Warmth.
That was the first thing I felt as consciousness slowly returned, a gentle, enveloping warmth that chased away the cold void I'd been drowning in.
The second thing I felt was safe.
Which was weird, considering I'd literally just been reborn as some kind of cosmic murder-fluff with a 72-hour death timer.
I kept my eyes closed, taking inventory of my situation through other senses. My body, still small and weak, was curled up on something soft. Fabric? A blanket? The texture was smoother than anything I remembered from my previous life, with a faint hum of energy woven through it.
Where am I?
Voices drifted through my awareness, muffled but growing clearer as my senses sharpened.
"—absolutely reckless, Rayna! Do you have any idea what could have happened?" A male voice, deep and stern, vibrating with barely contained anger.
"I'm fine, Father." That was her, Rayna. Her voice was calm but I could hear the underlying tension. "We followed all safety protocols. Corvin and Vale were with me the entire time."
"Safety protocols?" The man's voice rose. "You infiltrated a Class-7 Restricted Zone without authorization! A Void Corrupted site, Rayna! Those ruins have been sealed for centuries for good reason!"
"And in those ruins, I found something incredible," Rayna countered, her tone shifting from defensive to passionate. "Something that could change everything we understand about the Primordial Era. The markings alone—"
"I don't care about markings!"
A heavy thud, a fist on metal? Made me flinch involuntarily.
"What I care about is my daughter throwing herself into danger on some academic fantasy! You're not a field researcher, Rayna. You're the daughter of a Grand Admiral of the Astryx Dominion. You have responsibilities. Expectations. A future that doesn't involve getting yourself killed in cursed ruins!"
Silence stretched for a long moment.
When Rayna spoke again, her voice was quieter but no less firm. "I never asked for those expectations, Father."
"That's irrelevant. You were born into this family. Into this position. You don't get to—" He stopped abruptly. "What is that?"
Oh. He noticed me.
"That," Rayna said, and I could hear the protective edge in her voice, "is why I went to the ruins. He was there, Father. Alone. Dying."
"It is a creature of unknown origin from a Void Corrupted site," her father corrected coldly. "It could be diseased. Corrupted. A dormant bio-weapon. And you brought it home?"
Well, he's not wrong about the bio-weapon part, I thought wryly.
"He's not corrupted," Rayna insisted. "Dr. Ysmene already did a full scan. No void corruption. No pathogens. No cybernetic implants or hostile organisms. He's... clean."
"Clean doesn't mean safe."
"He bonded with me, Father."
Another silence, heavier than before.
"What did you say?" Her father's voice had gone dangerously quiet.
"When I touched him, something happened. A soul resonance. I felt it, we both did. It was like..." She paused, searching for words. "Like finding a piece of myself I didn't know was missing."
Damn. She felt it too.
The soul imprint wasn't just a one-way thing. We were connected now, in a way I was only beginning to understand.
"Soul resonance," her father repeated slowly. "Rayna, do you understand what you're saying? True soul bonds are incredibly rare. They're permanent. Unbreakable. If what you're claiming is real—"
"It is real," Rayna interrupted. "I know it is."
I heard footsteps approaching, heavy boots on metal flooring. The temperature around me seemed to drop.
[WARNING: HIGH-LEVEL THREAT APPROACHING]
[POWER SIGNATURE DETECTED: COSMIC TIER 7]
[RECOMMENDATION: REMAIN NON-THREATENING]
Yeah, system, I'm literally a newborn. I don't think I could be threatening if I tried.
I felt his presence before I saw him, a weight in the air, like standing before a mountain. This was someone who commanded fleets. Someone who'd seen war on a cosmic scale.
This was Rayna's father.
I cracked open one eye.
The man standing before me was tall, easily over six feet, with broad shoulders that spoke of both physical training and the burden of command. His hair was dark with silver streaks at the temples, cut military-short. His face was stern, handsome in a weathered way, with sharp eyes that gleamed like polished steel.
He wore a dark uniform with silver accents, and on his collar was an insignia that made something in my cosmic-beast brain want to bow: a void-crossed star surrounded by orbital rings.
[SCANNING...]
[IDENTIFICATION: KIERAN AZURIEL]
[RANK: GRAND ADMIRAL OF THE VOID FLEET]
[TITLE: THE ECLIPSE HAMMER]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]
Oh good. My soul-bonded partner's dad is literally one of the most powerful people in the galaxy. No pressure.
Admiral Kieran Azuriel stared down at me with those calculating steel eyes, and I stared back.
For a long moment, neither of us moved.
Then his eyes narrowed. "It's awake."
"He," Rayna corrected gently. "He's awake. And his name is..." She paused. "Actually, I haven't named him yet."
Name me something cool. Please. I'm begging you.
"Naming it implies keeping it," her father said flatly.
"I am keeping him," Rayna replied, moving to stand between us. Even though I could barely see her from my position on the blanket, I felt her determination through our bond. "Father, please. Just... look at him. Really look."
The Admiral was silent for a long moment. Then he moved, circling around to get a better view of me.
I stayed very still, instinctively knowing that any sudden movement would be Bad.
His expression remained unreadable as he studied me—taking in my small size, my starry fur, my oversized eyes, my fluffy tail.
"It looks harmless," he finally said.
"He is harmless," Rayna insisted. "Dr. Ysmene confirmed he's just an infant. He can barely walk."
Hey. Rude. I can totally walk. Sort of. A little bit.
"Appearances can be deceiving," the Admiral murmured. He crouched down, bringing himself closer to my eye level. "Especially with Primordial Era specimens."
Up close, I could see the scars, faint lines on his face and hands that spoke of battles survived. This was not a man who'd earned his position through politics alone.
His hand moved, and for a terrifying moment I thought he might grab me by the scruff.
Instead, he extended one finger toward me slowly, deliberately.
A test.
I glanced at Rayna through our bond, felt her anxiety, her hope, her silent plea for me to not screw this up.
Okay. Time to be adorable. How hard can it be? I'm literally designed for this.
I pushed myself up on shaky legs, wobbled dramatically (only partly faked), and took a hesitant step toward his hand.
Then I did something I instantly regretted, I let out a tiny, plaintive mew.
Oh god. Did I just... mew? Did I actually just mew?!
But it worked.
Something in the Admiral's expression softened, just a fraction, but it was there.
I pressed my head against his finger, making sure to seem as weak and helpless as possible. Which, to be fair, wasn't much of a stretch. I was weak and helpless.
For now.
"Hmm," was all he said.
[SOUL IMPRINT RESONANCE DETECTED]
[RAYNA AZURIEL IS EXPERIENCING: HOPE, ANXIETY, PROTECTIVE INSTINCT]
[KIERAN AZURIEL IS EXPERIENCING: SUSPICION, CURIOSITY, RELUCTANT AFFECTION]
Wait. I can feel what they're feeling through the bond?
[AFFIRMATIVE]
[SOUL IMPRINT BONDS ALLOW EMOTIONAL RESONANCE]
[DEEPER CONNECTION WILL DEVELOP AS HOST EVOLVES]
The Admiral withdrew his hand and stood. "Dr. Ysmene's full report. I want it within the hour."
"Father—"
"I'm not saying no, Rayna," he interrupted, his tone softening slightly. "I'm saying I need more information. If this creature truly bonded with you, then killing it would harm you as well. I won't risk that." He paused. "But I also won't allow a potential threat to remain on this ship without proper containment protocols."
"He's not a threat," Rayna said firmly.
"Everything is a threat until proven otherwise," her father countered. "That's how you survive in this universe." He turned toward the door, then stopped. "You'll confine it to your quarters for now. No taking it anywhere without escort. No exceptions."
"Yes, Father," Rayna replied, relief evident in her voice.
The Admiral left, his heavy footsteps fading down what I was beginning to realize was a corridor.
Wait. Ship? We're on a ship?
As soon as her father was gone, Rayna rushed over to me. She scooped me up gently, cradling me against her chest.
"You did so well," she murmured, and I felt her genuine affection through the bond. "I know he seems harsh, but he's just protective. He's lost too many people he cared about. He doesn't trust easily."
Neither do I, I thought. But I trust you.
The thought surprised me with its intensity.
She carried me toward a window, no, a viewport, and my breath caught.
Oh. Oh wow.
We were in space. Actual, real, holy-shit-that's-beautiful space.
Through the viewport, I could see a massive vessel, sleek and deadly, bristling with weapons and shield generators. Beyond it, more ships formed a fleet that seemed to stretch forever. And beyond that...
A planet. Massive and blue-green, wrapped in glowing orbital rings that pulsed with energy. Cities glittered on its surface like scattered diamonds, and I could see floating platforms that dwarfed mountains.
[LOCATION IDENTIFIED: ASTRYX DOMINION FLAGSHIP "ETERNAL VIGILANCE"]
[CURRENT POSITION: HIGH ORBIT ABOVE NOVA CENTRALIS]
[CAPITAL PLANET OF THE ASTRYX DOMINION]
Rayna stroked my fur gently, her fingers trailing through the starry patterns.
"Welcome to my world, little one," she said softly. "I don't know what you are. I don't know where you came from. But I promise—I'll keep you safe. And I'll figure out how to help you."
[QUEST GENERATED: SURVIVE AND GROW STRONGER]
[OBJECTIVE: Reach Adolescent Form]
[REWARD: Enhanced Abilities, Evolution Path Selection, ???]
[TIME LIMIT: None]
[CURRENT STATUS: INFANT FORM - LEVEL 0]
[EXPERIENCE TO NEXT LEVEL: 0/100]
I stared at the floating notification, then back at the viewport showing the vast cosmic empire spread before me.
An entire universe to evolve through. Threats to face. Powers to gain.
And right here in my paws, no, my arms, eventually, the one person I'd protect above all others.
I looked up at Rayna's face, seeing her profile illuminated by the light of distant stars.
Alright, universe, I thought. Let's see what you've got.
Because I'm going to devour it all.
Rayna glanced down at me, and I saw her smile, genuine and warm.
"I think I'll call you Xiane," she murmured. "It means 'gift from the stars' in Old Astryan. Does that sound good?"
Xiane.
[DESIGNATION ACCEPTED: XIANE]
[NAME REGISTERED]
[SOUL IMPRINT BOND: STRENGTHENED]
I purred, actually purred, and pressed against her hand.
Yeah. That sounds perfect.
My name is Xiane.
And my evolution has only just begun.
---
[CURRENT STATUS:]
- Name: Xiane
- Level: 0
- Form: Infant
- Bond: Rayna Azuriel (Complete)
- Location: Flagship "Eternal Vigilance"