Endless Evolution: Last Star

Light wind currents, bringing with themselves a refreshing coldness swept across the open lands that could only be found in the Second Ring.

Tree crowns, long branches, and tall grass with the occasional rock scattered on the ground were the only obstacles to the wind, which only directed it forward - towards the massive building that seemed like it shouldn't be there.

Most of the wind currents crashed through the sturdy, impregnable walls to split into smaller streams, bypassing this sturdy fortress.

But, even in the Gray Castle, there were places where the wind could get through.

Whoooooooooosh.

Silvana's tips of black hair rippled slightly as the wind swept over her shoulders. Her eyes reflected the bright moon, like an azure star illuminating the Citadel at night.

She stood on the balcony, practically on top of the Gray Castle. She would be here for the next three months, which was a long time for many things to change.

Silvana knew this well since until a few months ago she had worked as a regular Operator in Fort Norton.

Just as Phantoms didn't immediately get their personal Operators, with a few exceptions, Operators weren't assigned to a particular Phantom right away.

First, they had to work as a full-time Operator to help K0-Phantoms and similar squads. It could be called a traineeship for an Operator that lasted from half a year to 18 months.

If Silvana hadn't been chosen by Adam she would have continued to work as a full-time Operator. Then it was already the seventh month of her traineeship.

Sure, there was nothing wrong with that if the Operator didn't get his Phantom right away. After all, since Silvana was a newbie she was put in line with the more experienced Operators, and that lowered her chances.

She thought she'd get her Phantom in the ninth or eleventh month, somewhere in the middle between the beginning of her traineeship and the end.

In a way, she'd been lucky. Not only did she get her Phantom quickly, but it turned out to be a Natural Phantom, which opened up a bit more secrets for Silvana than other Operators of her level.

Crackle.

The door opened as Adam walked into their room.

"Oh, are you finally done? I thought after you ate the pizza you would go straight to bed, but instead, you guys ran a few more rounds." Silvana said with a slight smile on her face, turning to Adam.

Adam nodded with a bitter smile.

"Yeah, and I lost again. Well, considering how much more time I have, I can definitely win at some point. Hopefully, I'll keep up with the training plan."

Adam waved his hand before collapsing onto the bed, burying his head into the pillow.

Silvana didn't bother to say anything. She didn't want Adam to know that he was ahead of schedule.

If he found out, he would loosen up, and that could negatively affect the whole process.

"Good." Silvana sighed and glanced around their room.

It was more like a large hotel room. They had their bathroom, two large beds, a balcony, and a kitchen.

Moreover, on the balcony was a special area where the drones associated with the Gray Castle could arrive.

Thus, if Silvana or Adam needed something, they could just order it and wait a bit for the delivery.

Even though they were in the middle of nowhere, it was still the Second Ring and part of the Citadel where everything was connected.

Silvana looked at her bed, then at Adam. She sat on the edge of her bed, drew her knees together, and asked in a weak voice: "Adam, what do you plan to do after The Rule of Power?"

Without removing his head from the pillow, Adam said in a muffled voice: "Hm? What do you have in mind? I don't know, I'll have to think about it. I'm busy with training right now."

Silvana bit her lip.

"No, that's not what I'm talking about. It's about Osana. You know that after you win in The Rule of Power it all depends on your decision, right?"

Without waiting for Adam's response, Silvana continued: "So... If you want to, she will become your wife. You... are you going to do that? You want her to be your wife?"

A long pause helped Silvana gather her thoughts.

But... she soon realized that the pause was too long.

Glancing at Adam, she realized that he was already asleep and might not have even heard her last question.

Silvana smiled bitterly as she walked over to Adam and gently covered him with the blanket.

"Right... I'm your Operator and I'm not supposed to interfere in your personal life. Choose whoever you want, I will always support you." Silvana whispered pressing her fist to her chest and clutching the fabric.

Then, she headed to her bed with quiet steps.

Adam saw only darkness in front of him, not because he was asleep, but because his eyes were open staring into the pillow where his face was buried.

Silvana's words stormed through his mind several times before he closed his eyes tightly falling into a deep sleep.

...

At the same time, a little higher up in the Gray Castle, two more persons were preparing for sleep. Their room was at the very top of the Gray Castle, where they had the best view available.

Tron was sitting in a chair, his legs thrown over each other and his eyes focused on the screen, reading something on his tablet.

The only thing that broke the silence was the pleasant sound of water coming from the active shower.

Crackling.

A few minutes later, Riska emerged from the bathroom. The only thing hiding her body was a tightly wrapped towel.

She sat down on the bed and began drying her hair before moving on to methodically combing it.

"The first day went quite well, didn't it?" Riska asked in a soft voice.

Tron, without taking his eyes off his reading nodded.

"Yes. You were right to advise me to go along with it. It's an interesting experience and I can relax properly."

Riska didn't answer anything.

Tron continued reading, immersed in his thoughts.
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But... when a shadow fell over him he had to raise his eyes only to see Riska holding the ends of the towel with her arms spread apart.

Her naked body was fully exposed to Tron's gaze, who despite the situation didn't look surprised.

"Did someone get bored?" Tron asked, setting aside his tablet.

Reading time was coming to an end.

Riska smiled, letting go of the towel, letting it fall to the floor.

"You could say that. After all, why don't we make good use of our free time?"

Tron stood up walked over to Riska and took hold of her hips, lifting her up. It only took Riska a second to cross her legs tightly around Tron, not wanting to let him go.

Their gazes met and Riska whispered:

"You know, the Phantom and the Operator aren't supposed to meet. It's a recommendation of the military and the government."

Tron's gaze grew deeper, looking into Riska's eyes full of desire.

"Fuck them. I won't give up on you because of their weird rules."

Reaching the bed, Tron lowered Riska, climbing on top of her.

"You know, I don't like sleeping with anyone. This bed is big, but I'm always short on space."

Riska smiled, looking at him intently.

"Well, I think I'm worth putting up with that inconvenience, isn't it?"

Tron's eyes ran quickly over her body.

"Absolutely."