Winter Nexus Continued

I didn’t want to leave j-space.

That’s the important part. I was perfectly happy drifting between quiet systems, scanning signatures that didn’t belong to anyone yet, pretending the rest of New Eden was a very loud rumor. But the Winter Nexus blinked at me from the Agency window like it knew exactly how weak my resolve was.

The rewards were just… unfairly good.

So I sighed, packed up my bookmarks, and pointed my ship back toward highsec once more, muttering something unkind about seasonal events and my complete lack of self-control.

I ended up in an ice site that felt less like serene winter mining and more like a very cold traffic jam. Seven other Endurances were already there, orbiting chunks of volatile ice like overly polite vultures. Lasers flared. Cargo holds filled at glacial speeds. Every time a rock cracked, half the fleet lunged for the next one like it owed them money.

This was not the quiet, contemplative ice mining I’d imagined.

I jostled for position, trying to keep my Endurance from bumping another hull, all while watching the ice evaporate faster than my patience. Local chat was alive with forced cheer and passive-aggressive “o7”s. Somewhere deep in my soul, a wormhole sighed.

I missed j-space. I missed being alone. I missed knowing that if someone showed up on d-scan, it meant something.

Still, the ice went into my hold. The progress bar ticked forward. And as much as I hated to admit it, I knew I’d do this again tomorrow.

Because the universe might be chaotic, loud, and occasionally packed with far too many Endurances—but it also knew exactly how to tempt me back out of my comfort zone.

And apparently, I was still falling for it.