The path to the core was treacherous. As they moved through the ship's corridors, the walls seemed to shift, bending and distorting. The signal was distorting reality itself, warping the very fabric of space. Every turn was unfamiliar, every hallway a strange reflection of the one they had just walked down.
"We're getting closer," Kaelen said, though his voice lacked conviction. The further they went, the more the entity's whispers filled his mind. Come closer. We are waiting.
"Stay focused," Mira warned, her eyes scanning the walls for signs of instability. "We can't let it get to us."
But Kaelen wasn't sure they could avoid it any longer. The closer they got to the core, the more the ship seemed to pulse with life. They were walking into its very heart.
Finally, they reached the entrance to the core's control room. The doors were sealed tight, but Kaelen didn't hesitate. He slammed his hand on the emergency override panel, and the doors slid open with a hiss.
The core was an enormous chamber, filled with glowing energy conduits and power nodes. At the center, the core itself pulsed with dark energy, a swirling mass of black and purple light. The signal was coming from there, an intense, chaotic force that seemed to fill the entire room.
Kaelen felt his skin crawl. The pull was stronger now, a magnetic force drawing him toward the heart of the core.
"This is it," Laz muttered. "If we shut this down, we'll lose everything."
Kaelen didn't answer. He could hear the entity's voice again, clearer now.
We are here. You are part of us.