"We are standing before a window of opportunity," Kaelen said, her voice tight. She didn't look at Elias; she was too busy recalibrating the thrusters. "But windows don't just close. They shatter if you wait too long."

Should we explore what happens to the now that they've returned to an Earth they haven't seen in years ?

"If we jump now, we might tear the hull," Elias warned. "If we wait ten minutes for a full charge, the gate will be gone. We'll be ghosts in this sector."

Elias exhaled, his hands shaking. He looked back at the space behind them. The nebula was gone. The window had vanished as if it had never existed. "We made it," he whispered.

Kaelen finally turned. Her eyes reflected the dying light of the nebula. "Opportunities aren't gifts, Elias. They’re dares. This window is passing, and it's taking our future with it."