KISMET ─ vento aureo.

☆ ⁺ « STRICTLY OFF THE RECORD

★˚⋆ THE AFTERLIFE WAS A COOL, quiet place. Hours floated by, meaningless and trifling. Everything just seemed to drift. It wasn't unpleasant. If this was where you went after you died, you didn't mind it. It was a breath away from the galaxy, a long-awaited moment of peace.

You found the courage to open your eyes. It was blindingly white. A figure merged together in your view. It must have been one of the stars. They were beautiful, their hair long and pale and their eyes two different colours—violet melting into gold. You smiled dopily up at them, finding it a miraculous coincidence that one of the stars would so resemble—

A searing needle of pain pierced your skull. "This isn't the afterlife," you groaned. Tried to, at least. You might as well have been gargling underwater.

"Far from it," Asswipe said. He smiled sardonically.

A zing went through your body. What the flack was Asswipe doing here? Had he arrested you? You tried to haul yourself off the cot you were lying on but severely overestimated your strength and tumbled onto the ground.

Your mouth was painfully bitter and dry. You inspected your body, nonplussed to find healing patches stuck to every available real-estate on your skin. Your skin heated as you realized you had been stripped down to your underclothes.

Asswipe made his way toward you. You scrambled away from him, smashing into the table nearby.

"I'm not going to arrest you."

You tried to get to your feet but your limbs were too weak. You fell back on your ass, helpless.

"You've been dead for five days. Take it easy," Asswipe said.

Five days?

"The ship doesn't have a healing pod so I gave you all the meds we had on board. Figured at least one of them would help. You're probably feeling the aftereffects. Just let me help you up."

You looked around. It was a small room, with only a cot and a table. No other GA's. No bots either.

"Don't try anything funny," you rasped, lifting your arm. Asswipe lifted you up and helped you back into the cot. You gagged suddenly. Asswipe passed over a metal container. Nothing came up but bile.

You lay back in the small cot, trying to remember everything that had happened. The Black Zone. The switch. Being separated from everyone.

Asswipe passed over a bottle of water and a bag of crackers. You took them, barely having the energy to open either of them.

"Why haven't you arrested me yet?"

"The Galactic Authorities tend not to react well to criminals on the edge of death."

"I'm being serious." You let out a burst of coughs. You had to take a few gulps of water before continuing. "That would've been the easiest thing to do. I should be in a holding cell right now . . . while you force me to cough up the crew's location."

Asswipe's expression became serious. "Like I said, you were on the edge of death. I suggest you regain your strength before I explain anything to you."

"I asked a question and I'd like an answer, you bag of flack." It was true that you could barely concentrate. But five days had passed. You didn't have time to lie around anymore. The job for Zero was still going. You had to find your crew and get that damn Stand Arrow. You could feel the need of it like a pulse in your chest.

I can't betray Zero. Nothing is more important than that Stand Arrow.

"I don't have time for your bullshit," you said in a low voice. "Either explain what the flack you're doing, or let me out of here."