Chapter 3: Grinnox's Message

A black uterus-shaped vessel floats through open space, its blue lights glowing like stars. On board is a single Illixi. His pale blue skin sparkles with white freckles and his short, wavy white hair falls in his face as his pitch-black eyes pore over the screens before him. His pointed ears twitch hearing the quiet beeping sounds of his ship's controls. His name is Grinnox, and he is here to send a message to the people of Xindyria.

Once he descends into the atmosphere, a wicked grin spreads across his face. He thirsts deeply for human blood which actually tastes quite sweet despite their horrifically sinful nature. Just thinking about the crimson nectar makes his mouth water. He shakes his head. No. He must focus on the job at hand. His mind wanders to his people's princess. Echthra's factories are marvelous to see in action, but they do remove the personal achievement aspect of murdering a human with only one's hands. Maybe he'll treat himself, just this once. Her words to him ring in his mind.

All I ask of you on this mission, Grinnox, is to collect information on the planet and deliver a message for me. Anything you can gather, no matter how seemingly insignificant, will be of great value to me. If you succeed, I shall give you a venerable opportunity in the Red Machine. Would you enjoy such a prize? I hope so.

He closes his eyes and sighs dreamily as he imagines phantom hands caressing his face. Echthra is such a lovely individual and a great leader at that. Of course, she would never consider him romantically, but he still enjoys envisioning what a relationship with someone so passionate could be. Grinnox quickly realizes he's lost focus again, so he channels his energy into scanning the planet's surface. Luckily for him, Illixi ships are incredibly efficient at absorbing and translating data recovered from celestial bodies. Some things, however, he can only learn by living among the humans here.

***

Early that morning, Adam shoots awake to the sound of a ship speeding by. He clutches his chest, his heart pounding inside his ribcage. Slowly, he peeks out the window and sees a black shadow against the pale sunrise. No… No! It can't be! He remains in hiding until the ship vanishes, then rushes to meet with Violet and Juno. How did the Illixi come here so soon? Their government sponsors had said they wouldn't arrive for another five years! Although trying to stay calm, he can't help a panic attack from setting in. His breathing grows shallow.

Meanwhile, in her room, Juno's senses are on high alert. A ship flying overheard assaults her ears, interrupting her dream. She feels the whole building shake. Shoving her covers off her, she quickly gets dressed and makes her way to Adam's room. Halfway there, the two of them run into each other. Juno immediately notices Adam's pallid skin.

"Dr. Graves?"

"J…Juno…" He takes a shallow shaky breath, gripping her shoulders with white knuckles.

"Are you all right?"

"C-Can't… breathe…"

"Oh!" Juno helps him to sit on the floor, then takes her hands and massages his chest, a dim light traveling along her fingertips.

"Th-Thank you," Adam whispers. He looks down at his hands. A purple light, much like that in a plasma globe, spreads from his chest through his whole body. He takes a deep breath after a couple of minutes.

"How do you feel now?"

"Much better."

Soon, Violet joins the two.

"You heard it too, yes?" Juno asks.

"I did. We need to do something." Violet notices Adam on the floor. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine now. Just… had a bit of a panic attack."

"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry!" She hugs him gently, much to his surprise.

"N-No worries. Juno helped me out."

"Good."

"So, what do you propose we do?" Juno asks. Adam and Violet exchange glances.

"We can't let the pilot kill anyone," Adam says finally.

"I will take care of them." Juno starts to walk away when Violet stops her.

"Wait, Juno," Violet says.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"I… I don't think you should go alone."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Hallows. I can't let you come with me. It's much too dangerous for you to join me on a mission such as this."

"Are you sure? I know I can't do much, but—"

"Yes. I'm sure. If the pilot sees you, they may kill you on site. I can't let that happen."

"Okay. Just… Just be safe, please?"

"I will. And don't worry; I remember what you told me in our first interaction."

"All right."

"Juno?" Adam asks.

"Yes?"

"Good luck out there."

With that, Juno heads out to the garage to her ship. She carries a plasma sniper rifle in her ship despite her people's peaceful disposition. Why? Although the Crierce prefer to remain neutral in any sort of conflict, they have been involved in a couple of skirmishes themselves. Not by choice, of course. Unfortunately, in this galaxy, there are several species that wish to cause death and destruction. Namely, the Illixi, but Juno remembers a time when the Crierce and Illixi were almost one and the same. She still cannot understand why the princess has become so hateful, but surely humans couldn't have been the catalyst for such wrath. Right? She only knows of the good side of humanity: their love for animals, their affection for children, their optimism, and, above all, their dreams. She sighs. When Juno reaches the garage, she climbs inside her hastily-repaired ship and takes out both her plasma rifle and a sleek suit of lightweight crystalline armor. Not only does the armor reflect light, which allows her to travel undetected, but it's also resistant to the elements and standard Illixi weaponry. However, this armor is something she designed herself so she has no other sets for either Dr. Graves or Ms. Hallows to wear.

As she prepares to head out, her phone vibrates. She takes it out of her pocket and turns it on to find that Castor is calling her. She answers.

"Hey, Mirror." Castor's voice comes out strained, whether with worry or exhaustion, she can't be sure.

"Hello, Castor. You're up early."

"Yeah. I uh… I heard a vessel above my apartment."

"I heard it too. An Illixi has arrived on Xindyria."

"Oh, God. How? Our government didn't predict them arriving for another five years."

"I know. I only sensed one presence; the pilot is alone."

"Are you going to go after them?"

"I am."

"Can I come with you? I'd hate for you to go alone."

"I'm sorry, but I must do this myself. It's too dangerous. Besides, if they were to see you, they would kill you on the spot, and I can't let that happen. No humans will die under my watch."

"Are you sure? I… I'm…" He lowers his voice almost to a whisper. "...scared for you."

"I have a plasma rifle. I can defend myself with it if necessary. I don't want to kill the pilot if I don't have to. Sorry, I have to go now."

"Okay."

She's about to hang up, when…

"Wait!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"I uh… I have a favor to ask."

"Sure. What is it?" Juno asks. Castor quiets on the other end for a moment. "Castor?"

"S-Sorry, um… would you maybe… like to have dinner with me?"

"An interesting request. One I did not expect." Juno smiles to herself as Castor lets out a gentle laugh.

"Indeed. So, uh, what do you say?"

"I'd like that."

"Wait, really?"

"Mhm. Name the time and place, and I'll be there."

"Okay! How about 6:00 at my place? I'll cook for you."

"Sounds good. What should I wear?"

"Choose your favorite outfit from the ones you bought."

"Okay. What's your address?"

"108 Storm Street, Apartment 54."

"Thank you. I'll remember that."

"I look forward to seeing you!"

"Me too. Talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye!"

Castor and Juno hang up at the same time, then she climbs in her ship. Her senses are still heightened; she can track the Illixi pilot to their hiding place.

***

Up in the Clarencola mountain range, Grinnox's ship has landed in a clearing surrounded by peaks on every side. Heavy snow pours from the heavens, obscuring his view and, just barely, his ship's presence. Oh, how snow fascinates him! Just the way that every individual snowflake is made of a completely unique crystalline pattern—it's truly astonishing. He reaches for his throat where a necklace embedded with human fingertips lies. One and the same; fingerprints and snowflakes. Grinnox contacts his superior, Sholi. He will live among the humans, if only for a couple of days. He will become them.

***

Now that he's finally alert and ready for the day, Castor turns on the television and tunes into the news. He wants to see if anyone is covering the story about the Illixi scout. Most days, that's all the news talks about—the Illixi. Crimes still happen here, but in light of the looming threat of genocidal aliens, they almost don't matter. Almost. Castor makes himself some breakfast in the meantime. His mind lingers on Mirror: her silky brown hair, her gentle smile, her hypnotic purple eyes. He sighs dreamily. She is lovely. Suddenly, the television alerts him to the latest breaking news story. He sits on his couch and watches intently, quietly shoving cereal into his mouth. As the man speaks, Castor notices a white vessel in the background heading toward the mountain peaks. Wait, is that her? He sends a quick text. Hopefully, she will be okay.

Hey. I'm watching the news right now. Are you in that white ship?

***

Over the course of a couple of hours, as her ship is a high-speed vessel, Juno strategizes how she will deal with this lone Illixi scout. As much as she doesn't want to kill him, she realizes she may find that she must in order to protect the humans living on this planet. She soon comes across a massive cloud formation obscuring the peaks of the mountain range. She draws near and her senses overwhelm her.

Found you.

She closes in on the ship's "scent" and lands a bit away from it. Luckily, the blizzard and thick clouds surrounding her disguise her ship well. The Illixi's vessel, on the other hand, is as clear as day in the midst of the vast whiteness of the scenery. Illixi ships did have one advantage, though: they could pass through open space undetected due to their rich black color. Once she lands, Juno steps out into the haze, her plasma rifle slung over her shoulder. She doesn't mind the cold. Or heat for that matter. Her skin both percolates and absorbs sunlight. Her keen eyes scan the scenery for the Illixi vessel as she wanders the mountains. All around her is white. Luckily, Juno's eyes can adapt easily to darkness and misty conditions like these. Her body, though human, retains all of her natural abilities as a Crierce.

She soon reaches the very clearing in which the Illixi pilot has chosen to land their vessel. Concealing herself within a nearby cave, she transforms into an Arctic fox. Only humans call them that, but maybe the Illixi would still recognize the animal. She creeps out into the open, wandering close to the ship. It is then that she spots the pilot. Dr. Graves and Ms. Hallows lack intimate knowledge of Illixi strategies, weaknesses, values, societies, and behaviors. Now is her chance to recover more of this information for them. She draws near, overhearing a snippet of conversation.

"Greetings, Sholi. I've scanned the whole planet. You were right. Many humans still live here. Xindyria is rich in resources that we can extract when humans are out of the way. After I'm finished here, I'll come home and present my findings," the pilot says, their calm ethereal voice ringing out in the blizzard. Juno soon realizes this Illixi is a man. She remembers that, although Illixi have no genitals, females do maintain a similar form to human females.

"Excellent. We shall await your return," the Illixi named Sholi says. When their conversation ends, Juno makes herself known. The pilot looks at her as she approaches. He smiles and pets Juno's tiny head. She lets out a quiet yip. Her soft white fur creates a gentle tingling sensation under his fingers.

"Hello. What do you call yourself?" He presses some buttons on his wrist device, then points his fist at Juno, scanning her. She secretly holds her breath as the device scans her body.

Will he find out the truth?

An image of her new form appears in the haze of the projected technological screen along with the words "snow fox" in the Illixi language. She knows what it says as her parents taught her the Illixi language long ago. "A snow fox, huh? Most intriguing. Well, why don't you come with me?"

He picks up Juno, then starts walking down the mountainside. Luckily for her, the Illixi pilot feels comfortable enough in her presence to speak with her.

"I'm Grinnox. I came here to learn more about this planet, Xindyria. We are collecting resources to fuel our operations. We also need new blood for our project. We call it The Red Machine. Humans are repulsive creatures, you know. They're a disease that has run rampant for long enough. They ruin everything they touch. They destroy the planets they live on. They exploit the people they interact with. They're corrupt, greedy, selfish— I could go on and on. We seek to... correct them. Our machine will take care of that."

Once Grinnox and Juno reach the base of the mountain, he sets her down for a moment to don a thin nano-skin suit. Before her eyes, he artificially transforms into a human. Where once his appearance was that of a pale blue humanoid is now the appearance of a slightly muscular man with wavy black hair and grey eyes. He wears a black turtleneck with brown pants and a tan coat overtop.

"So? What do you think? Quite interesting technology, wouldn't you agree?" Grinnox asks. Juno lets out a small bark. "I suppose there's no sense in asking you that question, is there? Here, come with me."

He picks her up again and walks a while to the nearest town. When they arrive, Juno glances at the sign.

Morabomberra: Population 8472.

As he walks down the streets of the town, he notices children playing and adults talking with one another. Many of the houses' windows are open, despite the cool weather. Hovercars pass by them as they travel. One of the younger children waves at him with her tiny hand.

"Puppy?" she says.

"She's a fox, my dear." He kneels down in front of the little girl, his eyes wide, and holds out the fox in his arms. She runs her little fingers down Juno's back and pets her head.

"Baby," she says, her small lips curving into a smile. Juno can sense Grinnox's bloodlust rising. She squirms in his grip. He subtly subdues her with a calming spell not noticeable to the little girl. Juno doesn't fully understand Illixi magic yet, but whoever the princess is, she must have a great deal of power.

"Well, I must be off. Goodbye for now," he says, standing up and walking away. His control over his hunger for human flesh stuns Juno. He had every chance to kill the girl then and there. Why didn't he? She has a slight idea, but once again, there are things about the Illixi that even she doesn't know yet.

Soon, however, he would release his hatred in a display so violent that the mere thought of it makes her sick.

As the two reach the heart of town, Grinnox sees a reporter filming.

"See that? A human! She must be reporting on my arrival. How silly!" He flashes a wicked grin and his eyes widen with an unquenchable thirst for blood. She has never seen such a dangerous emotion in someone's eyes before.

Are you… going to kill the reporter?!

Grinnox sets Juno down on the ground and approaches the cameraman from behind. Only the reporter can see him approach, but she thinks nothing of it. As he closes in on his victim, Juno is frozen in place, unable to help due to the risk of exposing herself as a shapeshifter.

Without any warning, Grinnox removes his nano-skin suit and, his teeth bared, begins hacking the cameraman to bloody pieces. Horrified, Juno watches Grinnox rip his skin open and feed on his still squirming body. Unable to react, the reporter releases a scream of terror. Juno wanders up to the scene, her heart squeezing inside her ribcage. Purple spider veins cover what flesh is left on him. He must've injected the man with some sort of bioweapon to make him survive his torture. If this is what the Illixi are capable of without any sort of technology… she shudders, repressing the urge to puke.

Grinnox allows the reporter to run. She will spread the word for him. After eating his fill, he uses his telekinesis to raise the still-rolling camera up to his face and begins to speak. Blood pours out his mouth and drips onto his pale blue body. His voice is less ethereal now, much harsher.

"Listen up, maggots! A new era has come to Xindyria! Our glorious princess, Echthra, has selected your planet to be the new homeworld of our dominion. Our machines will determine your life or death. Should we find you to be fruitful enough, you shall have the luxury of surviving our invasion. All of the rest of you humans existing here shall be murdered by the Red Machine. Consider yourselves lucky to witness and experience such an ending to your worthless lives! If you're watching, be afraid! Humanity will be perfected by any means necessary."

Listening to him speak, Juno wonders how any species could be so blatantly hateful. She can't understand it. Now, though, she knows why Grinnox had come here. He needed to send a message to the citizens of Xindyria. A monstrosity is coming, and only she can stop it.

***

Huddled in the safety of his home, Castor watches the whole speech, beginning to end. Seeing the blood on the Illixi scout's face makes him dizzy. He turns the television off, but he can't bring himself to eat the rest of his cereal. God, he hopes Mirror is safe.

***

"Let's get back to the ship, shall we? I believe my work here is done. At least, some of it is. I need to report back first." Grinnox pets Juno's head again, leaving a red stain on her fur, then picks her up and leaves. When they return to his ship, Juno runs off. She hides in a small, nearby cave and transforms back into her human form. Luckily, the snowstorm still rages on around them both, giving her an optimal chance to strike. Once she sets up shop with her sniper rifle, she points her weapon directly at Grinnox's skull. A single, well-placed shot to his head should be enough for the plasma to spread through his body and destroy him from the inside out. She thinks back on Violet's initial words for a moment before changing her mind. Juno closes her right eye, leaving her dominant left eye wide open. A moment of clarity presents itself…

BANG!

A blast of plasma bursts through the haze of snow and obliterates Grinnox in a blaze of purple flames. All that remains of his corpse are ashes and his wrist device. She picks it up off the ground and straps it to her arm. She doesn't really understand how the device works, but she'll figure it out as she goes. For now…

"I should… check the ship," Juno says to herself. She climbs in and starts messing around with the controls, hoping to somehow acquire data on what caused the Illixi to fall so far from grace. She can't figure out how to do so. Could she take the ship with her to dissect with Dr. Graves and Ms. Hallows? She does have a tractor beam. She nods to herself, then leaves the Illixi vessel and enters her own. As the Y-shaped ship ascends into the air, she looks down at the scenery below. A whole town, now stricken with terror, lies below the multiple layers of clouds she's hiding in. She activates the tractor beam. As the two ships fly over the town, she looks down at the people below.

They are all looking up at her.

***

Upon her return, Adam and Violet are outside waiting for her. She lands both vessels, then climbs out to meet them. Her mystical purple eyes hold a 1000-yard stare.

"Oh, thank God you're alive!" Adam says. He wraps his arms around her, then lets go after a moment.

"I… take it you saw the news."

"I-I did, yes. Are you… Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Juno, there's… b-blood in your hair," Violet says, her voice wavering. Juno swallows hard, trying to maintain her composure.

"You're right. And no, it's… not Illixi blood."

Adam and Violet exchange glances.

"What happened out there?" Adam asks.

"...Grinnox is dead."

"You killed the pilot?"

"I did, yes."

"What happens now, Adam?" Violet asks.

"I… I don't know."

All three of them are silent.

"Anything else you need from me today?" Juno asks.

"No. You're… free to do as you wish. Thank you for doing this for us. Honestly, I… I need to repay you somehow."

"No need. I can't allow the princess victory over humanity."

"Very well. Violet and I are going to… dissect the ship you brought us." Adam notices the device on her wrist. "What's that?"

"I picked it up off of Grinnox's corpse. I can't say I know how to use it. Maybe you can find a way?"

"Sure. H-Here." Adam holds out a hand. Juno removes the wrist device and gives it to him. She smiles lightly at him in reassurance.

They are safe for now.

***

While Juno recovers from her quest, Castor deep cleans his apartment in preparation for her arrival. He has to make sure everything is spotless. What will she wear tonight? Castor's cheeks flush at the mere thought of her in the pink sundress. As he works, he plays music on his speaker. Hopefully, the shuffled playlist of love songs can take his mind off of the threatening message of the Illixi scout. Now then, what to make for dinner? He opens his phone and clicks on an app with recipes on it. Scrolling through the list, he chooses a recipe for stuffed pasta shells. He hopes she'll like it.

As the hours drag on, Castor starts making dinner and getting dressed up. Maybe he should buy her something? She likes flowers, he remembers. He should get her a flower. A rose? No, that's too obvious! Something else would be nice for her. He thinks long and hard. Suddenly, an idea hits him. He grins.

Perfect.

***

Soon enough, 6:00 arrives. After sneaking away in the form of a raven, Mirror knocks on the door to Castor's apartment, smoothing her dress with her hands. She plays with her braid, unsure if she's nervous or still terrified from her mission earlier that day.

"Coming!" Castor's voice calls out behind the door. A couple of seconds later, he opens the door. He wears a black dress shirt and a grey suit. Underneath her coat, she wears a knee-length, off-the-shoulder lavender dress with ruffles at the collar and at the hem. She also wears strappy silver heels. Her butterfly necklace that Castor had bought her gleams against her skin. Her makeup consists of white eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and mascara to accentuate her eyes, and pink lipstick. Although Juno's people have no need for it, she often wears makeup in her human form simply because she enjoys how she looks in it. He immediately looks her over, a deep red blush rising into his cheeks. Wow, she's gorgeous!

"Hello, Castor." Mirror smiles, a soft starry-eyed expression on her face.

"H-Hey, Mirror. God, you… y-you look lovely." He laughs nervously and shyly hands her a bundle of pink lilies. Mirror's eyes light up. She smiles as she takes it. Closing her eyes, she breathes in the scent.

"Thank you. How did you know I love flowers?"

"Oh, uh, lucky guess," Castor says, rubbing the back of his head. Mirror laughs a bit.

Could his plan to court her actually be working?

"You clean up nice yourself."

"Ah, I um… th-thank you." He clears his throat. "Come in. Dinner's ready."

"What did you make?" Mirror asks as she steps inside.

"Stuffed pasta shells. Oh, um… you're not, allergic to anything, are you?"

"No."

"Okay, good."

Mirror looks around. She now stands in Castor's living room, which consists of white walls, a dark grey sofa with a few decorative pillows, a small television across from it, a low bookshelf along the left side wall of the sofa, a blue and white striped rug, a small wooden table, and some plants and artwork.

"You have a cozy space here in the city."

"I'm glad you like it. I'll show you the rest later."

"I'd like that."

Castor and Mirror walk into the kitchen which also serves as the dining room. Black cabinets line the walls, complimenting all of the stainless steel appliances. An island with two white chairs sits in the middle of the dark hardwood floor. Several lit candles have been placed on the island along with a clean red tablecloth. Castor pulls out the chair for Mirror and she sits down, crossing her legs.

"Here you are," Castor says.

"Such a gentleman." A shy smile spreads across Mirror's face. Her own cheeks bloom with a soft pink color.

"I… I see you're wearing the necklace I bought you."

"I am. You told me to wear my favorite outfit, so I chose this one."

"W-Well, it's perfect on you," Castor says. "And your eyes…"

"You're sweet, Castor," Mirror says. He blushes bright red and covers his dorky smile with his hands, a nervous laugh escaping his throat.

"Y-You too, Mirror," he whispers.

"Are you okay, Castor?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah, I…" He trails off as he starts distributing the food. "S-Sorry, um… what would you like to drink, Mirror?"

"Do you have sparkling water?"

"Yeah. Here, I'll pour you a glass." He takes a pitcher out of his fridge and gives her some. He smiles at her, but his eyes indicate that something else is clearly on his mind.

"What's wrong?" she asks gently, her expression changing to one of concern. Castor freezes up at her question, even though he knows all too well that she could sense his fear.

"Mirror…"

"Yes?"

"About that news broadcast…"

"You saw it too, didn't you?"

"Yeah. What happened?"

And so, as they eat, Mirror relays the whole story of what happened, from the interaction with the little girl to the grotesque murder of the cameraman hidden behind the screen. Castor loses all color in his face upon hearing some of the details.

"Oh, God… I-I'm so sorry, Mirror."

"Let's… not talk about this anymore."

"Y-Yeah, we should uh, change the subject."

Both of them are silent for a moment.

"What would you like to talk about?" Mirror asks, breaking the silence.

"Well, you've told me lots about you. Should I tell you more about me?"

"I'd like that."

"All right. Ask away!" Castor leans forward, his chin resting on his interlaced hands. He is invested now.

"Hmm." Mirror thinks to herself, covering her mouth with her fingers. She thinks about things that she's interested in and turns them into questions for him to answer. "What's your favorite book?"

"Ah, it's um… it's called Beloved of the Stars."

"What's it about?"

"Um, it's a… supernatural romance novel that centers around an astronomer named Maia Star whose husband, Castiel, tragically dies in a car accident on their way to the planetarium for their third anniversary. She is pregnant with their twins at the time. After her children are born, she gives them up out of sheer grief from her husband's passing. She starts seeing a ghostly figure made of starlight in her bedroom window. Most of the story is about how she falls in love with the mysterious figure."

"How does the story end?"

"She learns to forgive herself for his death, even though it had never been her fault, and reunites with her children to honor her husband's memory."

"Wow. Sounds sad."

"It is very beautiful, but yes, quite sad."

"What's your favorite food?" Mirror asks, sensing his mood change.

"Oh! Um… I really like shrimp. Not only is it good by itself, but adding shrimp to a pasta dish makes it infinitely better."

"I'll have to try it sometime. Do you have a favorite animal?"

"I love cats. You know, when I was young, I fostered kittens with my family. I have pictures of them I can show you."

"I'd love to see them."

"Sure!" Castor takes out his phone from his pocket and scrolls through his photos until he reaches the picture he's looking for. He hands her his phone and she looks at the picture. On the screen are three tiny white kittens with blue eyes. Mirror smiles.

"Awww! How cute!"

"I know, right? Cats are so sweet. Most people I know think they're annoying or mean, but really they have a lot of charm and character."

"Do you have a cat?"

"Not yet. I do really want one though."

"A cat would make a great companion for you."

"Thanks. If I do adopt one, you are welcome to meet it. Do you have any other questions you want to ask me?"

"Yes, plenty. What's your favorite television show?"

"Ah, now that one is much more light-hearted. It's called Rainbow Witches."

"And what is that about?"

"It's a slice-of-life animated romance show about LGBTQ+ witches learning magic while working as baristas in a coffee shop."

"Sounds cute. Are you a part of the LGBTQ+ community?"

"Oh, no. I'm uh, just an ally. Are you?"

"I am. I'm bisexual and genderfluid."

"You are? Have you… loved other people before?"

"I have, yes."

"Oh," Castor says softly. He lowers his gaze. Could she still love him? She's a literal goddess and he's just an ordinary human. She must've had dozens of lovers in her lifetime. He loves her so much his heart could explode, but…

"Something wrong?"

"No. Sorry, um… just, caught me off guard."

"Castor?" She reaches for his hands and holds them in hers. Her eyes have a soft look in them. Castor blushes bright red.

"M-Mirror?" Castor says. She smiles.

"I really like you."

"Y-You do? Castor's eyes well with tears of joy.

"I know we've only just met, but… our meeting in the garden was not a coincidence."

"I'm… I'm so relieved to hear you say that."

"Hey. It's okay." She gently rubs his hands with her fingers. "Let's take things slow."

"Ah, um… right. S-Sorry."

"No need to apologize." She smiles reassuringly. "We're friends, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we are." Castor grins.

Castor and Mirror continue chatting late into the evening. He gives her a tour of the rest of his apartment, then cleans up the dishes with her help. Dr. Graves and Ms. Hallows must've fallen asleep by now. Castor checks his watch to find out that it's midnight.

"Oh! Look at the time! You really should be on our way," he says, even though every thought in his mind begs her to stay.

"All right," Mirror says. They both return to the front door so Mirror can grab her coat. It's raining when they step outside. She looks up at the night sky, the rain illuminated by the full moon.

"So uh... text me when you're home?"

"Of course. I had fun today. Thank you for inviting me."

"I did too! I look forward to seeing you again," Castor says. Mirror turns to walk out into the rain, but pauses. She turns back and envelops him in a warm hug. She holds onto him for a while. He does the same, his heart pounding in his ribcage. He's glad for the cover of darkness hiding this intimate moment from the world. His cheeks are bright red still.

"Are you okay, Castor?" she whispers.

"Y-Yeah…" he whispers back.

After they let go, Mirror waves to him then transforms into a raven and flies back home, leaving Castor alone with his thoughts.

***

After Mirror leaves, Castor fingers through his book collection until he finds Beloved of the Stars. He's not read it in a while, and Mirror's interest in the novel inspires him to read it again. He enters his bedroom and changes into pajamas, then sits on the couch in his living room, flicks on a lamp, and begins reading.

***

Upon her return, Mirror transforms back into a human and silently enters her room. Judging from the position of the moon, she determines that Dr. Graves and Ms. Hallows have been asleep for a couple of hours now. She places her bundle of lilies on her desk and smiles. Castor is certainly one of the sweetest humans she has met thus far. She goes into her bathroom and strips. She turns on the shower and, after a quick glance over her body,  she allowed the hot water to pour over her naked flesh and her hair. Her makeup fades away as she washes her face. She closes her eyes and reflects on Castor. He has beautiful green eyes. She smiles a little to herself. Once she's cleaned up, she turns off the water and dries herself with a towel. She sends Castor one last message before climbing into bed at last.

***

Castor's phone dings one last time that night.

Hello Castor. I made it home. Good night.

Castor smiles, almost unable to contain his strong feelings.

Good night, Mirror :)