The Aurora had gone quiet.Not the cold kind of silence—the kind that stretches heavy and empty—but a soft, almost human silence. One made of steady breathing, low engine hum, and the faint, rhythmic heartbeat of the ship itself.Sarah was the first to drift off, curled on the couch with a blanket pulled over her shoulders, her hair spilling like a soft halo. Emily leaned against the far wall, head tilted, eyes closed but still smiling faintly from the movie. Lena was tucked away with Matilda in the sleeping cabin, the little girl already deep in dreams. Jackson, after trying to fight off sleep, finally surrendered, curled up with his tablet still glowing faintly on his lap.Jack remained where he was, the magazine resting on his lap like an anchor in the quiet. He ran his thumb across the embossed letters of the title — Beyond the Universe. The page beneath still held the image of that massive Dyson Sphere, sunlight bending around its structure.From the other couch, Ryan stirred.“Y

Ryan yawned wide and stretched his arms overhead, the book sliding down onto his lap with a soft thump. Jack turned the last page of his magazine slowly, savoring the last few lines. > “Every civilization leaves an echo. What matters is what kind of echo you choose to leave.” He closed it gently and set it on the table between them. The cabin felt still — like the night itself was holding its breath. Ryan leaned his head back against the couch. “That was a good read.” Jack smiled faintly. “Yeah. It was.” For a moment, neither of them moved. The stars outside hung frozen, silent witnesses to the conversation that had stretched deep into the night. Then Ryan cracked one eye open. “You know what would make this even better?” Jack raised a brow. “Coffee?” “News,” Ryan said with a lopsided grin. “Let’s see how the world’s spinning without us.” Jack let out a quiet chuckle. “You really want to ruin a good moment with politics and disasters?” “Yup,” Ryan replied without he

The battle on the holoscreen reached a fever pitch. Godzilla’s dorsal plates glowed with an electric blue light, the air around him shimmering as he reared back to unleash his atomic breath. The sound design rumbled through the Aurora’s floor, deep enough to make the mugs on the low table vibrate. Jackson’s eyes were wide, his fists clenched in pure, boyish excitement.“Here it comes!” he shouted, practically bouncing in place.Matilda gasped and hid behind Sarah’s arm, peeking through her tiny fingers. Ryan laughed, leaning forward like he was twelve years old again. Even Lena, who had pretended to be too mature for monster movies, had her mouth slightly open in awe.And Jack… Jack stared at the screen and felt time fold in on itself.Because it wasn’t just Godzilla on that screen anymore.It was Kharzek.The image flickered in his mind as clear as day — not in the Aurora’s cozy light, but under Mars’s blood-red sky. The dust storms howled like the cries of dying beasts, and the batt

Jackson leaned comfortably against Jack, the controller resting loosely in his small hands. The Aurora’s lounge glowed with soft ambient light, the holo-screen casting moving colors across their faces. Matilda was still clutching the pillow she’d used to cheer earlier, cheeks pink from laughing. Lena’s smirk hadn’t faded once since Jack fell into that pit trap.“Alright, that’s enough warm-ups for the old man,” Ryan teased from the couch.Jack tilted his head back, mock offended. “Old man? Watch me.”Sarah glanced at him from where she sat with her mug of tea. “Uh-oh. That tone.”Emily raised a brow. “Someone’s about to get serious.”Jackson chuckled, still feeling unbeatable after his win. “Oh really? You’re going down again, Dad. For the Sword Master title.”Jack leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with playful fire. “No, no, no. I let you have that one. But now?” He cracked his knuckles for dramatic effect. “Now I’m taking it back.”Lena made an exaggerated gasp. “Ooooh. Bold words.

Lena leaned back against the couch, the controller now resting loosely in her hands. She had already gone through the tutorial round with Matilda, picking things up faster than expected. Jackson had been watching her quietly — way too quietly — and Jack caught the spark in his son’s grin.“Alright,” Jack said with a low chuckle. “Looks like it’s your turn, Lena.”Her brows lifted slightly. “Me? Against you?”Matilda cheered like a hype girl at a tournament. “Yes! Yes! Get him!”Ryan immediately jumped into his announcer voice. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… entering the arena… the mysterious challenger—LENA BROOKS!”Lena rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the amused smile tugging at her lips. “You’re all ridiculous.”Jackson was already grinning. “No backing out now.”Sarah glanced at Jack over her mug of tea. “Jack. Please. Go easy on her.”Jack tilted his head with a wickedly calm smile. “I’ll be gentle.”Lena squinted. “You don’t look gentle.”Matilda nodded in dramatic agreement. “Yeah, th