Page 19 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol. 1
I can’t breathe. A wave of emotion crashes over me—joy, disbelief, longing—all at once. It’s like the universe itself has bent reality just to bring us together in this moment.
“Hmm hmm!” Henri clears his throat, breaking the spell. “I understand. My companion is very beautiful—she tends to leave men speechless. We’re leaving tomorrow night for Jaga-18.”
My thoughts spiral. I just met my Soulmate—an impossibly rare event, especially considering I’m on the far side of the galaxy from Asgarne. And she’s already with someone else. Not just anyone—Henri, the future governor of a terraformed world.
Her eyes lingered on mine for a heartbeat longer than they should have. But then she turns to Henri and gives him a radiant smile.
“My dear Henri, would you excuse me? I’ll return to Prianka.”
“Something incredible just happened!” Wingo exclaims in my mind.
I ignore him. I can’t look away from her. Ileana.
“Go ahead, darling. Our guests will understand,” Henri says, pressing a kiss to the lips that should have been mine.
Every part of me recoils. Another man has claimed my Soulmate. And I’m just standing here, helpless, watching her walk away.
My world collapses while the party around me carries on, oblivious. Laughter, music, clinking glasses—none of it touches the storm inside me.
“My companion’s sister is gravely ill,” Henri explains. “She’s usually in a wheelchair and avoids events like this, but of course she’ll be joining us on Jaga-18. Ileana and I take care of her together. It’s our duty.”
“And that’s admirable,” Fanyoru replies. “Without your generosity, I don’t know how she’d survive. Even our regeneration sarcophagus can’t help.”
“Yes, it’s tragic,” Henri sighs. “With all our technology, we still haven’t found a cure. At least the sarcophagus can repair some of the damage, even if only temporarily.”
“I really don’t like this guy,” Wingo mutters.
“Me neither,”I admit, my voice barely a whisper in my own mind.
And yet… this man has all the qualities I usually admire in people. He’s taken charge of an entire community on this space base and is about to lead an even larger one. Everyone seems to respect him. He looks after the vulnerable.
Is my aversion to him only because he’s connected to my Soulmate? That would be… shamefully petty.
“Aren’t you going to do something?” Wingo presses, his voice sharp in my mind.
“What do you mean?”
“Pherebos, didn’t you see that golden thread connecting you to her?”
“What thread? What are you talking about?”
“When your eyes met, a golden thread appeared from each of you. And when they joined—boom! A burst of light. That woman is linked to you!”
I study Wingo carefully. So he noticed it too—the storm that turned my world upside down. He claims to see things like auras. To my knowledge, only Erians can do that. And him.
But it doesn’t change anything. My Soulmate is with someone else. Someone powerful. Someone who cares for her and her sick sister. Someone who can offer her far more than I ever could from a tiny ship drifting through the stars.
And she seems happy with him. That smile she gave him—it was radiant.
Wingo stares at me, waiting for my answer. I feel the weight of the moment pressing down on me. As much as it hurts, I make the only decision I can, even though every part of me screams not to.
“Come on, buddy. Eat some fruit. We’re taking off in a few hours,”I say, my voice barely masking the heartbreak.
“Pherebos, you can’t just walk away! She’s not where she belongs—with him. She’s linked to you. And I told you—I don’t like him.”
“Oh, remind me when I asked for your opinion? Oh right—never,”I snap, grabbing a handful of fruit and heading for the exit, my heart heavy.
I can’t stay here. Not at this celebration of the man who stands between me and the one I was meant to find. Watching her with him—it’s unbearable.
