I CLIMB (A Progression/Evolution Sci-Fi Novel)

Chiara opened her eyes, slowly adjusting to the light around her. She was lying on her bed inside the MRV. Her third mind had already begun relaying everything that had happened around her during her rest, including the exact amount of time that had passed.

"Lukas?"

"Oh, awake already? That was faster than I expected. May I come in?"

"Yes."

The door slid open as Lukas stepped inside, his face lit up with excitement, though his eyes still showed clear signs of exhaustion.

"Got a surprise for you," he said as a metallic disc floated in from behind, hovering toward Chiara. Resting on top was a single, gleaming orb with a hazy white tone.

Chiara immediately recognised it. She reached out and touched the orb, watching as it was smoothly absorbed into her body in what she had come to identify as a matter-to-energy transfer—though the exact nature of the energy itself still eluded her.

Stage 1 – 18.314%

Her eyes widened in surprise as the surge hit her, flooding her with power and clarity. The world grew brighter, her senses sharpened.

A boost over 2.2%?

That was nearly double what the first four-tailed Xok'al had granted her.

She felt her thoughts flowing more smoothly, her EM waves growing stronger, more stable, expanding across a much wider radius. With her current SP, she was confident she could reach the Third Pillar State in under a week.

"How was it?" Lukas asked.

"2.216%," Chiara replied.

"Great! I guess you're feeling better than ever now," he said, grinning.

Chiara gave a soft smile and nodded. Part of her—one of her minds—was already re-analysing the key bottlenecks in her previous models. But another part, quieter yet persistent, simply wanted to remain here with Lukas a little longer.

"I analysed the Warden's body. It's roughly 32% heavier than the Commander-variant, its blades 12% more conductive and 17% more durable. We could make some excellent weapons out of them or... maybe shift some key elements in the Cyclotron Pulse Gun. Not sure which is better yet. I can also make you some new discs for protection?"

Chiara shook her head. "It's fine. The current discs are working well. There's no rush to use the materials. What you really need, Lukas... is some rest."

Lukas stared at her for a moment. "How the tables have turned, huh? But I agree... and I will. It's just hard to fall asleep with so many goodies landing in my lap."

Chiara's eyes locked into his for a moment. Hundreds of thoughts flashed behind her gaze—quiet, flickering, half-contained. She sighed softly, then looked away.

"You don't need to fix anything right now," she murmured. "Just lie down. Please."

Lukas tilted his head, amused. "That sounded suspiciously like a real request, Dr. Lin."

She didn't answer.

Instead, she shifted to one side and patted the space beside her on the bed, trying not to meet his eyes. Her face was calm, but her fingers trembled slightly.

Lukas blinked, caught off guard. His smile flickered, softer now, and he studied her for a beat—then moved.

He climbed onto the bed slowly, carefully, as if entering a space he wasn't sure he had permission to fully touch. His weight dipped the mattress. She stayed still.

Then, without a word, she reached out and gently cupped his face.

Lukas stilled.

Chiara hesitated only a breath, then pulled him down—her hand guiding him with quiet resolve until his head rested against her chest.

He froze again.

Not in fear or discomfort.

Just… surprise.

Her heart was beating fast. Too fast.

But she didn't let go.

"You always take care of everything, make everyone feel safe," she whispered, barely above a breath. "Someone should do the same for you, at least once."

His voice came muffled, pressed to her shirt. "You know this isn't how we usually recharge high-IQ units, right?"

Chiara's laugh was quick, nervous. "I know."

"I can hear your heart."

"I figured you would," she said, fingers brushing lightly through his hair. "It's not very quiet right now."

He tilted his head a little but didn't move away.

"This isn't just about rest, is it?"

She didn't answer.

Because no matter how high her computational capabilities were… she didn't want to calculate anything right now.

Instead, she looked toward the ceiling and let her thoughts slow, her chest rising gently with every breath that brushed over his hair.

"I like you Lukas," she admitted, voice small.

Lukas didn't move right away.

For a second, she thought maybe he hadn't heard her.

But then he exhaled slowly, his breath warm against her collarbone.

"I know," he said, voice quiet. Not smug. Not teasing. Just… knowing, in that calm way of his that always made her chest tighten and her mind scramble to stay ahead—yet never could. "Took you long enough."

Chiara gave the smallest huff, somewhere between a scoff and a nervous laugh. "I ran simulations. None of them felt right."

"I'm glad this one did."

He shifted just enough to tilt his head up. His eyes met hers, and even though she could've closed the distance, could've calculated the precise angle to avoid awkward collision, she didn't.

She just looked at him, cheeks flushed, thoughts scattered, trying to speak but finding nothing that wouldn't feel… exposed.

So instead, she buried her fingers in his hair again and pulled him back gently toward her chest.

"You're not allowed to analyse this," she mumbled.

"Too late," he said into her shirt, words muffled. "Already stored in memory. High-priority file."

She felt the smile before she heard it.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

And this time, she smiled too. Just a little.

Lukas shifted again, more comfortably this time, his arm draping across her waist like it belonged there.

Chiara didn't object.

Didn't calculate the implications.

Didn't run projections.

She just let the moment stretch—soft, warm, unfamiliar in all the ways that made her mind want to grab hold of it and freeze-frame the entire thing.

"You know," he murmured, voice half-asleep, "if I'd known this was part of the rest plan, I'd have burnt out sooner."

Chiara rolled her eyes lightly but didn't push him away. "You're incorrigible."

"Mm, but you like me anyway," he mumbled.

She didn't reply.

Just pressed her cheek against the top of his head and let silence take over again. At some point, his breathing evened out. She felt the weight of him settle fully.

And though one of her minds tried to drift back to models, equations, theories—she let those thoughts fade.

Just for now, all she wanted was—

"Lukas… Ayu is here."

Lukas' eyes snapped open, the haze vanishing in an instant. He felt the pulse from Wang—sharp, direct, unmistakable.

He sat up straight and sent a pulse back. "Ayu? Okay, I'm on my way."

Chiara moved quickly too, her expression already shifted—focused now, a faint tension tightening her brow. She had picked up the signal as well, even though it hadn't been meant for her.

She met Lukas' eyes, and without another word, they both rushed out of the MRV.

And sure enough—there she was. Barefoot, hair longer than before, dressed in fur and hide armour, standing tall with that same wild spark in her eyes.

Ayu.

"Funny clothes," she said, eyeing Chiara and Lukas in their Azcoyatl gear with open amusement.

"You're one to talk," Lukas shot back, grinning. "It's great to see you back."

"Ayu," Chiara said softly, a smile tugging at her lips. She wanted to reach out, to hug her—but ever since that day… it hadn't felt—

Too late.

Ayu crashed into her, arms locking tight around Chiara with a squeeze that left no room for hesitation… or breath.

Then she pulled back and did the same to Lukas—though with the size difference, it was more of a tug downward and a tight squeeze than a proper hug.

"Where's the hearty welcome?" Ayu said, hands on her hips, flashing a toothy grin. "No weird stuff. I'm still me, okay? And…" She flicked her gaze between Chiara and Lukas a few times, and when Chiara looked slightly flustered, Ayu smirked knowingly.

Before things turned more awkward, Imani and Wang stepped out from behind.

"It's good to have you back, Ayu," Imani said.

"Yeah, well, I took a little vacation out on the plains. Nice folk out there." She looked Imani up and down, then squinted. "And damn, Imani—you got bigger or something?"

Imani chuckled, shaking his head. "I believe I haven't."

"Oh… well, still glad to see you. Nice armour too. Bit too bulky for my taste, but it looks cool." Her eyes darted past them toward the MRV. "And speaking of cool stuff… what the hell is that thing you guys came out of?"

"That's a Multi-Role Vehicle," Lukas explained. "Or MRV for short. EM-based motion. Handy for getting around."

"Neat," Ayu said, nodding. "But I've been slacking a bit on the EM stuff. Honestly, I'm still happy just running."

She paused for half a beat, then glanced around.

"Anyway… where is he?"

The moment the question left her lips, something shifted.

Chiara froze mid-breath.

Imani's jaw tightened.

Wang looked down, fists clenched, eyes refusing to meet hers.

Lukas exhaled slowly, his voice low. "We… we don't know."

"Huh?" Ayu's head snapped toward him. "He's not here? But… someone must've seen him, right?"

Lukas glanced at Imani for a moment, then nodded slowly. "He was last seen with the Ajnal. Part of a scouting squad. That was… over a month ago."

"And what next? He just disappeared?" Her voice was louder now, tension creeping in.

No one answered immediately.

Imani finally muttered, "There was an ambush from the Xok'al. We lost contact."

Ayu blinked, once. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.

Chiara took a small step forward. "Ayu, I'm sure he's fine... The Tower won't let someone like Alonso go that easily."

"We don't have proof he's gone," Lukas added gently. "Just that he hasn't come back yet."

Ayu stared at them. Her eyes flicked from one face to another.

"You all think he's dead, don't you?" she said, voice flat.

No one answered right away.

Even the wind seemed to die.

Chiara looked down.

Wang shifted uncomfortably.

Imani's lips parted, then closed again. It was Lukas who finally spoke.

"We think... something happened. But we also know Alonso. If anyone can survive out there, it's him."

Ayu remained silent, gaze heavy. "On the way here I saw a rock… it had an inscription on it."

As the words came out, Imani tensed, his eyes going wide. "It had Alonso's name on it."

"That…" Lukas started, his voice suddenly dry. "It was a mistake. We haven't confirmed anything yet—"

"I crushed that stone into pieces," Ayu said, voice low and sharp. "And I don't care what you thought, or if it was a mistake, or whatever…"

Her eyes swept over them. Steady. Burning.

"Never… ever do that again."

No one moved.

"If Alonso ever dies… you won't have to tell me. Don't worry."

She said it calmly, but there was steel in her voice.

"If he's dead… then so am I. I'll already be there—wherever he is."

The silence that followed was heavy. The air felt still.

Ayu exhaled slowly, her pulse starting to settle. She shook her head once, hard, as if clearing it.

"Anyway, that's enough for a get-back. Let's not ruin the mood after a long awaited reunion," she said, forcing a smile, though her voice still carried a quiet weight. "And don't make funny faces when he comes."

Comes?

The word hit like a stone tossed in still water.

Every face shifted.

Lukas tensed first, head turning slowly, scanning the area as if trying to make sense of what he'd just heard.

Chiara froze—then her breath caught.

She looked past him, to the tree line beyond the clearing.

Her pupils narrowed. Her hand trembled.

The others noticed and followed her gaze.

A figure was walking toward them, each step slow and steady. Cloaked in stitched hide and fur, two long swords strapped lazily at his side, hair longer and scruffier.

Alonso.

He raised a hand in greeting, a crooked grin spreading across his face.

"You all look like you've seen a ghost," he said, chuckling softly as he approached.

No one spoke.

Imani blinked hard, throat working around a dry swallow. His jaw twitched open.

Lukas stepped forward, stunned. "Alonso…"

"Yeah," Alonso said, giving a lazy wave. "Surprise, I'm alive!"

Chiara's mouth opened, then slowly curved into a smile. "I knew it," she murmured.

Imani finally snapped out of it, a wide grin breaking across his face, his eyes catching a light that hadn't been there for weeks.

Lukas grinned too. He was genuinely glad to see Alonso back—but then something clicked. He glanced at Ayu.

She was grinning. Not the forced one from earlier, but the real kind—smug, wide, and annoyingly satisfied.

"You really went for the drama, didn't you?" Lukas muttered, shooting her a look.

"I might've," Ayu said, arms crossing as she rocked on her heels. "Would've been boring to just say, 'Hey, Alonso's alive,' right from the start, don't you think?"

Lukas chuckled, shaking his head. But, behind the smile she wore now, he knew that anger over the grave had been real.

Still... his chest felt so much lighter now, like someone had finally pulled a heavy weight off his back.

Alonso reached them at last, glancing around with a sheepish look.

"Wow, if it isn't the whole squad back together… well, minus Arjun. He okay?"

"Yeah, he's out scouting," Lukas said. "Just got the word."

Alonso nodded. "Good."

Lukas crossed his arms, studying him with a smile. "So… I guess you've got quite the story to tell."

Alonso glanced toward the Mecas and the MRV, a small grin tugging at his lips.

"Maybe. But I'm not sure it's as interesting as yours."

They all smiled.

The team was finally back together.