A delicious smell woke Nikeila up. It took a moment for her to process her current situation. Something was strange. Neither she nor Kaivel had the Cook skill. Did he bring breakfast? But he was currently locked up. If it wasn't Kaivel, nor her… She was startled awake, her eyes quickly scanning her surroundings.

Oh, right. She patted her head.

Yesterday, she set this sweet aroma to perfume her room in the morning. It was an effective way to force her eyes open because it made her hungry.

Still groggy, she sat up and looked around. Light cream yellow with coral lines on the wall, floor, and ceiling. She liked these colors when she customized the bedroom before, but she might change them again. Darker tones would look good too.

On the first day on the starship, she spent a morning experimenting with the colors on the palette menu. She found it funny that she had focused on personalizing her private space when they were on the run after losing their home. It was negligent and arrogant. They already felt comfortable and safe, even though they had real reasons to be on guard.

She made a mental note to be more alert from now on.

Her bedroom on the starship had become familiar to her. She was quick to adapt, so given time anywhere would be comfortable. Kaivel used to say she was too detached.

She sighed and mussed her hair. Her eyes cleared as her emotions calmed. She stood up and stretched her arms and back.

She commanded, "Pon, morning cleaning".

Pon, her virtual assistant in the shape of a floating small ball, activated the cleaning robot.

"I almost forgot." She turned her head. "Good morning, Pon."

The metallic black ball shook, making a cute beeping sound.

The cleaning robot, dusting everywhere it passed, took the sheets and pillows, kicking her out of the bed.

"Cheeky saucer. You're jealous Pon is more lovable than you."

The cleaning robot ignored her.

The suspended bed was pulled over to the ceiling. Other furniture parts came out of the floor and were assembled into a spacious sofa and a low table. The small robot decorated the room with big cushions. Their smart fabrics changed color to match the environment.

The blinds were automatically pulled up. Soft warm light flooded the white walls and floor. There was no star in the sky, no natural daylight. Everything was artificial. The window was just a display. Her bedroom was located in the middle of the starship. Even if there was a real window on that wall, she couldn't see the space outside.

She walked to the washroom. She let the solution vapor refresh her face and clean her pores. She tamed her hair, tying the waist-length portion in a low ponytail. She touched and pinched her face. It still felt unfamiliar. Her whole new body was still strange to her.

Humans were very bland. They had no horns, no tails, no scales, no wings, no feathers, no tentacles, no claws, no talons. Hair and skin could be points of interest, but their colors were muted and boring. She was unimpressed. From what she read about humans, even they felt they could do better and dyed their hair and painted their faces.

It was fortunate that she didn't have to follow their color palette. When she set her new body up, she chose vibrant colors. For the hair an orange to magenta gradient. To match her hair, she chose purple eyes with yellow pupils. Her skin options were limited. It seemed humans didn't accept individuals with unusual qualities well. So she discarded the initial blue hue she had chosen. She was already alien to them, so it was better not to provoke them further. She picked beautiful light bronze skin for her new look.

She had been involved in combat for years, so she appreciated the power of the human male physique. But since this was a new beginning, why not try something different? Therefore she chose a female body.

She stared at her reflection. The soft and delicate contours were nice. And as she used this body, she realized she could train it to be as athletic as she wanted. Combat wasn't out of the question. But she didn't want to work hard anymore. Lazy was her middle name from now on. She'd just lay back and relax.

She stepped out of her room.

Angular blue lines illuminated the glossy dark walls, ceiling, and floor of the corridor. Many people walked around and socialized. Most of them tested their bodies and their skills. They all wore the same type of suit as her, only the color varied. Clean-cut, functional, and tight-fitting.

She also took time to get used to her senses. Especially vision. The human vision was poor and narrow. She still felt a little suffocated. She should ask for treatment to improve her vision. It's probably better to enjoy the experience without cheating, though.

There were no familiar faces around.

The starship was gigantic, designed for years of comfortable space travel. The attention to detail was incredible. Restaurants, bars, pools, casinos, spas, libraries, gyms, arcades, and many other facilities. Everything is based on human culture.

It would keep them entertained until they reached their destination. And it'd help them acclimate easier later. It felt like they were on vacation touring the vast space.

It was difficult for her to remain alert.

She found herself in the food court. It was very crowded and the food looked mouthwatering. She browsed the menus. She decided to try something new. She ordered a traditional Jix Von dish. Jix Von was a small planet a couple of light-years from Hilvejor, their home planet.

Enticing smells, colorful shapes, a mix of textures, and unexpected flavors. It was an explosion for all four senses. Nikeila almost expected it to sing too.

It was memorable.

She lifted her gaze and opened her mouth to discuss the dish with Kaivel, only to recall she was alone. He wasn't there. She sighed softly, feeling a tinge of sadness at the realization that he was not here to share this experience with her.

Kaivel was her best friend. They grew up together. They always fought but never stayed far from each other. It was disconcerting how hard it was for her to get used to his absence.

She ignored the looming melancholy and stood up.

She wanted to see him.

She had to pass through many checkpoints to access the prison beyond the well-guarded laboratory. Few were aware it was there, and fewer still knew what was locked inside.

White walls and a reflective white floor. The prison was bright and clean. She looked at the transparent cells with complicated eyes. On her way, she noticed that half of the infected had their efulgen bodies changed to human bodies. Though they were still thenebre.

The infected and corrupted by the void parasite Thalzev were called thenebre.

She knew researchers discussed the thenebre's adaptability. They feared they might not survive on the new planet as efulgen. Others argued that any thenebre was already geared to adapt and survive anything. No help was required.

She reached Kaivel's cell.

He was sitting on the floor, his knees bent and his arms resting over them. There was predatory patience in his stillness. He saw her but didn't move from his position. He just stared at her. His foreign gaze was without emotion or recognition.

But it was still better than when he was like a crazy beast, attacking everything. At stage 0, thenebre were irrational and voracious brutes. He even tried to eat the flesh of their fallen comrades. She couldn't let him do that. If he returned one day, he'd go crazy knowing he had committed such a hideous act. Fortunately, she immobilized him fast enough. He hurt nobody.

Kaivel was already at stage 2, Terror Bringer.

She'd given him all the crystals she had collected in the past. By her calculations, he was about to upgrade again. But she had no more crystals. And the researchers were worried about security, so they didn't want him to upgrade now.

There were others who also upgraded. Similar to her, their relatives gave them crystals so they could return to their past selves.

She wasn't anxious. Soon he'd reach the Clear Mind stage, recovering his reason.

If someone told her a few months ago she'd protect a thenebre, going as far as feeding him crystals to help him upgrade, she'd cackle, rolling on the floor. When she calmed down, she’d beat the person to the ground to relieve her annoyance.

Then her best friend got infected and she changed her mind.

She was accused of having weak convictions and a fickle mind. Though she preferred to say she adapted quickly to fate's twists and turns.

Nikeila heard the dry steps of high heels getting close. She didn't turn around.

A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. "We should have killed him when he was first infected."