Ceres' shop was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Pandora didn't realize how long she had been in the caves; it was only a few hours until star rise. Jumping off of the bike in joy, Pandora screamed. "You came back! You came back! I love you!" Pandora yelled.

Laughing, Saros hugged Pandora tightly again. "You're lucky I'm stupid and stubborn, or those creatures would've made mincemeat out of you. You really have nuts-for-brains," Saros taunted.

Pandora jokingly hit Saros' shoulders and frowned.

"So, you mind telling me what that whole charade was for?" Saros pondered, "What's that glowing box you have there?"

Pandora's attention returned to the box with the star in it, the thing that she had risked her life for. Lifting the top flap, she gazed at the star. It was made less bright by star rise, but it was still magnificent to look at.

Saros approached Pandora and witnessed the star for the first time. His mouth dropped, for he had never seen anything quite like it. "What is that, Pandora?"

Reaching into the box to pick the star up, Pandora's green eyes were glistening. "This? Only the thing I've been searching for my whole life."

Saros rubbed his chin with a delphic expression, "What do you mean? Is it worth a lot of credits?"

Still staring at the star, Pandora asked Saros, "Do you remember what we were talking about yesterday? About continuing to grow after turning nineteen?"

Saros hesitated in his speech; he was scared of what Pandora would say, "Yes, I do."

Pandora placed the star back into the box and closed the lid. She looked at Ceres' shop; there was a bench connected to the wall at the side of the building. The shop was unkempt, and patches of sand lined the bench. Regardless, Pandora knew that she'd have to sit Saros down before she'd unload her story unto him.

After they both sat down, Pandora told Saros everything. She felt as if the weight of the world was lifted off of her shoulders as she released all of her feelings. She talked about Apollo and his history, why she had to go into the caverns alone, and the mystery regarding Vestron. "That reminds me, do you know anything about something called Vestron? It was on the box, and I'm curious whether or not it still exists."

Saros' eyes were glued to the floor. His expression was blank as he rubbed his shoes against the grains of sand beneath his feet. A muted crunching sound filled the silence in the warming desert air. Does she want to die? "Pandora..."

"Yeah? What's wrong, Saros," Pandora brushed Saros' hair with her hand. She managed to catch a hint of worrying from his tone.

"D-Do you plan on consuming that star?"

Pandora paused for a second. She had spent so much time focusing on obtaining the star that she didn't think about actually consuming it. The mere idea of growing up, actually growing up, elevated Pandora's spirits. Still, there was the unavoidable, non-quantifiable sense of fear that sat simmering in Pandora's gut. What would it mean for Saros? she asked herself. "I-I don't know... I think so... I don't know," Pandora finally coughed up.

Saros winced. Not my Pandora... No, this can't be! "You think? What does that mean?"

He's angry, Pandora thought to herself. Her joy was quickly taken away when Pandora realized that Saros didn't like the concept of these stars. "I don't know yet. I don't know! Part of me knows that consuming this star would change me in ways I can't control, but another part of me..." Pandora didn't know what to say.

"Part of you what?" Saros asked deceitfully, letting his emotions speak for him.

"I just want to feel what it's like to not have total control over my life! I want the universe to take me wherever it wants me to go. I feel myself being pulled up there," Pandora pointed up at the clouds in the sky, "and finding the rest of these stars would do more than fill that hole in my heart. Consuming them is another story, but I want to live somehow."

Saros feared for Pandora. His heartbeat quickened when he realized that the person he loved was at risk of disappearing from his life. Why can't she just be happy with what she has? Am I not enough? "Look, Pandora. I don't want to force you to do anything, but I just do not think this is a good idea. It's dangerous up there, and these stars? What's the point? You can't seriously be thinking of putting yourself in danger to understand what old age feels like, right? This is so ridiculous."

Pandora felt a lump form in her throat as tears started to form. He's not going to support me unless I do what he wants, she thought to herself. Pandora held the box with the star in it with both of her hands. It sat on her lap; no warmth came from the beautiful star to alleviate Pandora of her negative emotions. Was there warmth in this type of death, or did growing old feel cold? She forgot to ask Apollo that, and now he was gone forever. Pandora made sure to watch Apollo closely, and he didn't seem sad about dying.

Noticing that Pandora was crying, Saros softened his voice, "I'm sorry, Pandora." I don't want her to leave me... "It just doesn't make any sense to want to die like that. What's the point? What'll you accomplish? What about me?"

Tears were racing down Pandora's cheeks now, and all she could do was wipe them away with her dirty gloves. "I just... want to feel alive. Can't you let me have that?" Pandora finally replied.

Behind the two, Ceres' shop was powering up. Off in the distance, star rise was occurring, and the inhabitants of GATE23 were waking up to begin their day. Soon, people would flock from all parts of the planet to visit Ceres' shop. Ceres usually had goods delivered from foreign quadrants of the universe, so a visit to Ceres' shop was never the same. Some days he'd have food from the great city of Tomyr on the planet Beruop, millions of light-years away. On other days, Ceres would get a shipment of the newest technology. Only, the newest technology of GATE23 were the hand-me-downs of higher society elsewhere.

Saros gently put his hand onto Pandora's hands which were on the box. As much as he was frightened of what was inside of the paper vessel, he still could not deny the beauty of the star. "Yes, Pandora. Yes. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Pandora nodded with tears still falling from her chin.

As much as Saros wanted to fully believe the words he was saying, he still couldn't help but feel that Pandora was making the wrong decision. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how to. The feeling made his heart feel heavier. "Hey, kiddo. You hungry? Ceres' shop is open now and I can get us some Bhaddo bagels. I know you like those; do you want some?"

Smiling, Pandora nodded again.

"Alright then," Saros leaned over to kiss Pandora on her cheek, tasting the salt of her tears. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, or I'll have to chase you down again. Don't even get me started on the extra exercise you made me go through this morning," Saros laughed.

Laughing, Pandora nodded a final time. "Thank you, Saros."

Pandora leaned back onto the wall she was sitting in front of. The blue metal felt cold against her back; it was much like the metal of the floor in the room she stumbled into in the caverns. She opened the lid of the box once more to look at the star. Smiling, Pandora felt an odd sense of happiness invade her mind. She knew it'd be hard to get Saros to support her, but she was beginning to realize what she wanted.

Staring off into the orange desert, star rise illuminated the entire planet. The silver buildings off in the distance reflected the light like diamonds in a dark cave. It never got too hot in GATE23; it was always the right temperature. Off in the distance, she saw people guiding mules through the desert. Pandora welcomed the company of the quietness into her mind. Oddly enough, she was comforted by the recognizable feeling of everyday life.

The serene view was obstructed when Pandora noticed a figure in a black suit standing alone in the desert. Pandora's heart beat faster as she had never seen someone like that before. Squinting her eyes, Pandora got a better look at the person. Their suit was heavy, but it was more stylish than anything she had ever seen. The person wore grey boots, and their obsidian cape flapped along with the wind. The most noticeable feature that belonged to the person was their homburg hat. Why's that person just standing there? Pandora wondered.

Not soon after Pandora spotted the figure, however, did the person start walking towards Ceres' shop. Frightened, Pandora fought to calm herself down. They're just here to visit Ceres' shop. Who knows what that choppy droid is selling today. Didn't they come out with a new version of UniPhone? Regardless, Pandora stayed put in her spot.

The figure in the black suit got closer, and Pandora quickly realized that they weren't going into the story: they were approaching Pandora. She squeezed the box tightly. Pandora looked down to gather her gloves and box to enter Ceres' shop where Saros was. As soon as she grabbed her belongings, the figure with the black suit was upon her. Pandora screamed. The last she checked, they meters away. It was only then when Pandora realized how tall the person actually was. Looking to be about eight feet tall, the person towered over Pandora. "Who are you?" Pandora yelled.

"I have detected signatures of an ancient, primordial object somewhere on this planet in this vicinity. Those signatures have led you," the man spoke. His voice was as deep and ominous as some oceanic trench. "I have been searching for millennia for something like this, and for the first time, I have located it. Remarkably, the object emanates Fjellic waves, but there exist no dense singularities. Duality of such an object clearly doesn't exist, either. It is by nature an anomaly," he sounded almost delighted.

"What? What do you mean?" Pandora squealed.

"Oh, I am sorry," the man took off his hat to reveal a smiling face. His skin was pale like starlight, but his eyes were shielded with round black glasses. His hair was raven-colored, and it was long enough to be tied into a bun. As if he were a ghost, every bone in his face was well-defined. "I am known as The Collector, and it looks like you have what I'm looking for," The Collector pointed at the box that Pandora was holding.

Pandora's eyes widened, "What? No, you can't have this. It's mine!"

The Collector's smile was wiped off from his face. He removed his glasses to reveal eyes that were as dark as the void. "I will be taking that star from you. In fact, I will be taking you with me. Surely, you know where the other stars are located, my sweetie."

Shaking, Pandora screamed, but it was too late. The Collector kneeled to level his eyes with Pandora. In an instant, the Collector used a blaster to imprison Pandora in a confined stasis field. Blue lines of electricity created a net in which Pandora could not move, say, or do anything. Still fully conscious, Pandora witnessed The Collector hoist her up onto his shoulders and take her away into the dry and empty desert. She tried her hardest to call out for Saros, but it was impossible. Unfortunately for Pandora, no one could hear her fear.