The ship groaned as if in pain, its living walls warping under the Herald's assault. Outside, the void churned with its presence—a leviathan of blackened steel and organic sinew, a thousand eyes flickering across its surface like dying stars.
"Shields at thirty percent," Veylan said calmly, though the mask's pulse quickened. "This will not be a conventional fight. Prepare yourselves."
Kaelen braced against the shifting deck. "How do we kill something like that?"
"You don't," Veylan replied. "You outthink it."
The Herald Attacks
The vessel shuddered as a beam of sickly crimson energy lanced through space, narrowly missing them. Entire constellations behind them seemed to dim, as if the light itself were being devoured.
Rhyss slammed their hand against the console. "We can't outrun that thing!"
"Correct," Veylan said, placing their palm on the wall. The ship responded instantly, extruding tendrils of light that formed a vast lattice around them. "But we can trap it."
The lattice extended into the void, weaving itself into a shimmering net of golden threads. The Herald paused, sensing the trap—then screamed, a sound that bypassed hearing and rattled directly in their bones.
Inside the Mind of the Enemy
Suddenly, Ceyra's body stiffened. Her eyes rolled back, and she spoke in a voice not her own:
"We see you. We know you. You cannot hide in flesh and light. You are already ours."
Kaelen grabbed her shoulders. "Ceyra! Fight it!"
Her head snapped toward him, eyes glowing an unnatural black. "She cannot. None of you will."
Then she collapsed.
"Disconnect it," Lyra hissed. "Whatever link it's using—cut it off!"
Veylan moved quickly, drawing a symbol across Ceyra's forehead. The black light faded, but her breathing remained shallow.
"She'll recover," Veylan said, though their voice was tighter now. "But we are running out of time."
The Final Gambit
The Herald lunged, claws tearing through the golden net like paper.
"Plan B?" Rhyss shouted.
Veylan's mask flared. "Plan B involves one of you flying this vessel into its core while I destabilize the Erythian drive from within."
Kaelen's eyes widened. "That's suicide."
"Only if you fail," Veylan said flatly.
Lyra stepped forward without hesitation. "I'll do it."
Kaelen grabbed her arm. "No—"
"She's the best pilot among us," Rhyss interrupted. "If anyone can thread us through that monster, it's her."
The ship tilted violently as the Herald opened its central maw, revealing a swirling vortex of energy—its feeding core.
Veylan looked at Lyra. "Decide. Now."
Lyra took a deep breath, eyes locked on the monstrous void ahead. "Then let's end this thing."