By: Emilie R. Karr.

Don’t fall in love with a Gossaman, the other star cadets warn. But he’s the one who taught you what real love is, every soft word and tender touch another precious lesson.

So when he begs and begs you for more, eventually the night comes when you don’t say no. He’s the gentlest lover you’ve ever known, and you’ll always remember how you laughed together.

And if in the morning, you unthinkingly roll over in the bunk you shared, and crush his delicate features and fine low-gravity bones to gore and powder—well, heartbreak is part of love as well.

© 2026. Emilie R. Karr

Emilie R. Karr hasn’t been writing for a while and is rediscovering that it’s like sleep, or breathing; you can only go so long without before you have to question whether you’re actually still alive.