Chapter 59: Rising Beyond the Pulse
Morning came softly inside Hope's Refuge, the simulated sunrise painting the crystalline walls in gold and white. The air shimmered faintly as if the whole space stretched and yawned awake along with them.
Ava sat up on her bunk, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "(￣▽￣) Morning already? Didn't we just finish that late-night calibration thing?"
Zephyr groaned from across the room, his hair sticking up like a shocked hedgehog. "If by 'calibration thing' you mean me getting electrocuted by Cream Puff's combat dummy, then yes. Good times."
"Correction," Cream Puff's calm voice replied from the ceiling. "You repeatedly ignored safety warnings. Outcome was inevitable."
Lyra giggled from where she was braiding her hair. "You kinda deserved that, Zeph."
"Betrayal!" Zephyr gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "And after I risked my life to save you from the treadmill of doom!"
