The noodles tasted like victory. Xin sat on the hood of a rusty jeep in the Resistance garage, slurping the spicy broth Mei had cooked. His knuckles were bandaged, and his ribs ached with every breath, but for the first time in days, he felt useful.
"Don't choke," Mei laughed, sitting next to him with her own bowl. "The soup isn't running away."
"I missed this," Xin said, wiping his mouth. "Real food. Not energy bars. Not IV drips."
"You earned it," Captain Han said. He was cleaning his rifle on a crate nearby. "taking down that Scavenger leader without using a single Spark... that was impressive, kid. You moved like a soldier."
Xin looked at the dark mark on his chest. It was still silent. "I just did what you taught me. Gravity is a tool, right?"
"Right," Han nodded. "But don'
