Page 80 of Honor Bound

Together.

For now.

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Roan leaned back against the raised bed in the medical unit aboard theTracer, the sterile scent of antiseptic sharp in his nose. The dull throb in his shoulder pulsed in rhythm with his heart, but it wasn’t the physical pain that weighed on him—it was everything else.

Julia sat beside him, her fingers resting lightly on his forearm, grounding him with her presence. Despite the chaos, her touch was steady, a quiet reassurance in the middle of the storm.

The door slid open with a soft hiss. Roan glanced up, his lips quirking into a crooked smile when Hutu stepped inside. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Roan said, his voice rough with fatigue but still tinged with dry humor.

Hutu’s lips twitched, but the usual warmth in his eyes was missing. His attention shifted between Roan and Julia before settling on Roan, his expression grim. “What the two of you did today… it turned the tide. Tesla Terra is free.” He paused, his words hanging heavy in the air. “The Legion Battle Cruisers have retreated. General Coleridge is dead. The Space Lab is gone.”

Roan inhaled sharply, his pulse picking up.

“Director Andronikos has withdrawn to Legion-controlled territory,” Hutu continued. “There are reports he watched the battle from a distance. When he realized the Gallant forces were regrouping, he pulled back, afraid we’d set our sights on him next.”

The room fell silent, the weight of Hutu’s words pressing down on them. Relief coursed through Roan, but it was fleeting, drowned out by the darker shadows that crowded his thoughts. He had won this battle—but he knew better than anyone that Andri wasn’t done.

“He’ll come back,” Roan murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling, his eyes dark with memory. “My uncle’s not one to lick his wounds for long. He’ll come back harder, with everything he has.”

His mind flashed to Jeslean, to the floating islands of Plateau slipping beneath the waves. His throat tightened as he thought of his grandfather’s steady hands, the quiet wisdom in his voice. The ache of that loss felt raw again, reopened by the chaos of the last few days.

He exhaled slowly, turning his head to meet Hutu’s gaze. “He’s dangerous now. More dangerous than ever. He’ll see this as a personal betrayal and a humiliation he can’t allow to stand.” His jaw clenched. “We have to find him before he strikes again. We won’t get this kind of chance twice.”

Hutu crossed his arms, his expression hard but resolute. “The Gallant rebels won’t stop. We’ll hunt him down and end this.” His tone was steel. “We’ve all lost too much to let him slip away.”

Roan nodded faintly, though his heart still felt heavy. Too much was an understatement. They had survived, but survival had cost them everything.

Hutu’s expression softened as his attention shifted to Julia. “The Ancient Knights have returned,” he said, his voice quieter now. “And with them, the hope we thought was gone forever.”

Julia swallowed hard, her eyes flickering with emotion. The weight of those words pressed against her chest. Her mind drifted to Roanna and Calstar, to their stories of prophecy and destiny. She had never believed in such things, had clung to reason and science for as long as she could remember.

But now… now she wasn’t sure anymore. She had seen too much, survived too much, to dismiss it entirely.

Her focus settled on Roan, steady and unwavering. His dark eyes searched hers, filled with questions and something more—something deeper.

“I still don’t believe in prophecies,” she said softly. “Though I do believe in this. In what we’ve fought for. What we’ve survived for. And I’ll fight to protect it.” Her voice grew stronger as she added, “I have every reason to.”

Roan studied her for a long moment. The healer finished with his wound, but Roan barely noticed. His eyes never left Julia’s face.

She’s my reason now, too.

His lips quirked, his voice soft but firm. “We’ll stop him.”

Julia nodded, her hand tightening on his. “Together.”

The word hung between them, a vow filled with quiet strength and unspoken promises. For the first time in a long while, Roan felt something stir inside himself—something dangerously close to hope.

Hutu gave a respectful nod, his sharp eyes lingering on Roan and Julia for a moment before turning toward the door. “Until next time,” he said quietly, his deep voice steady. “Stay safe. We’ll be ready.”

With that, he was gone. The healer murmured something indistinct before retreating to his office, leaving them alone in the dimly lit medical unit. The familiar vibrations of the ship surrounded them, wrapping them in a rare moment of stillness.

Roan exhaled slowly, leaning back against the pillows. His eyes closed for a second before he opened them again, locking onto Julia’s steady eyes. His voice was soft, almost distant, when he finally spoke.

“He said I was too late.” His brow furrowed as he relived that last moment with his father. “Even as he lay there dying, my father had that twisted smile, as if he’d won somehow. There was nothing left in him but cruelty and vengeance. And for years…” Roan hesitated, his fingers tightening around the edge of the blanket. “I was worried I might end up like him. That something in me was the same. That no matter how hard I tried, it would eventually surface.”

Julia leaned closer, her hand brushing gently over his. “You’re nothing like him,” she said softly but with unwavering certainty. “You never were. You’re strong because of the choices you’ve made—not because of where you came from. Your mother, Calstar, Roanna… You follow after them. Not him.”

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