The Bonadan Years

The dorm was quieter than usual. That was the first thing Ace noticed when he stepped inside. The lights were dimmed low, rows of bunks stacked like tired machinery, most of them already occupied. That was when he saw her.

Hina stood near her bunk with a small bag slung over one shoulder, hands gripping the strap like she might drop it if she let go. Fifteen now. A little taller. A little steadier. Still unmistakably her.

Ace slowed without realizing it.

"You're up late." He said.

She looked up, relief flickering across her face before she smoothed it away. "I was hoping I'd catch you. But you're… always out."

He frowned, just slightly. He took in the bag. The way her bunk was stripped bare. Too bare.

"Where're you going?" He asked.

Hina hesitated, eyes dropping to the floor between them. "Off-world."

That word landed harder than it should have.

"I got passage..." She continued. "Zeltros. Took a while to line it up. Had to call in favors." A small, crooked smile. "Figured if I didn't leave now, I never would."

Ace said nothing. He stood there, shoulders squared, expression unreadable, but something tight and familiar coiled in his chest. People left. That was normal. That was Bonadan. Still, the knowledge didn't dull the sting.

"I wanted to tell you sooner..." Hina said softly. "But every time I come back here, you're gone. Running jobs for Tessk. Always busy."

He shifted his weight. "It's steady work."

"I know." She looked at him then. "That's why I waited."

Another pause. Longer this time.

"You could come with me." She said. The words came out careful, like she was afraid of breaking them. "There's nothing here for us anymore. Not really."

He almost laughed. Almost. Instead, he shook his head once. "I've got it good right now. Credits are consistent. Tessk looks out for me."

Hina's brow furrowed. "For how long?"

He didn't answer.

"How long until he asks you to do something worse?" She pressed. "Something you can't walk away from. And for what? A handful of credits and a promise that'll vanish the second you stop being useful?"

"It doesn't matter." Ace said.

It wasn't defiance or reassurance, it was just the answer he always gave when he didn't want to look too far ahead.

Silence settled between them, stretching, pressing, filling the space with everything neither of them knew how to say.

Hina exhaled slowly. "I should go. Transport leaves before morning."

She stepped toward the door. Ace moved without thinking, shifting aside to give her room. She passed close enough that he caught the faint scent of the soap she used, the one she always complained about. Something in his chest twisted.

"Wait."

She stopped. Ace reached into his jacket and pulled out a small stack of credit chits. He hesitated for half a second, then pressed them into her hand.

"That should be enough..." He said. "To get settled. Least for a bit."

Hina stared down at them, eyes shining despite herself. "Ace…"

"Take it." He said, firmer now. "Please."

She nodded and closed her fingers around the credits. "Thank you."

He stepped back. "Good luck."

Hina lingered a moment longer, searching his face like she was trying to memorize it.

"You're smart." She said quietly. "Crafty. You always have been." She smiled softly, sad and certain all at once. "There's something about you, Ace. Something meant for more than running errands for Tessk. I just… I hope you see it before it costs you too much."

Then she turned and walked out. Ace stood there until the door slid shut and the sound of her footsteps disappeared into the corridors beyond. He didn't chase her, didn't call out for her, he just... stood.

He told himself it was the right choice, staying meant stability, leaving was a risk he couldn't afford. But in that quiet dorm, surrounded by empty bunks and borrowed light, all he felt was the familiar weight of someone else choosing the future he'd once imagined... and leaving him behind with Bonadan.

He never saw Hina again.​