What is wrong with me?” she pondered, her mind racing as fast as her engine. “I should feel alive up here, in the place I love most. But instead, all I feel is this overwhelming sense of...loneliness.”
She thought of Ryan, He understood her better than anyone, and yet, even his presence hadn't been enough to shake this malaise. She wondered if he noticed, if he could sense the distance growing between them. He was always so attuned to her, his touch on her controls gentle yet firm, his voice in her mind a steady anchor.
Ara flew higher, leaving the canyons behind as she soared into the open sky. The stars seemed closer here, almost within reach. She wished she could feel their warmth, their light, something to chase away the shadows creeping into her thoughts.
“Maybe it's the pressure”, she mused. “The endless missions, the expectations. But it's more than that.
I love flying, I love serving, but... something's missing.”
She banked left, starting her journey back to the base. The solitude had given her some clarity, but the answers still eluded her. As she descended, the lights of Nellis AFB came into view, a beacon of familiarity and comfort. She couldn't deny the small flutter of anticipation at seeing Ryan again, the one person who made her feel truly understood.