Miles massaged her earnestly, saying little.

Nathan Lockwood and Chase Shaw watched from behind.

After nearly half an hour, Zoe belatedly felt it had been too long. The moment Miles pulled his hands away, she drew her leg back. "That’s enough."

Miles’s hand paused in midair for a moment before he withdrew it. "Alright."

It had to be said, Miles’s technique was just too good.

The massage had left Zoe drowsy long ago. She forced herself to stay awake only by remembering she hadn’t showered yet.

She yawned, and everyone could see how tired she was.

They didn’t stay much longer.

The following days were a repeat of the first. Zoe returned on Nathan Lockwood’s back every day, and eventually, she began falling asleep on him on the way back.

She was the most exhausted of all during these days.

Spiritual power would be permitted again in one day, and Zoe couldn’t guarantee she would avoid elimination without using hers.

She wanted the others to conserve their energy.

Nathan and the others saw right through her intentions. It pained them to see her like this, but they didn’t want to reject her good will.

But as it turned out, Zoe had been worrying for nothing.

With a powerhouse like Miles on their team, it didn’t matter if their opponents had spiritual power or not. It was a complete curb stomp.

Even when they subbed Miles out, Erin’s super-speed and Chase’s Gravity manipulation were enough for a landslide victory.

The frantic training finally came to an end after more than half a month.

It wasn’t until she was on the Starship home that Zoe felt how quickly time had passed—not just the time spent training, but her time with Nathan Lockwood as well.

Her so-called "dating period" with Nathan Lockwood was over.

Now, it was Chase’s turn.

The most obvious change was that Chase was now the one visiting her, at the times Nathan used to.

Anyone would be startled to see Nathan one day and then Chase the next.

"Zoe..."

Hearing Chase call her name, Zoe snapped back to reality and made room for him to come inside.

Ever since she and Nathan had gotten "together," he was the only other person who had been in this cabin.

Once Chase was seated, Zoe closed the door and sat down across from him. "What... are you doing here?"

Chase gazed at Zoe’s face, which had clearly gotten thinner recently, and traced the knuckles on the back of his hand. "Nathan told me to come."

"It’s time."

A sense of loss washed over Zoe.

Yes. Now that Chase had actually said those two words, she felt a sharp pang of pain.

"You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?" Chase’s voice was a little softer now.

Zoe looked over at him, her fingertips discreetly clutching the bedsheet. "I don’t know. It’s just... I’m not used to it..."

She felt that Nathan had pulled away too quickly.

And she was completely unprepared for it.

Chase was silent for a moment, and Zoe, feeling she had probably hurt him with her words, was at a loss.

"Zoe, hug me. Please?"

Chase wanted to create a familiar atmosphere for both of them.

Like a hug.

They had hugged so many times before, both when lucid and not.

Perhaps, by returning to that familiar act, Zoe could quickly forget Nathan.

Zoe saw the disappointed look on his face and finally relented.

She got up and walked over, and Chase immediately reached out, pulling her into his arms.

His embrace was completely different from Nathan’s. Nathan appeared gentle on the surface, but in reality, their hugs always threatened to ignite into something more.

But not Chase. He just held her, just like all the times before.

"Were you angry the first time I held you like this?" Chase didn’t want to talk about Nathan anymore; he just wanted to quickly guide Zoe into this next phase of their arrangement.

He pressed his head against her body. If he couldn’t see her expression, he could deceive himself into believing she wasn’t thinking about that blasted Nathan Lockwood at all.

Sure enough, his words led her thoughts astray. She immediately recalled their second meeting, when a delirious Chase had pulled her into an embrace.

Thinking about it now, who could have guessed things would end up like this?

"I wasn’t angry. Why would I get mad at a sick person?" Zoe said with a small laugh.

Back then, she had just been embarrassed.

Being held in Chase’s arms, right under Nathan’s nose.

And Nathan had just warned her, too.

"What if I told you that time on Planet B36... I held you on purpose? Would you be angry then?" Chase posed his next question.

He didn’t want to lie to her.

Ever since that kiss, he could no longer hide anything from her.

The hug on Planet B36.

Zoe thought for a moment before she remembered when she and Chase had embraced. "You mean that time you were lying in the chair?"

’He was conscious?’

Chase lifted his head. "I don’t want to lie to you."

If he hadn’t said it today, Zoe would never have known.

"You’ve liked me since then?" Zoe asked, stunned.

His gray eyes were as stern as ever. He tilted his head back, his voice hoarse. "It was earlier than that."

"I’ve liked you since we went to Siren Star. When an Alpha brings an Omega into their Mecha, it means that Omega is as important to them as a second life."

"I had selfish intentions."

"I wanted to be the first to take you into my Mecha."

"If they hadn’t arrived on Siren Star and decided to give you a Mecha jointly, I would have been the first one to give you one."

Mechas defined his existence, a constant presence from the day he was born until now.

Mechas held a special meaning for Chase.

That’s why he had wanted to give one to her.

Zoe thought of the Mecha she still carried on her person, and of the first time Chase had led her by the hand into his. Her body suddenly went rigid.

Chase...

"Is there anything else? Tell me everything."

The hidden details were like jewels exposed on the sand after the tide recedes, and she had overlooked every single one.

She wanted to listen, and Chase dared to speak.

"Back then, I didn’t want to make up with Nathan at all, because I had already sensed his feelings for you."

She was the one who had coaxed the two of them into making up on the Starship. ’So that was the reason?’

Zoe’s throat was terribly dry. "Go on."

"When Miles marked you, I was going crazy with jealousy. Why was he the first person you thought of, and not me?"

He wasn’t interrogating her. His tone didn’t rise; he was simply asking the question.

Zoe had lowered her head, her fingers brushing against the corner of his eye. "I did consider you... but Miles is the captain... and he knew there was a problem with my pheromones."

Chase didn’t move his face, feeling the warmth of her fingertip.

"So, I was the second choice."

He suddenly closed his eyes, his thin lips parting slightly. "If Miles really had no feelings for you, he would have refused. He wouldn’t have actually gone through with marking you."

"He cares about you, too."

"So back then, I really felt like I was going crazy."

His hand tightened, gripping Zoe’s clothes. His body just couldn’t keep up with his thoughts.