(Part 1 - The Shuttle)
The shuttle door sealed behind them with a soft hiss that felt far too final.
Runar stood just inside the entrance, one hand still reaching back toward where the door had been, as if he could somehow reopen it and see his parents one more time. His chest felt tight—not pain, exactly, but a weight that made breathing require conscious effort.
They're gone. We're gone. This is real.
Beside him, Celestia hadn't moved either. She stared at the sealed door, her silver hair falling forward to hide her expression. But Runar could see her shoulders trembling slightly, could hear her breath catching in small, irregular intervals.
He reached for her hand. Found it already reaching for his.
Their fingers interlocked, gripping tighter than necessary. Neither spoke. What was there to say? That they'd made the right choice? That everything would be fine? Empty words that would ring hollow against the ache of leaving home.
