Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 351: Peaceful New Life

Chapter 351: Peaceful New Life

While Helion’s group immersed themselves in the workings of the Legion of the Long Night, Lyra sat in a spacious lounge.

The room exuded tranquility, with a mat by the window covered in a soft white carpet. A low table in the center held a Go board, where Lyra held the black stones, her gaze fixed intently on the board.

Across from her sat Iskandor, holding a white stone. After contemplating his next move, he sighed and placed it down.

"I still don’t enjoy this game," he admitted.

"I find it intriguing," Lyra replied without looking up.

Iskandor’s eyes shifted toward a corner of the room where a young man lay asleep. His expression darkened as he returned his gaze to Lyra.

"When Ian introduced you to me back then, you promised to deal with the Stellar Devourer. I warned you about his identity from the start. So why keep him alive now? And you left some of the Stellar Devourers in the black hole, didn’t you?"

Lyra’s hand paused mid-air before placing a stone. She lifted her gaze to meet his. "I said I would free you from the threat of the Stellar Devourers. Whether I’ll kill Phelixes or not, that’s not your concern."

Iskandor felt the weight of her words immediately. "The Alliance is at its weakest times now," he said.

Her sharp gaze pierced through him, and the room seemed to grow heavier.

"Don’t forget," Lyra added coldly, "I thought you were smart."

Iskandor’s silver hair fluttered as if stirred by an unseen wind. A single strand fell across his cheek, carrying an unspoken warning.

"And I thought you’d joined the Empire," he countered, fingering the stray strand with a hint of regret. "From a highborn lady to someone abducted and sold, don’t you hate any of it?"

He had always assumed Lyra’s initial contact with him was part of a grand plan to annihilate the Alliance and rule humanity. Her change of heart still left him baffled.

Lyra’s reply was curt. "You may leave."

Recognizing the dismissal, Iskandor raised an eyebrow, then stepped into a dimensional portal without protest.

...

Not long after, a soft knock came at the door.

Lyra’s expression softened slightly as she said, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Tammy, who darted into the room. "Godmommy, are you busy?"

Lyra shook her head. Tammy scampered over, slipped off her shoes, and clumsily climbed onto the tatami.

Since boarding the ship, Tammy had stopped pretending to be sick, much to Zinnia’s mixed feelings of joy and frustration.

Settling into Lyra’s lap, Tammy wrapped her tiny arms around her legs. "We’re going to a new place, aren’t we? Mommy says it’s very pretty."

"Yes," Lyra answered.

"Will there be lots of birds?"

"Yes."

"The sky will be so blue, won’t it? I don’t like light shields. Can we not have those?"

"We won’t need them," Lyra assured her.

Tammy paused, tilting her head to look up at Lyra. "There won’t be weapons that hurt people, will there? I don’t like fighting."

"There won’t be any," Lyra said gently, brushing her fingers through Tammy’s brittle, yellowing hair. She murmured, almost to herself, "I don’t like killing or fighting either."

She had grown weary of hearing cries for mercy and the echoes of death. More than anything, she longed for laughter, birdsong, and the quiet hum of life.

To wake in the morning and choose between milk or tea, instead of immediately strapping on a gun.

From where he lay on the carpet, the young man stirred faintly.

Lyra gently patted Tammy on the head. "Go find your mother."

"Okay." Tammy climbed to her feet and, before leaving, leaned in to plant a kiss on Lyra’s cheek. "When you’re not busy, come and let’s hang out. Don’t be shy"

Lyra’s brows lifted slightly in surprise. Tammy giggled. "I can tell. Sometimes you want to hug me but stop yourself, just like when I see a pretty doll and worry I’ll get it dirty."

Lyra blinked, her lips curving into a rare, soft smile. "Alright, I promise."

As Tammy left, Lyra stood and moved to the couch near the young man lying on the floor.

Phelixes stirred and sat up, his pale face breaking into a smile. "Sis, I completed the mission."

Three years ago, after Lyra finished mapping the nearby star systems, she had uncovered his true identity.

Phelixes had been sent to the Alliance by the Seething Fires as part of an intricate Empire plan. His role was to eventually align with the Stellar Devourers, triggering a coordinated attack.

When Lyra learned the truth, she had him return to the Stellar Devourer’s side, accelerating its eruption and using the opportunity to purge both the Alliance and Empire leadership.

"You’ve done well, Phelixes," Lyra said simply.

The quiet praise made Phelixes’ face light up with joy. He stepped forward and knelt on one knee before her.

"May I claim my reward now?" he asked earnestly. "Let me stay by your side forever. Even if it costs me my life, I want to remain with you, always."

Lyra’s gaze lowered as she studied him. "Phelixes, I can’t give you the feelings you want. It wouldn’t be fair to you."

She understood love—she had seen it between Zinnia and Rajan, and between Vikie and Helion. She could define it in words, but she could not reciprocate it.

"Fairness doesn’t matter to me," Phelixes said resolutely. "I only want to be with you, forever."

In the darkness of his creation, when he had no purpose or understanding of his existence, she had appeared.

She had become the light he followed, giving him direction even in the void. Just being near her made him unafraid to move forward.

Lyra sighed softly. "Do as you wish."

...

When Phelixes reappeared among the others, a brief moment of shock was followed by joy spreading through the group.

From Mandy’s explanations, they knew he had been cooperating with Lyra’s plans. As the youngest officer in the Everglow fleet, Phelixes had always been well-liked—by almost everyone.

Helion, however, glared at him with gritted teeth. "Damn it, why is he back?"

He glanced at Phelixes, then at his own hand, recalling the superpower he had lost. His expression twisted further.

SMACK!

A sharp slap landed on the back of Helion’s head. Vikie glared at him with mock annoyance.

"Even if Phelixes hadn’t come back, you still wouldn’t stand a chance. Don’t forget, you’re mine now."

Helion barely had time to respond before Phelixes shot him a smug, taunting look.

Enraged, Helion jumped to his feet. "That’s it! I’m going back to the Alliance. I can’t live like this anymore!"

He hadn’t taken more than two steps before Vikie grabbed him by the collar. "You guys carry on. I need to go train my mutt," she said with a smirk, hauling the struggling Helion off with her superpower as he howled in protest.

Zinnia clicked her tongue. "Vikie’s finally got her claws into him, huh?"

"Mommy," Tammy asked, tugging on her hand. "Is Vikie going to eat Helion?"

Zinnia froze, nearly choking on her words. Mandy and the others glared daggers at her, unimpressed by her phrasing.

...

The mood soon lightened as the group continued chatting. Having bonded with Koros, Snakehead, and the rest of the crew, they quickly hit it off.

Laughing and joking, they began heading toward Lyra’s lounge.

"I wonder what kind of nation we’ll build," Snakehead mused aloud. "Should we call it the Land of Long Night?"

The suggestion immediately struck a nerve with Robin and a few others. The cheerful atmosphere dimmed as their expressions turned serious.

"We should call it Everglow," Robin said. "Long Night sounds too ominous."

"But Long Night sounds so cool," Caesara argued, shooting a sharp look.

"Everglow is much more elegant," Mandy insisted.

The argument escalated until everyone turned to Morrison and Debbie for their opinions, hoping for a resolution.

Morrison crossed his arms, the muscles under his white shirt visibly flexing as he spoke firmly:

"I think we should call it LE Kingdom."

His suggestion brought a momentary silence, but tension quickly reignited.

Standing nearby, Debbie and Jarven quietly took a few steps back—after all, on their side, the only one capable of fighting was Morrison. The rest were just white-collar workers.

Meanwhile, Lyra, growing tired of waiting, decided to check on the situation herself. But when she arrived at the hall, the scene before her left her momentarily speechless.

The place was in utter chaos.

"Robin, use your electric shock! Zap them! Go, go, go!"

"Caesara, don’t hold back! Charge!"

"Morrison, come on! Show them the drive you use to make money!"

Legion of Everglow soldiers, LE Energy white-collar workers, and Legion of the Long Night pirates had split into three distinct factions, now engaged in an all-out brawl over what to name the new nation.

Spectators cheered loudly from the sidelines, waving imaginary flags as if attending a gladiator match.

Standing at the door, Debbie held Tammy tightly, her face filled with hesitation. She wanted to intervene but clearly lacked the ability to stop the chaos.

When she spotted Lyra approaching, a wave of relief swept over her. She straightened up immediately, hoping to avoid any blame.

In the next instant, a bone-chilling cold swept through the hall.

Everyone—whether they were fighting or cheering—froze in place, their bodies immobilized by the icy aura. The hall fell into an eerie silence as the chaos came to an abrupt halt.

Lyra didn’t spare them a single glance. Calm and unbothered, she walked through the frozen crowd, taking Tammy, who stared up at her with awe-filled, sparkling eyes, by the hand.

Without a word, she left the hall.

At the door, Debbie let out a shaky breath and patted her chest.

"Thank goodness I kept quiet..." she muttered to herself.