Chapter 109: Into the Unknown
The Draconic Flagship cut through the endless void, its cloaking field active as it traversed deep space. The crew was tense, the weight of recent events still heavy in the air. Raizen sat in the command chair, his fingers drumming against the armrest as the ship approached the coordinates given in the Draconic transmission.
Liana's voice broke the silence. "We're approaching the designated system. Scanners are running, but there's minimal activity."
Joran scoffed. "So either it's another dead ruin, or someone's expecting us."
Raizen smirked. "We'll find out soon enough."
The Silent World
As the ship dropped from hyperspace, the planet below came into view—a world shrouded in mist, its surface barely visible beneath layers of thick, swirling clouds. No transmissions, no energy signatures—just silence.
Seraphina stepped beside Raizen, her expression unreadable. "This place… It was once known as Vael'Thalor, a hidden sanctuary for those who escaped the fall of our world."
Kain raised a brow. "Then why does it look abandoned?"
Seraphina's violet eyes darkened. "Because something happened here long before we arrived."
Raizen exhaled, his Draconic senses tingling. There was something down there, something waiting.
"Prep the drop ship," he ordered. "We're going down."
Descent into Mystery
The small shuttle broke through the dense atmosphere, turbulence shaking the hull as it pushed through the storm. Raizen gripped the controls tightly, navigating through the unpredictable air currents.
Joran muttered, "If I get killed because of some freak weather, I'm haunting you."
Raizen chuckled. "You wouldn't be the first."
As they neared the surface, the mist began to clear, revealing the ruins of an ancient city, its structures weathered but still standing. Towering spires and broken stone bridges stretched across a landscape frozen in time.
Seraphina inhaled sharply. "This place… it still remembers."
Kain scanned the surroundings. "No movement, no signs of life."
Raizen's gaze sharpened. "Then let's find out what's still left."
The shuttle touched down on an overgrown landing pad, the ruins looming around them like silent sentinels. As the hatch opened, the air was thick with the scent of history, of something long forgotten.
And then, the whispers began.