AFTER almost 48 exhausting hours of travel, they finally arrived at the capital star. Their first stop, as before, was the private spaceport owned by the Fenris Squad. But now, unlike their departure, they couldn't all leave together.
Nicol clung to Astrid. "Brother Aster, can you visit us over the weekend?" Then, as if only just remembering, he glanced over at Reas. "You can come too, Brother Reas, if you want."
Reas rolled his eyes and replied dryly, "Wow, thanks for the heartfelt invitation."
Astrid chuckled at their playful exchange, then reached over to ruffle Nicol's hair. "Sorry, Nikki, I can't make it this weekend—I've already got something lined up. But as soon as my schedule clears, Reas and I will come visit, promise."
Nicol pouted, looking up at Astrid with hopeful eyes. "Can't you just reschedule it?"
Astrid smiled. "I'm afraid I can't."
The audition for [The Shadow Within] was scheduled for the weekend. Ellis had mentioned that the public audition notice went up two days ago, and the response had been overwhelmingly positive. She anticipated a large number of rookie actors would show up. Astrid had already committed to watching the auditions, and he couldn't just go back on his word now.
"Nicol, don't crowd your brother," Thomas said, gently pulling his son back before Nicol decided he wanted to stay glued to Astrid. Then he gave his nephew an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."
"It's all right, Uncle," Astrid replied, bending down to meet Nicol's gaze. "I'll see you soon, okay, Nikki?"
Nicol reluctantly nodded. "Okay."
Casey gave both Astrid and Reas a quick hug.
Aster nodded. "We'll be arriving in the afternoon, right?"
"Yes, give or take," Wulfric replied.
"Are you and the others heading straight back to Alluna once you drop us off at the capital?" Aster asked casually, glancing over at Wulfric.
"Unfortunately, yes," Wulfric replied, not bothering to hide his disappointment. "I'd have loved to stay in the capital a few more days—with you. But I have to remind myself I'm a responsible adult with a job to do."
Aster chuckled at his response, but then an unexpected silence fell between them, catching Wulfric off guard. The quiet felt a bit unusual, and just as he was about to say something to fill it, Aster spoke up first.
"Wulf," he called his name.
Wulfric turned to Aster, their gazes meeting against the backdrop of space stretching out before them—one pair of eyes, a fierce golden like a beast's, and the other, dark obsidian, mirroring the endless expanse of stars shining just beyond the glass.
For some reason he couldn't quite explain, Wulfric's heart suddenly began to race. It felt like something very important was about to happen. "Yes?"
"Once I win a Best Actor award, I'll give you the answer you've been waiting for."
Wulfric's breath caught for a moment, his eyes widening slightly as he processed Aster's words. But a whole minute had passed and his brain seemed to still not be able to register it. The answer... he's been waiting for? He could only think of one at the moment. The only one that mattered, actually.
Could it be...?
Could it really be that?