Chapter Five

The room was so quiet that Astrid could hear her own breathing, shallow and uneven. Her fingers hovered over the glowing panel in front of her. Strange symbols pulsed across its surface, changing in irregular patterns. It looked more like alien art than anything she’d call a puzzle.

Behind her, LUX stood motionless, a giant statue of gleaming metal and glowing blue light. He looked so perfect, so precise, that it made her chest tighten. Every part of him—from his broad, angular shoulders to the faint hum of energy coming from his core—felt larger than life. His eyes, two sharp, glowing blue orbs, fixed on her like they could see straight through her skin and into her soul.

“Time is slipping away, human,” he said, his voice calm but with an edge sharp enough to cut.

Astrid’s jaw tightened. “Thanks for the reminder,” she muttered under her breath. She pressed her palm against the panel, and the moment she touched it, the symbols came alive. They swirled and rearranged themselves, moving faster and faster. A tingle ran up her arm, not painful but weird enough to make her shiver.

“What is this thing?” she asked, glancing back at him.

LUX moved closer, his steps so smooth and silent it made her stomach twist. For someone built entirely out of metal, he moved with an unsettling grace.

“This test,” he said, his voice softer now, “is a reflection of our kind. It represents how far we have come. Solve it, and you show us that you belong here. Fail…”

He let the sentence hang, the unspoken threat making Astrid’s throat tighten.

She turned back to the panel, her fingers curling into fists. “You’re really into this whole ‘prove yourself’ thing, aren’t you? What about you, LUX? What are you trying to prove?”

For a moment, silence hung between them. She could feel him standing close behind her, his gaze heavy on her back.

“I am a king,” he said finally. “I do not prove anything. I exist to serve my people.”

Astrid rolled her eyes. “That’s a pretty speech, but it’s not an answer.” She traced her fingers along the edge of the panel, watching the shifting lights. “You’re not just a robot with a crown. There’s more to you than that. I can see it.”

LUX didn’t reply right away. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, almost hesitant.

“You are perceptive, Astrid Vale.”

She froze, her breath catching. It was the first time he’d said her name, and the sound of it coming from him felt… different. It wasn’t cold or distant. It felt personal. Intimate.

“Yeah, well,” she said quickly, trying to steady her voice. “You don’t exactly scream ‘emotionless machine.’”

LUX stepped closer, so close that she could feel a faint warmth radiating from him. It was subtle, but it was there—proof that something pulsed inside him, something alive.

“Emotion is a paradox for us,” he said thoughtfully. “We understand it. We mimic it. But we do not feel it. Not as you do.”

Astrid turned to face him, her breath catching again. His glowing eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw something in them she couldn’t explain—something raw and almost… human.

“Do you want to?” she asked softly, barely aware she was speaking.

LUX tilted his head slightly, as if her question surprised him. His gaze searched hers, intense and unblinking. “Want,” he repeated, like the word was foreign to him. “Desire. Longing. These are not meant for me. And yet…”

He didn’t finish, but his eyes flicked toward the panel, breaking the spell. “Focus on your task, human. You will need all of your concentration to succeed.”

Astrid swallowed hard and turned back to the panel. But his words stayed with her, an echo in the back of her mind.

The symbols shifted faster now, their patterns growing more complex. Astrid’s hands moved instinctively, tracing shapes and pressing at points that felt right, even if she didn’t fully understand why. It was like solving a riddle without knowing the language.

LUX stood beside her, silent but watchful. She could feel his presence, solid and unyielding, like a constant reminder of what was at stake.

“Why is balance so important to you?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“It is the foundation of our existence,” he replied simply.

“Sounds lonely.”

There was a pause, long enough that she thought he wouldn’t answer. Then, quietly, he said, “Loneliness is a human concept. And yet, I find myself… aware of it.”

Astrid’s fingers faltered for a moment. His words hit something inside her, a chord she hadn’t expected. She turned her head slightly, catching his gaze again.

“LUX…” she started, her voice softer now.

Before she could finish, the panel beneath her hand flashed brightly, sending out a pulse of light that made her stumble back. She raised her arm to shield her eyes, her heart pounding.

“What just happened?” she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

LUX stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied the panel. “You activated the next sequence.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“That remains to be seen,” he said, his voice calm but unreadable.

The symbols started shifting again, this time faster and more chaotic. Astrid clenched her fists, forcing herself to focus. But the air around her felt heavier now, charged with something that made her skin tingle.

And LUX—he was too close, his presence overwhelming. She could feel the hum of energy coming from his core, like a soft vibration in the air. The heat from his frame seemed stronger, wrapping around her in a way that made her heart race.

“Are you always this intense?” she asked, her voice sharper than she meant.

LUX tilted his head slightly, a faint flicker of amusement crossing his otherwise stoic face. “Do I unsettle you, Astrid Vale?”

“Yes,” she snapped, then immediately regretted it. “No. I mean… maybe.”

LUX stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a low, almost intimate tone. “Good.”

Her cheeks flushed, warmth spreading through her chest despite herself. “That’s not exactly comforting, you know.”

“Comfort is not my purpose,” he replied, his eyes still locked on hers. “But perhaps… it could be.”

Astrid’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t trust him—not entirely. But the way he looked at her, the way his words wrapped around her like a whisper, made her feel like she was standing on the edge of something unknown.

Something dangerous.

And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to step back.