd loved him in their fierce, flawed ways.

He closed his eyes, their faces burned into his mind.

He'd promised to return.