Luna was thirty-five when she truly understood what she'd chosen and five years of maintaining bridge function while prioritizing individual consciousness had taught her the real cost of her decision. The constant effort required to stay herself while managing cosmic connections was relentless.
"I'm tired in ways sleep doesn't fix," Luna told Sienna one evening. They were in their quarters, Luna attempting to work on a painting while fighting exhaustion that penetrated to her soul.
"You've been maintaining bridge work for over thirty years without a significant break. That would exhaust anyone."
"It's more than duration. Every moment requires a conscious choice to stay Luna rather than dissolving into bridge function. That choosing is what's exhausting. The constant assertion of self ag
