Bian stood by the wide observation window, his breath caught in his throat as the vastness of space stared back at him. The swirling vortex just ahead dominated the view—pitch black, rimmed in eerie blue and purple light that shimmered like liquid lightning. A black hole.
It didn't look like anything he'd ever seen before. No picture or description had prepared him for the way the stars twisted around its mouth and vanished the moment they touched its edge. Light didn't bounce off or shimmer—it just disappeared, sucked into an abyss that looked more like a gaping wound in space than anything natural.
He took a single step back, heart hammering. "What… what is that?"
Behind him, a warm presence enveloped him as Dican's arms gently circled his waist. The prince rested his chin lightly against Bian's shoulder, his voice calm and deep.
"There is nothing to fear, my love," he murmured. "This ship can handle it. We will safely make it back home."
