Page 34 of Larz

Arak peered at the screen with interest. “Perhaps with adjustments for the moon’s surface.”

Tomas nodded eagerly. “Let’s discuss this further.”

Meanwhile, Shuman children surrounded Syla, showing her pictures they had drawn during their journey—crude renderings of Earth and their new home.

“These are your memories?” she asked, her tone softening as she touched one drawing depicting Earth’s green lands.

“Yes,” one little girl replied shyly. “Do you have green on your planet?”

Syla smiled gently and took out a small device that projected images of Oumtera—lush forests and towering mountains unlike anything on Earth.

“It’s beautiful,” the girl breathed out in wonderment.

I felt Larz’s grip tighten slightly around my hand—a silent acknowledgment of what was unfolding before us.

Doctor Patel was deep in conversation with another Zorvian about medicinal plants native to the moon when he glanced up at me with something like amazement in his eyes.

“We’re learning so much already,” he said, more to himself.

The air buzzed with newfound camaraderie as information flowed freely between groups—as they exchanged hesitant smiles as much as data and stories.

As dusk approached, someone started a fire at the center of the clearing—a human tradition for warmth and light that seemed to fascinate our hosts.

Around this primal beacon, humans shared packets of food from Earth, while Zorvians offered fruits harvested from their world—alien flavors mingling on curious tongues.

I watched Larz as he tentatively accepted a protein bar from Doctor Patel—his expression unreadable as he took his first bite and chewed thoughtfully.

“Sweet,” he finally said after swallowing carefully, causing a ripple of laughter around us.

Then it was my turn. I took a bite of a purplish fruit handed to me by Syla and the taste was tangy yet somehow refreshing, like nothing I’d ever had on Earth.

The fire crackled between us all as night fell—the stars above indifferent to our struggles, yet perhaps witnesses to something momentous below.

I leaned into Larz’s side, feeling his arm wrap around me as a silent promise amidst uncertainty, and a commitment forged not just between two hearts but two worlds slowly drawing together against all odds.

“We’ve taken the first step,” Larz said quietly so only I could hear him over the hum of an interspecies dialogue between us.

“The hardest one,” I agreed, feeling his nod against my hair—a united front indeed—a beginning where there might have been an end, an opening chapter instead of an epilogue to our stories entwined under alien skies.

I stood beside Larz, our fingers interlocked as if they were crafting a silent vow between our worlds. The embers of the dying fire cast a warm glow on his blue, scaly skin, making it appear he held the very essence of Zorvian his touch.

“You think they’ll accept us?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking louder might shatter the fragile peace that had settled over the camp.

Larz’s gaze didn’t waver from the flames. “They already have,” he replied, his tone carrying the weight of certainty. “Look around you, Hailee. What do you see?”

I let my eyes drift across the clearing. Humans and Zorvians sat together—laughing, sharing stories, and partaking in each other’s food. Doctor Patel was animatedly discussing herbal remedies with a Zorvian botanist, their heads bowed together over a datapad. Tomas was sketching shelter designs in the dirt for Arak, both of them nodding and gesturing with genuine enthusiasm.

“I see hope,” I admitted, feeling a smile tug at my lips.

Larz squeezed my hand gently. “As do I.”

A comfortable silence settled over us—a moment of quiet triumph amid the noise of newfound friendships. The sky above transitioned from dusk to a canvas of darkness sprinkled withstars. My thoughts wandered to Adaline—the young woman among the survivors whose fascination with Zorvian culture had caught everyone’s attention.

“Adaline has been asking about our constellations,” Larz broke into my reverie. “She wishes to understand our navigation techniques.”

“She’s always been curious about the stars,” I said with pride in my voice. “Even on Earth, she dreamed of exploring space.”

“Perhaps she will be a bridge between our people—a navigator for both our worlds.” Larz’s silver eyes held mine, reflecting starlight and possibilities.

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