Like a lot of bad things in life, it started with a funny feeling that Eliana couldn’t quite explain.

  She sat in the galley, cradling a cup of hot herbal tea, savoring the warmth after spending too much time inside the freezer. The heat from the cup seeped into her fingers, she shivered slightly, feeling the coldness leaving her body.

  The Black Swan had finished its refueling process and was now flying away from the star. The ship still needed some time to cool down before the next jump, but the interior temperature was under control again.

  The crew had returned to their duties and routines, leaving Eliana—who was off-duty for the day—free to do whatever she liked.

  She took another sip of tea, then paused.

  There was a tingling sensation at the back of her throat. A slight itch that wasn’t there before. She cleared her throat, hoping it would go away, then took another sip.

  Her mind wandered, still caught up in the surprise earlier.

  She couldn’t believe that Baiyan and Lily had gotten together without anyone noticing. She certainly hadn’t seen any signs though, but to be fair, her shifts didn’t often align with theirs. Maybe that’s why she had missed it.

  She cleared her throat again, the itchiness in the back of her throat was growing. It was noticeable now, enough to make her uneasy. Something was off, and a small fear crept into her mind.

  There were no dedicated doctors on board the Black Swan. Instead, the medical bay was entirely automated. If someone needed medical attention, they simply lay down on the medical bed, let the diagnostic machine scan them, and the system would determine what to do next.

  In her twenty years of life, Eliana had only gone through it once, and that was only because she twisted her ankle during a martial arts practice.

  The procedure itself hadn’t taken long. She had stepped into the machine, and it had immediately moved her into a chamber where bright scanning lights shone down on her. She remembered feeling weightless for a moment before something lifted her ankle, applied a cooling paste, and wrapped it in bandages.

  The process had been quick and efficient, but it had also thoroughly freaked her out.

  She did not like the sensation of being inspected by the cold, mechanical medical system. The way it moved her limb around without warning, the artificial hum of the machine all put her on edge.

  After that experience, she had made a promise to herself that she would do everything possible to stay healthy and never have to go back inside that thing again.

  And she had kept that promise. Not for a single time had she needed to step foot inside the medical bay since.

  Eliana coughed a few times, feeling the itchiness in the back of her throat growing. It was noticeable now, and she feared that something bad was going to happen to her body.

  Eliana coughed a few more times, her concern growing. She was actually worried now—not just for herself but for the other people on board the Black Swan. If she had gotten infected with an illness, that meant the others might also be sick as well.

  She stood up, washed the cup she had just used with extra care, and put it upside down on the drying rack. This could be something very serious, especially since they were far from civilization now.

  The idea made her tense up. She thought about who had been close to her in recent times, and Kai came to mind. They had been sleeping in the same bed, and that meant he needed to be checked out too!

  She ran out of the door, nearly bumping into Lily, who was just coming into the galley.

  "Where are you going?" Lily asked, but Eliana was already down the corridor and around the corner.

  "She sure runs fast," Lily muttered to herself.

  Kai was sitting with his legs crossed, his hands laying naturally on his lap, relaxed. He had his eyes closed, his mind clear, devoid of thoughts.

  Baiyan’s meditation method had worked wonders for him. Just like the man had said, meditation was a great way of self-reflection and stress relief.

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  It had become a daily routine for Kai—to finish whatever exercise he had done in the simulation room with an hour of meditation. Sometimes, he was so relaxed that he felt like he was about to fall asleep, and sometimes, he actually did, only waking up when the next person booked the room came in.

  Kai was afraid that he would get nicknamed by the crew, and it would be something like "Sleepyhead." But so far, nothing bad had happened.

  Other times, Kai would hear the vibrations in his head, and they would become something audible, like someone was calling out to him in his own voice.

  He tried to ignore it, but sometimes, he would actually hear words. It was always in the form of a greeting, but one time, he had heard his name being called out. That had spooked him, and he had to cut the training short.

  He was determined not to answer the call. That was a line he wasn’t ready to cross. Sure, he had gained some abilities that had helped him in fights, and it had even suppressed the feeling of fear for him. Still, he had some skepticism in his mind, telling him not to trust the strange nanites.

  "Kai!" He heard a voice call. It was distant and muffled.

  It’s happening again, he told himself. Whatever you do, Kai, just don’t answer the call.

  "Kai!" The voice called out again, a little more frantic than last time.

  As long as you don’t answer the call, nothing bad will happen, Kai thought.

  "Kai! I need help! I think I’m sick!"

  Kai finally recognized the voice.

  It was Eliana’s.

  And it was clear to him that it was not in his head, because the voice was louder in his right ear than in his left, and he could feel her shaking his shoulder.

  Kai opened his eyes and realized he was no longer sitting upright. Instead, he was sprawled out on the floor. Blinking groggily, he pushed himself up.

  "What's going on?" he muttered, his eyes only half-open.

  "Kai!" Eliana's voice snapped him into full awareness. She sounded panicked, her usual cheerful tone replaced by desperation. "I’m sick. I can feel it. I need to go to the medical bay, can you come with me?"

  Kai’s fatigue disappeared in an instant. He sprang up from the floor. "Yeah, sure thing, Eliana. Let's go right now."

  Without hesitation, he took Eliana’s hand in his, leading her out of the simulation room, not even bothering to change out of his training clothes.

  As they moved through the corridors, Kai glanced at her, concerned. "How do you feel right now?"

  "Not great, Kai." Eliana’s voice wavered slightly. "I feel like my knees are getting weak… and I feel cold." She exhaled sharply. "I think you’re walking too fast. I can’t keep up with you."

  Kai immediately turned back to her. Her face was flushed, and her movements were sluggish.

  "Alright, don’t worry. I’ll help you," he said, and without another word, he lifted her into his arms.

  Her body temperature was a little too warm. She felt light, almost weightless in his arms, like she could be carried away by wind at any moment.

  Kai picked up the pace, moving swiftly through the ship.

  They reached the medical bay in no time. The room was spotless, the white walls almost glowing under the bright lighting. The space felt neat and reassuring.

  Kai stepped through two layers of sliding glass doors, the cool air inside contrasting with the lingering heat on Eliana’s skin.

  He gently laid her down on the medical bed.

  Eliana let out a soft, painful moan, her fingers twitching slightly. Before Kai could pull away, she reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer.

  "What’s wrong?" Kai's voice was softer than usual.

  Eliana’s eyes locked onto his. "I don’t want to be in this thing alone," she whispered. "Can you stay with me?"

  Kai nodded instantly. "Sure thing. I’m not going anywhere."

  He pressed the activation button, and the medical bed hummed softly as it began to shift inward, initiating the diagnostic process.

  Eliana’s grip on his hand tightened.

  A rotating arm carrying the scanner hovered above Eliana, emitting a soft mechanical hum. She shut her eyes and turned her face aside, but the machine followed her movement, adjusting until it was satisfied. Then, it moved on, scanning the rest of her body with quiet precision.

  Kai waited beside her, his hand never leaving hers.

  The machine worked fast, and soon, the diagnostic screen flickered to life, displaying the results. Kai turned his gaze toward it.

  "Viral Rhinitis."

  He blinked. Then, slowly, he turned back to Eliana, who was staring at him nervously.

  "What is it?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. "Tell me, what does it say?"

  She tried to reach up to see for herself, but Kai held her hand tightly, looking at her in silence.

  Her brows furrowed. "Am I about to die?" she asked, her tone half-joking but still laced with real worry.

  Kai’s expression remained unreadable.

  That only made Eliana more anxious. She sat up quickly, twisting toward the screen.

  Her eyes scanned the words.

  "Viral Rhinitis? What is that?"

  Kai couldn't hold his serious expression anymore and smiled. "Silly, you just caught a very rare illness for us, but it was also the most common illness for people on Earth."

  Eliana froze, then looked back at him. "So I’m not going to die?"

  "No," Kai said, tapping the screen. "According to the encyclopedia, it's called a common cold and you’ll make a full recovery in no time."

  A few seconds later, the machine produced a small tray with a bottle of pills neatly placed on top. Kai took it and put it in his pocket.

  Eliana sighed in relief but then frowned, her confusion still lingering. "How did I even catch an Earth illness without ever visiting Earth?"

  Kai thought for a moment before answering. "If I had to guess, you probably caught it when we were in the stealth ship and didn’t actually get sick until your immune system weakened."

  He gave her a knowing look. "You did pour water all over yourself and then walk straight into a freezer, remember?"

  Eliana groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Now I feel silly."

  Kai chuckled, standing up. "At least you’ll be fine in no time. Now, let’s get you back to your room so you can rest."

  He reached out to help her up.

  But Eliana didn’t move.

  She just stared at him, her teeth lightly biting her lower lip, her face turning a shade redder than before.

  Then, in a small voice, she asked, "Can you carry me like you did on the way here? It was… pretty nice."