Valerian lay flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling with that same frozen expression. The hum of the ship filled the silence, steady, monotonous—like a heartbeat that wasn't his.
He clenched his jaw, forcing his thoughts back to the mission. The coordinates. The Flame boy. The mech trade expanse. The timeline. All data, all structure. That was safe ground. Numbers didn't change. Numbers didn't betray you.
But Luna's face kept intruding—her flushed cheeks, the way she puffed them out when embarrassed, that crystal grin she tried to hide her nerves behind. He knew exactly what it meant. He hated that he knew. He hated that it mattered enough for him to notice.
Forget it.
His fists tightened on the sheets.
She's not important. She's not part of me. She's a partner. Temporary. Irrelevant.
The thought looped coldly through his head—until it shattered.
Because suddenly, another voice whispered in the quiet. Not Luna's. Not anyone on the ship.
A memory.
"Hide here. Don't come out. Stay silent."
The words cut through him like glass. His entire body stiffened. The hum of the ship seemed to fade, drowned beneath the echo.
His breath caught for a fraction of a second. His heartbeat thudded in his ears.
No… not now.
The voice wasn't external—it was old. Buried. A fragment of another time. Another life. He could almost smell the smoke, hear the chaos, feel the trembling of his younger self crouched in the dark.
He pressed his palms against his eyes, nails digging into his skin.
"Shut up…" he muttered under his breath.
But the words kept repeating. Again and again. Louder. Urgent.
"Hide here. Don't come out. Stay silent."
A shiver shot down his spine, cold as steel. He could feel it again—that moment. Powerlessness. Fear. The reason silence had become his armor, his prison, his survival.
Valerian sat up abruptly, breathing heavier than before. His eyes narrowed, but for the first time they weren't cold—they were haunted.
He forced a long exhale, fists trembling just slightly before he steadied them.
"…Not now. Not ever."
He closed his eyes, buried the memory where it belonged, and locked it away. But the echo lingered, an uninvited guest in his thoughts.
For the first time since entering the room, Valerian realized how still the air felt. How easy it would be to lose control if he let those words run free.
And yet, outside, somewhere in the hall… Luna was probably still sitting nervously, waiting, smiling to herself.
It almost made him grit his teeth. Because her light was the kind of thing that tore down walls. And his walls couldn't afford to break.
CTS TIME RE250.09.01 – 10:25 AM
Luna sat cross-legged on one of the sleek metal chairs in the hall, her wrists glowing with soft light. Her ISA wristwatch had already unfolded into a full 3D panel—holographic screens swirling around her like petals of blue and white data. She typed rapidly, pulling reports from ISA archives, cross-referencing Flame Stormbringer's family connections, tracing every transaction from the last cycle.
Her long light-purple coat brushed against her legs whenever she shifted in her seat, the fabric flowing like liquid crystal under the faint ship lights. Beneath, the slim nano-woven pants—also purple, tailored close yet perfectly modest—moved with her like a second skin. The deep blue garment underneath rose neatly to her neck, high-collared, covering her figure with military elegance. On her ears, half-moon earrings caught the glow of her panels, shimmering faintly whenever she tilted her head.
Unlike many ISA women who wore combat skirts or armored gowns designed to look glamorous, Luna never tried to dress revealing. It wasn't her. She wore grace like armor, modesty like a choice. And still, she drew stares wherever she went—not because of her body, but because of the warmth she radiated even in stillness.
Her fingers tapped faster, gathering info on Flame's last sightings—Diamond Spacehub in Exohorizon, Universe 07A. She traced movement logs, dock fees, cross-jump registrations. The boy and his captors vanished somewhere after the Shinobi Trade Expanse. The trail was faint, but not gone.
"Mm, okay… I can work with this," she murmured, cheeks puffed slightly as she concentrated.
Then she froze.
A sound.
Not loud. Not clear. But distinct.
From inside the bedroom.
Her heart skipped. She glanced up, ears tuned, the panels still flickering beside her. It was a voice. Faint, but male.
Valerian.
Her cheeks turned pink instantly. Wait… wait… did he… say something? To me?
She held her breath, trying to catch it.
"…Hide here. Don't come out. Stay silent."
The words came muffled, cut by walls, but sharp enough that she heard them. She blinked fast, startled.
"Eh…?" she whispered softly, tilting her head.
For a second she thought—did he just… complain? About me?
She shrank back in her chair, fidgeting with her coat's hem. "Ahh… maybe I've been nagging too much… maybe my talking annoyed him. He must think I'm… irritating."
Her lips trembled as she puffed her cheeks out again, this time not in playfulness but in guilt. Ugh, Luna, you talk too much, you're too clingy, you keep laughing nervously, of course he hates that…
She closed her panels quickly, letting them fold back into the wristwatch with a soft snap of light.
Her fingers interlocked, fidgeting together as her gaze drifted to the bedroom door.
"He didn't even activate the soundproof system," she whispered to herself. "This is ISA grade… not Hyperion. I should've remembered that. He probably doesn't like anyone hearing his voice unless he chooses to. I… I should apologize. I should… tell him I'll be more serious. I don't want him to hate me…"
She stood slowly, smoothing her long coat, pressing her hands against her chest to calm her racing heart.
For a moment, she caught her reflection in the ship's alloyed walls—her flushed cheeks, her half-moon earrings trembling as she moved. She gave herself a small, nervous smile.
"Come on, Luna," she whispered. "Just… be honest. Even if he ignores you, at least… at least he'll know you're trying."
She took one small step toward the door. Then another. Each one felt heavier, her heartbeat loud in her ears.
Her hand hovered near the door's smooth surface, hesitating, as if the air itself warned her that what she overheard wasn't ordinary.
She bit her lip, whispered under her breath—
"…I'll apologize… even if it's just me being silly. I don't want him to feel alone."
Her hand pressed lightly against the door control.
The sliding door hissed before Luna could even touch it.
Her breath caught. The panel split smoothly, and there he stood—Valerian Stormbane.
His tall frame filled the doorway, the matte-black Hyperion combat suit gleaming faintly under the ship's light. The silver-gray plating on his shoulders gave off a cold shimmer, and his visor still rested lightly across his eyes, reflecting a faint stormy glow. His face, however, was the same as ever—calm, detached, unreadable.
It was as if nothing had happened.
Yet Luna's heart thudded violently in her chest. She hadn't realized just how close they were until she nearly bumped into him. Her nose almost brushed his chest plate. He was too tall, 5'9 against her 5'6, forcing her to tilt her head back just to meet his gaze.
She tried. She really tried to hold his piercing storm-blue eyes. But the moment she saw the lightning-sharp intensity behind them, her courage cracked. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and her gaze dropped quickly to the floor, to the polished alloy beneath their boots.
Valerian didn't flinch. His voice, low and sharp as steel, cut the air:
"Move away."
It wasn't cruel. It wasn't loud. But it was absolute.
Luna's body reacted before her mind—she stepped aside quickly, pressing her back against the wall, clutching the edges of her coat with both hands. "S-sorry!" she stammered, her voice small, trembling.
Valerian walked past her without slowing, boots hitting the alloy floor in a steady rhythm, his posture like a soldier on march. He was heading toward the control room. His presence, even silent, was overwhelming—like a storm passing by, unbothered by the people it drowned.
But Luna couldn't let it end there.
Her hands clenched, her lips trembled, and before she knew it her voice came out—
"W-wait!"
He stopped. Only slightly. He didn't turn, but his pause gave her the courage to continue.
Her fingers fidgeted together, twisting, as she stared down at the floor. Her cheeks burned, her ears hot. "I… I wanted to say… um… sorry! If I—I bothered you earlier… with the talking, or the laughing, or—" her words tumbled out fast, uneven, nervous, "I didn't mean to irritate you, I just… I get nervous, and I… I guess I talk too much, hehe…"
A weak laugh escaped her lips. It cracked in the middle, nervous and awkward, and she quickly shook her head. "Ah! Sorry, sorry, that sounded silly too. I—I just wanted to say… if I made any mistake, please… forgive me. I'll be more serious, I promise."
She finally lifted her gaze, just a little, hoping—just hoping—for a reaction.
But Valerian didn't even blink. His cold voice cut clean through her apologies:
"Mission reports."
Luna blinked fast, lips parting. "Eh…?"
"Mission reports." His tone was flat, businesslike, as if her words were irrelevant noise, as if her apology had never existed. "What did you gather about Flame Stormbringer and his family connections? Speak."
Her chest tightened. For a second, her heart sank—her apology swept aside like dust. But she forced herself to smile again, though it was shaky, her voice softer. "R-right… mission reports, of course…"
She tapped her wristwatch, letting the holographic panels bloom again, blue light painting her face. She stood straighter now, trying to sound professional even though her cheeks were still red.
"…Flame Stormbringer was last registered with his brother in Universe 07A, Diamond Spacehub, Exohorizon," she said carefully. "Records say they boarded a trade vessel linked to the Shinobi Trade Expanse… but from there the trail splits. Someone masked their signatures. Likely black-market level masking tech. The ship's jump ended in Universe 03A—the Mecha Empire."
She stole a glance at him, nervously.
Valerian's expression didn't change. His eyes flicked briefly toward the data projection, then back to her, calm, sharp, unreadable.
Luna swallowed hard, her voice small again. "…That's… everything I found so far."
For a moment, silence filled the hallway. Only the hum of the spacecraft echoed between them.
Then Valerian turned away, walking again toward the control room without a word of acknowledgment.
Luna exhaled slowly, clutching her coat tighter, cheeks still burning.
She whispered softly, almost to herself: "I… I'll keep trying. Even if you never listen…"
And with that, she followed him, steps light, her gaze fixed on the floor—yet her heart beating faster than ever.
Luna hesitated as she handed over the holo-tab, her fingers trembling slightly, cheeks warmed with color. The light shimmer of the projection reflected off Valerian's lenses as he studied the data, expression unreadable as always.
Her voice wavered but steady enough to recount what she had gathered.
"On August 24th… Rash and Flame traveled to Diamond Spacehub. There was a popular sports event—the Blading Championship. Flame wanted to compete, even though he was far too young. He'd even managed to get his hands on a sword, but when he arrived, the preliminary rounds were already over. Rash returned home, leaving Flame behind."
Luna paused, watching his face for any reaction, but his silence urged her to continue.
"Most of the time, Flame was seen with Blaze Deathbringer," she said carefully, "a former champion of the hub. Though he was defeated in the grand finals by Tenebris Thorn, Flame spent days in his company. Records show Flame also interacted with other young competitors—Jasper Tyros, a semifinalist, seventeen years old; Serena Blackspire, also seventeen; Dante Nightshade, eighteen; Talon Darkos, twenty; Rose Leonhart Alston, Blaze's little sister, about twelve; and Bolt Ashenwood, Blaze's younger brother, no older than ten."
Her nervous breath quickened, but she pressed forward. "On August 29th, the day of the grand finals, Rash returned for Flame. Together, they boarded their ship home. I cross-checked their travel routes—there were no reported hazards—but near the C3 Industrial Complex… they vanished. No traces, no signals. ISA only filed a case for Flame. Rash disappeared too, but all reports remain focused on Flame alone. The last confirmed sighting of him was in the Shinobi Trade Expanse, accompanied by a woman, age estimated between twenty and twenty-five. From there, she transported him to the Mecha Trade Expanse, and then… into Universe 03A. That's all."
Valerian's eyes narrowed, the blue data light flickering across his sharp features. His only response was a low murmur:
"Interesting."
For Luna, the single word carried the weight of an entire verdict. Her heart hammered as if his seriousness wrapped her in its gravity.
Then, without looking at her, Valerian spoke again, his tone precise. "I've already crossed paths with Jasper Tyros during my Shinobi Verse assignment. Serena, too. And Seinna Frostveil—the most talked-about A-rank hero. Unfortunately, I had no chance to question them about Flame's case. Still, I doubt Jasper or Serena are involved. Jasper and Seinna…" His gaze shifted slightly, as though measuring the thought. "They are soon to be married."
The word married sent Luna's cheeks aflame, heat rushing into her ears. She fidgeted, clutching the hem of her purple coat. "You… y-you knew Seinna Frostveil? The Seinna Frostveil? Many S-rankers gossip about her," she stammered, trying to cover her fluster.
Valerian didn't answer. His silence spoke louder than words, his mind somewhere far colder. Seinna Frostveil… rich, untouchable, elevated by her lineage. Fame and superiority are as natural to her as breathing. People like her are beyond question.
Finally, he broke the silence. His voice returned to the mission, crisp as a blade.
"One more thing. On August 29th, when Rash and Flame left Exohorizon, their connection was cut on the 31st. But on the same day—August 29th—Blaze Deathbringer also vanished. He left Exohorizon aboard a craft with Rose and Bolt. Records show their destination was the Shinobi Trade Expanse. Flame's final trace, curiously, was there too—though not with Blaze, but with that woman. This suggests Blaze may have aided her in Flame's abduction. His craft departed before Rash's, but… he could have been lying in wait in C3 Industry. Anything is possible. But there is one certainty—there are no traces of Blaze now. The next logical step is to question Dante and Talon."
The holo-tab dimmed as he closed the report. Without hesitation, he placed it back in Luna's hands. She clutched it tightly, her skin still tingling from how close his fingers had brushed hers.
Valerian rose and turned, heading toward the control room with long, measured steps.
Luna exhaled, the air shaky in her chest. His words lingered—sharp, serious, unwavering. Everything about him carried weight, as though he stood miles above her in both presence and resolve.
She sat down again on the sofa, and with a small tap, the holo-tab folded itself into a compact disc. With a faint click, it slid back into the sleek housing of her wristwatch. She placed her hands on her lap, half to still her nerves, half to anchor her trembling heart.
Why do I react like this every time he speaks…? she wondered, eyes trailing toward the control room door where he had vanished.
Valerian had barely taken a few steps toward the control room when Luna, without thinking, darted forward. Her hand caught his wrist.
The contact jolted her like lightning. His arm was firm, steady, and far taller than her own frame could reach without stretching. She froze, cheeks burning crimson. Her words tumbled out in a rush, uneven and breathless.
"S–Sorry! I'm… I'm sorry if I did anything wrong! If I… if I annoyed you or made you uncomfortable, I didn't mean it, really, I—"
Her voice cracked as she realized what she'd done. I just stopped Valerian Stormbane. I actually grabbed him.
Her eyes widened. Panic surged through her chest. She wanted to pull away, but her hand lingered as if her nerves betrayed her. She swallowed hard, fumbling for the right words, yet her tongue slipped in the worst possible way.
"Damn, you're good at ignoring," she muttered, almost as if the words escaped her without permission. "Probably because you've been ignored since birth."
The silence that followed was so heavy it made her ears ring.
Her own voice hit her like a dagger. Luna gasped, covering her mouth with her free hand, her pupils shrinking in shock. "W–Wait—no! That's not—I didn't mean that!" She shook her head violently, stepping back, but her fingers were still clutching his sleeve. "I—I'm sorry! I swear I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it, please don't take it seriously, I was just—I was just—"
Valerian's eyes flickered, a rare crack in his otherwise iron composure. The sharp, controlled calm in his gaze wavered for just a second, as though the words had pierced deeper than they should have.
He looked at her—not with anger, but with something Luna couldn't decipher. Shock. Something raw flickered and vanished like lightning behind storm clouds.
His wrist twisted, and with a firm motion he pulled free of her grip. The touch ended as suddenly as it began.
Without a single word, he turned his back and stepped into the control room. The door slid shut between them, cutting the moment clean.
Luna stood there frozen, staring at her trembling hands. Her heart pounded in her ears, her face on fire. "What did I just say…?" she whispered, horrified.
Her cheeks burned so hot she slapped them with both hands. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she scolded herself, pacing in small circles like a nervous rabbit. Her half-moon earrings shimmered under the cabin light as she fidgeted with them, groaning. "Why did I say that?! I didn't mean it! He probably hates me now! Oh, Luna, you absolute idiot…"
She slumped back against the wall, sliding down a little, hiding her face in her arms. Every time she replayed the words, her stomach twisted more. "He must think I'm cruel… I didn't mean it… I just… I just wanted him to notice me…"
Meanwhile, beyond the door, Valerian sat in the control room chair, the light of his wristwatch console painting his face blue. But his mind wasn't on the mission, not for this moment.
Her words echoed in his head, sharp and merciless: Probably because you've been ignored since birth.
His jaw tightened. He exhaled slowly, forcing the emotion down, sealing it away as he had always done. No distractions. Focus on the mission.
And yet… he couldn't silence the flicker. The way her cheeks flushed, the way her hand trembled when she touched him, the way her voice cracked with apology.
He shut his eyes briefly. The storm in him rumbled, restless.