Elias and the others approached the bridge's access point, weariness settling deep in their bones. The failing systems created a spectacular, disorienting light show—emergency bulbs flickering and control panels sputtering random patterns of color. The air hung thick and humid, heavy with the scent of the ocean water being filtered through the ship's compromised intake manifold. Beneath that lay the unmistakable stench of burned circuitry, blood, and corruption—a combination that made each breath an effort.
Obsidian crystals lined the walls like some monstrous fungal growth, their sentient tendrils extending throughout every inch of the vessel with deliberate precision.
Maren stared at the growing vines of glass with unnerving intensity, her head tilted slightly as though listening to something no one else could hear.
"Maren, what is it?" Nira asked, the first to notice her odd behavior.
"Look at the growth here," Maren replied, her fingers hovering just above the surface of the corruption, tracing the intricate patterns without touching them. "It doesn't look nearly as random as what we saw in the lower levels."
The corruption formed crisp, sharp angles and multiple parallel lines with perfect symmetry matching the ceiling and wall panels. The effect was both perplexing and eerily beautiful—like some alien art installation consuming the ship from within.
"They remind me of electrical circuits," Nira said, drawing on knowledge from her historical persona. "It appears the growth is forming a mirror image of the power lines running through the walls."
Elias furrowed his brow, eyes narrowing as he absorbed this unwelcome revelation. "For what purpose?"
As if responding to his question, the panel on the wall suddenly flickered to life, displaying large red numbers:
0:04:45
The countdown to self-destruction wound down with merciless precision, but then the display jittered and glitched.
0:05:15
"The corruption is delaying the self-destruct sequence!" Etta exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch.
Elias's jaw clenched. "We need to hurry. Where are the others? They should be here by now."
Through the cacophony of blaring alarms, Elias detected something else—the unmistakable sounds of combat growing louder and closer. In one fluid motion, he drew Sable Kiss, the blade gleaming hungrily in the emergency lights. Beside him, Maren readied the Twilight Twins, her posture shifting from scholarly observation to predatory readiness.
Their eyes met briefly, a wordless communication passing between them. Elias glanced toward the opposite side of the entrance. Maren nodded, understanding immediately. She crossed the hallway with silent steps, tucking herself behind a damaged panel. Elias mirrored her position on the opposite side, both poised to strike whatever emerged from the darkness ahead.
Each second stretched into eternity as the sounds intensified. The metallic clash of weapons. Grunts of exertion. The unsettling, liquid movements of corrupted entities.
Then an ethereal blue glow spilled into the corridor, illuminating the space with cold light. Voices became distinct amid the chaos.
"Continue to fall back. We're approaching the bridge—there should be others waiting for us there." Keldric's voice rang out with the practiced authority of a commander, steady despite the desperation of their situation.
Keldric, Rehala, and Darius emerged from the darkness, fighting a coordinated retreat against multiple corrupted entities. The shadowy forms pursued with unnatural synchronization—attacking, retreating, and reforming their ranks with insectile precision. The three chosen ones moved with equally impressive coordination, defending each other's blind spots, blocking attacks with timing that suggested years of fighting together rather than hours.
It was a brilliant display of combat discipline, but even Elias could see the inevitable outcome. They were outnumbered and weren't inflicting sufficient damage to turn the tide.
The trio crossed the boundary of the bridge access checkpoint, still retreating in measured steps, drawing their pursuers forward.
Elias remained motionless, patient as a predator. He caught Maren's eye across the hallway, giving her a subtle look.
Not yet.
Maren nodded, her body coiled with tension, waiting for his signal.
One corrupted entity passed through the doorway, then two, then three. Eventually, twelve spilled into the open space before the bridge doors, their obsidian forms rippling with malevolent energy. All had their backs to the two humans concealed in the shadows.
Elias moved like quicksilver, Sable Kiss plunging into the back of the nearest monster. The blade cut through the corruption with no resistance, the entity's essence flowing into the weapon like water into parched earth. Simultaneously, Maren attacked from the opposite side, weaving one of her purple sigils above another entity. The arcane symbol flared briefly before slamming the creature into the floor with crushing force.
The human cohort now surrounded the cluster of abominations. The numbers were closer to even—two corrupted for each chosen one. With unnerving coordination, all remaining entities turned toward Elias, moving as a single organism to overwhelm him.
Elias felt his body operating at peak efficiency, the influx of vitality from his kill elevating his reflexes beyond normal human capability. Every muscle responded instantly to his commands, every sense heightened to painful clarity.
Keldric, Rehala, and Darius moved to assist him, but Maren broke away, heading in the opposite direction.
Elias fought with frantic precision, Sable Kiss becoming nothing but a blur as he parried each thrust and strike. Yet for all his enhanced speed, he noticed the corrupted tendrils were adapting—each attack coming a fraction faster than the last, each defense requiring a hair more effort.
STAB
A tendril pierced his thigh. He sliced through it without breaking rhythm.
STAB
Another tendril found his shoulder. He barely registered the pain.
STAB
His forearm. Blood flowing freely now.
STAB
A thicker tendril punched through his hip, pinning him against the wall.
The others were a heartbeat too late. A corrupted blade of crystalline obsidian cut across his chest, the wound deep and instantly gushing blood onto the pristine floor.
As his companions descended upon the entities surrounding him, Elias noticed Maren standing before a communication panel across the room. The screen displayed a map scattered with red dots indicating life signatures. She stood motionless, transfixed, as though the battle behind her had ceased to exist.
The air around her crackled with electricity, raising the fine hairs on her arms. Her eyes widened in recognition—this was her second artifact. Without hesitation, she grasped the panel with both hands. The screen flared white, pulsing with energy that flowed into her body.
A transparent veil materialized around her head, partially obscuring her features. More startling was how her physical presence began to fade, her hands becoming slightly translucent, revealing the floor beneath them. Her posture shifted as new sensory information flooded her consciousness—she could now perceive the exact location of every Chosen One and Corrupted Shade simultaneously. Beyond that, she sensed another group approaching from the left corridor, though not through conventional means. It was intuitive, a knowing beyond the five senses.
She turned toward the battle where her companions were vanquishing the last of the corrupted entities. Keldric raised his sword to strike down the final monster when Maren quickly wove a protective sigil over the creature.
"NO!" she shouted. "Elias must kill it!"
At her command, the monster turned, exposing its back to the wounded young man. With his remaining strength, Elias hurled Sable Kiss through the air like a stiletto. The blade pierced the shade's obsidian ribcage with perfect accuracy. An inhuman shriek shattered nearby glass panels, forcing everyone to clasp their hands over their ears.
Sable Kiss drank deeply of the creature's essence, the blade pulsing with energy. Across the room, Elias's chest wound began to close, the bleeding slowing then stopping altogether. His mercurial gray eyes remained filled with pain—the blade could heal the injury but did nothing to alleviate the agony of the process.
"Thanks, Maren," he managed through gritted teeth. His eyes reflected genuine gratitude, but his calculating mind had already cataloged this interaction differently. Her actions merely confirmed her utility—another tool he could manipulate to ensure his survival.
"I can sense another group approaching from the left," Maren said, her voice distant as she processed her new perceptions. "They're moving quickly with something massive pursuing them."
"It has to be Lyara's group." Elias struggled to breathe despite his healed wound. Stars danced at the edges of his vision, and his focus fractured like broken glass. He'd barely managed to kill the last shade, and now exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him. The energy from the kill had been enough to keep him conscious but little else.
Keldric stepped forward, his military training asserting itself naturally. The small bone horn hanging from his neck pulsed with faint light as he took command of the situation.
"We need to get into formation," he ordered. "Whatever is chasing them will need to be handled head-on as soon as they come within sight. We don't know the status of her group; there may be injuries." His voice turned somber. "We lost everyone that was with us."
The weight of those deaths clearly bore down on him, his shoulders tight with the burden of responsibility.
0:02:52
A voice suddenly echoed from the ship's communication system.
"All remaining personnel proceed to the bridge for final protocol. I repeat, all personnel report to the bridge." Captain Markov's voice remained steady despite the circumstances.
The Chosen exchanged glances, a faint glimmer of hope lighting their eyes.
All except Elias.
As he turned to face the corridor from which Lyara's group would emerge, a single, chilling thought crystalized in his mind.
She's corrupted.