While Vaidya silently steeled himself for the trials ahead, Theo was just trying to catch a break.
Last night had been a marathon of chaos—flying across the city, battling monsters, saving lives, and dodging wild accusations from the three new girls now crashing at their base.
Exhaustion clung to him like a second skin. He collapsed onto his bed, face-planting into his favorite pillow, the one that smelled faintly of lavender and sanity.
No sooner had his eyes fluttered shut than the door whooshed open.
A blinding glow flooded the cabin as Ariella—holographic, floating, and annoyingly chipper—materialized midair like a sci-fi fairy godmother.
Theo groaned, muffled by the pillow. "What now? Can't you let me rest for five seconds? Or are we under attack again? Maybe we should test the ship's hull—see how many hits it can take before I lose my mind."Ariella didn't flinch, her luminous eyes fixed on him.
