Belial's boots scraped against the cold, uneven stone of the asteroid's cavern, the sound swallowed by the vast, hollow silence of the zero-gravity chamber. His heart still hammered in his chest, the echo of the gunshot ricocheting in his mind like a cruel taunt. He'd been so sure that was it—his end, a bullet through his skull, his blood splattered across this forgotten rock in the middle of nowhere. And yet, here he was, alive, his hands trembling as they dropped from shielding his head. The adrenaline hadn't faded, leaving his limbs heavy, his breath uneven.
Above him, the jagged hole in the cavern's ceiling let in a faint stream of starlight, casting long, eerie shadows that danced across the walls. The light caught her, her pistol now holstered at her hip, her lips curled into that infuriating, mocking grin. Her laughter, sharp and bell-like, still lingered in the air, cutting through the oppressive quiet like a blade. She looked at him like he was some pathetic creature, a child who'd fallen for the oldest trick in the book.
"You looked so gullible," she said, her voice dripping with amusement, her dark eyes glinting with mischief. "I couldn't help myself. You're adorable."
Belial's jaw clenched, his face burning with a mix of embarrassment and fury. "Adorable?" he muttered under his breath, his voice thick with his faint accent—an old habit that crept back when he was rattled. He pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the dust from his worn jacket, trying to reclaim some shred of dignity. "I thought I was gonna die...You're crazy!"
The girl tilted her head, her long, dark hair floating weightlessly around her like a halo of night sky, catching slivers of starlight that made her seem almost otherworldly. She was… striking. No, more than that. Beautiful. Her sharp eyes softened just a fraction, a warmth lurking behind the teasing glint, and for a moment, Belial forgot the gun, the fear, the mission. She was about his height, maybe a touch taller, and probably close to his age—nineteen, maybe twenty. Her posture had relaxed, her arms loose at her sides, the pistol no longer a threat. And yet, there was something about her, something dangerous, like a blade hidden in silk.
He shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his mind. "This is the first girl I've seen in forever," he muttered, not meaning to say it aloud.
Rose's brow arched, her grin widening. "You know you said that part out loud, right?"
Belial's face flushed hotter, and he turned away, rubbing the back of his neck. "So… uh… do you have a name?" His voice cracked slightly, betraying him again. Damn it. He was usually better than this—cool, collected, focused. But something about her threw him off balance, like gravity had shifted beneath his feet.
She studied him for a moment, her head tilted like a curious cat sizing up its prey. "Rose," she said finally, her voice softer now, almost melodic.
Pretty name.
"Pretty name," she echoed, her lips twitching as if she could hear his thoughts.
Belial froze, his eyes narrowing. Can this girl read minds?
"…Can this girl read minds?" she said aloud, mimicking his tone perfectly.
Her laughter erupted again, bright and unfiltered, bouncing off the cavern walls. It was so genuine, so unguarded, that Belial couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his own mouth, even as he tried to glare at her.
"No," she said, still chuckling, wiping a tear from her eye. "You're just so easy to read."
He scrunched his face, annoyance flaring. "Names Nero and I'm leaving," he snapped, turning sharply toward the floating exit stones that hovered in the zero-gravity space, their surfaces glinting faintly in the starlight. "You can go back to sleep on this rock for all I care."
Rose's laughter faded, but her voice followed him, dripping with mock innocence. "Are you really going to leave little ol' me here?" She clasped her hands together, batting her lashes dramatically. "It's dark. I'm scared."
Belial didn't look back, his boots clanging against the stone as he moved toward the exit. "You weren't scared when you pulled that gun on me," he shot back, his tone sharp but laced with something softer—something he didn't want to admit.
"Maybe not. Maybe I was?" Her voice shifted, the playful edge giving way to something heavier, more real. "Do you know how many men tried to have their way with me when I was vulnerable?"
Belial stopped dead in his tracks, his breath catching. The words hit him like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, he couldn't move. Couldn't speak. The cavern seemed to shrink around him, the silence pressing in, thick and suffocating. He didn't have an answer for that. How could he? He'd been alone for so long, drifting through the mountain, chasing a mission he barely understood anymore. He hadn't thought about what it meant to survive out here—not for someone like her.
"…No," he muttered, his voice barely audible, his shoulders slumping slightly.
Rose stepped closer, her boots light against the stone, her presence suddenly too close, too real. He caught the faint scent of something metallic—her gear, maybe—and saw the scar across her collarbone, a thin, jagged line that told a story she hadn't shared. Her earlier smile was gone, replaced by a quiet intensity that made his chest ache.
"Then maybe don't judge the way I protect myself, Plus I'm farsighted" she said, her voice softer now, but firm, like she was laying down a truth he couldn't argue with.
Belial's gaze flicked to the floating rocks, the way out, then back to her. He wanted to say it wasn't his problem. Wanted to tell her she'd be fine, that she'd survived this long without him. She'd slow him down, complicate things, distract him from the mission that had kept him alive all these months. He could almost hear Xin's voice in his head, sharp and accusing: "You're heartless!"
The memory stung, a raw wound that hadn't healed. Xin, with his fierce eyes and unwavering loyalty, had called him out more times than he could count. he'd been the only one who ever got close to him, who made him question the walls he'd built around himself. And now, here was Rose, standing in front of him, tearing those walls down with a single sentence.
He rubbed his temple, frustration bubbling up. This was dumb. So dumb. He didn't need this. Didn't need her. He'd been fine on his own, hadn't he? He'd survived the monsters, the starvation, the endless cold of space. He didn't need anyone.
And yet… something felt off about leaving her behind.
The cavern was silent except for the faint hum of distant rocks clashing, a reminder of the asteroid's abandoned mining systems. The starlight above flickered, casting Rose's face in shifting shadows. Her eyes were still on him, not pleading, not desperate, but… waiting. Like she was testing him, seeing what he'd do.
Belial's hands curled into fists. He hated this. Hated the indecision, the way his mind warred with itself. He was supposed to be decisive, sharp, the kind of person who didn't hesitate. But here he was, rooted to the spot, caught between the mission and the girl who'd just turned his world upside down with a laugh and a gun.
He let out a heavy sigh, his breath visible in the cold air. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" he muttered, half to himself.
Rose's lips twitched, that teasing glint returning. "I've been called worse."
He shot her a look, but there was no real venom in it. "You're farsighted, huh?" he said, nodding toward the floating rocks. "Can't see that far ahead?"
"Something like that," she replied, her tone light but her eyes still searching his.
Belial glanced at the exit again, the stones hovering like steppingstones to freedom. He could leave. He should leave. But the thought of her standing alone in this cavern, with its cold stone and endless shadows, gnawed at him. What if she wasn't lying?