Love in the Time of Starlight
A Sci-Fi Romance
Chapter 1: A Message Across the Stars
Captain Rhea Voss had spent years mapping the Andromeda Drift, charting planets no human had ever seen. Alone in her small starship, the Orion's Whisper, she had long accepted that space was a lonely place.
Until the message arrived.
"Who are you?"
It wasn’t from Earth.
It wasn’t from any known species.
And yet, it was written in perfect English.
Chapter 2: The Voice Beyond the Void
Rhea hesitated before replying.
"I am Rhea Voss. Who are you?"
The response came instantly.
"I do not know. I think I was waiting for you."
The ship’s AI ran a scan. The signal was coming from a nebula, deep within uncharted space.
No ships. No planets. Just dust and light.
And yet, the messages kept coming.
And with every word, Rhea felt something strange.
Like she already knew the person on the other end.
Chapter 3: The Face in the Light
She followed the signal to the heart of the nebula.
And then, he appeared.
A figure of glowing stardust, shifting, flickering between solid and spectral.
His voice, deep and warm, resonated in her mind.
"I am Astraeus. I was once human. But I became something… more."
Rhea stepped forward. “How?”
His golden eyes met hers.
"Because I waited for you."
Chapter 4: A Love That Defied Time
Astraeus was the remnant of a lost explorer—his body had faded, but his mind had merged with the very stars.
He had been alone for centuries.
Until Rhea’s ship came close enough for him to reach out.
And as they spoke—learning, laughing, sharing dreams—she realized something impossible.
She was falling in love.
With a man made of starlight.
Chapter 5: The Choice
Astraeus could not leave the nebula.
And Rhea could not stay.
Not unless she made the ultimate choice.
To leave her body behind.
To join him.
To become something more.
He reached for her, his touch warm despite the cold vacuum of space.
"You don’t have to stay," he whispered. "But I will always wait for you."
Rhea’s heart ached. She had never believed in fate.
But she believed in him.
Epilogue: The Whisper Among the Stars
Years later, ships passing through the nebula report hearing a voice over the coms.
Soft. Loving. Eternal.
"You found me."
And if they look close enough, they might see them—two figures made of light, dancing together in the cosmos.
Bound by love.
And by the stars.