"Now we only have a week," Asher said, glancing up at the flickering starlight from the alien sky above. "Then… we go home."
Valeris smiled gently at his side, brushing his arm with her fingers. "Your home," she said softly. "The one you've been searching for through all of this."
He turned to look at her—his smile small but real—and wrapped his arms around her. She returned the embrace, pressing her head to his chest. She knew what it meant to him. Not just the return, but the ending of the journey that had dragged them across galaxies and many worlds. The memories, both heavy and fleeting. The ache of wandering, always one leap away from rest.
And now, finally, the trail had come to a close.
A week remained. One last adventure.
They took it gladly.
***
