Whispers in the Tower

The central tower of Astralis Academy pierced the artificial sky like a blade, obsidian and reflective, casting an imposing silhouette even beneath the twin suns. It was the observatory of the elite, a communications hub for restricted interstellar channels, and the place Lior had always avoided—until now.

Kai was late. And Lior was pacing.

His body still throbbed with echoes of what had happened in Lab Theta-19. But this wasn’t just about Kai anymore.

He’d felt it.

Eyes. Not Kai’s, not fans. Something else—strangers cloaked in anonymity, their presence like a cold breath on the back of his neck.

The door behind him hissed open.

Lior turned fast.

Kai stepped inside like a shadow given flesh. Boots silent. Eyes hungrier than they had any right to be.

"You're being watched," Kai said, skipping any pleasantries.

Lior blinked. "You feel it too."

Kai didn’t nod—he pressed Lior back against the glass window of the tower, the cityscape a blur of motion behind them.

"I’ve been feeling you since Theta-19."

"We’re not safe here."

Kai kissed him.

Rough. Desperate. Possessive.

Gloves were gone this time. Bare skin to bare skin. Cold glass against Lior’s back. Heat pressed tight at the front.

Kai’s hand slid up Lior’s shirt, thumbs grazing peaked nipples. Lior gasped.

"Let them watch," Kai whispered into his mouth. "Let the whole damn system watch."

Lior groaned. "You’re insane."

"You make me that way."

Clothes fell away in pieces. Buttons ripped. Zippers broken. Lior hissed as Kai pushed him hard against the glass, one leg hiked over his shoulder.

The view of Astralis behind them was dizzying, a city of lights and stars—while Lior trembled under the pressure of Kai’s every thrust, every word, every demanding grip.

"You moan when I bite you," Kai said before sinking teeth into his collarbone.

Lior arched. "Fuck, yes. Don’t stop."

He didn't. Not until Lior was a mess of sweat, bruises, and orgasmic shudders, nails clawed into Kai’s shoulders.

And then Kai sank to his knees again, mouth between Lior’s thighs, tongue drawing out every broken sound he could find.

Lior came again—loud, uncontrollable, his legs shaking.

Then silence.

Kai stood. Touched his face.

"They're watching, Lior. But they’re not watching us for fun. They’re tracking something. Or someone."

Lior tried to speak, but his breath caught.

A light blinked on the panel.

Unknown transmission. Scrambled coordinates. Origin: Outside Astralis.

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "Come to my dorm tonight. We talk. Or we run."

Lior nodded slowly.

But outside the tower, in the shadows of the upper catwalks, a figure stood cloaked in energy-dampening tech. Recording.

Watching.

Whispering.

Their voice crackled into a comm unit:

> "Phase One: Contact achieved. Subject Lior Calvess has merged with target Vireon. Initiate next sequence."

And somewhere far beyond Astralis, another tower lit up.

Awaiting them.

Calling them.

Wanting more.

Later that night, Lior found himself in Kai’s dorm—compact, utilitarian, and strangely intimate. The windows were tinted, the security protocols manually enhanced. Kai handed him a steaming mug of synthe-chai and sat close, their thighs touching.

Kai projected the intercepted signal onto the holopanel. Red glyphs scrawled across the screen—ancient, undecipherable.

"This isn’t just surveillance," Kai said. "It’s language. A code. Something old. Something off-world."

"You think it's tied to me?"

"No. I think it is you. Or what you might become."

Lior swallowed hard, the weight of the words sinking in. Outside, the night lights of Astralis shimmered. But it felt like the stars themselves were staring back now.

Kai turned, gaze searching. "Lior... are you hiding anything else? Something about your voice? About how people react to it?"

Lior hesitated.

Then he opened his mouth—and sang.

Only one note.

But the lights dimmed. The panel trembled. And Kai’s pupils dilated, caught in a trance that sent shivers down Lior’s spine.

He stopped.

"What the fuck was that?" Kai asked, breathless.

Lior shook his head. "I don’t know. But it started the day I turned sixteen."

They stared at each other, silent for a long beat. The air between them hummed with energy and unsaid truths.

Then the dorm lights flickered again. A voice—mechanical, distant—cut through the walls:

> "All priority students report to Shelter Unit Zero. This is not a drill. Repeat: not a drill."

Kai jumped up. "Shit. They're here."

Lior stood. Heart pounding.

But before they could move, the door to the dorm hissed open on its own.

And standing there—

Was someone wearing Lior’s face.

"Hello, me," the copy said, voice distorted. "Ready to remember what they made us forget?"

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