Kael's fingers dug into the armrests of his seat as the ship's hull groaned in protest. The Death Wave had them now, pulling them toward its chaotic heart. The sensors flickered wildly, struggling to process whatever eldritch forces they had just encountered.
"Shields at thirty percent!" Zhara, the ship's tactical officer, shouted over the wailing alarms. "We won't hold much longer!"
Kael's mind raced. This wasn't just an anomaly-it was a trap. The undulating shape within the storm, vast and ancient, was more than just a force of nature. It was alive, and it wanted them inside.
"Divert all power to forward thrusters!" he commanded. "We break free now, or we don't break free at all!"
The ship's engines roared, pushing against the unnatural pull of the Wave. The viewport darkened as tendrils of swirling crimson energy lashed at the hull, seeking to consume them whole. And at the center of it all, those glowing, unreadable eyes watched.
Then, a voice. Not over the comms, not through any human means. It whispered directly into Kael's mind.
Stay.
His vision blurred His thoughts twisted, unraveling like threads in an ancient loom. He saw images that weren't his own-star systems collapsing, entire civilizations crumbling before an unseen force. And at the heart of it all, the same pulsing entity that loomed before him now.
"No," he gasped, gripping his temples. "I won't-"
A sudden explosion rocked the ship. The emergency lights flared as power surged back to the engines. Kael felt himself thrown forward as the ship finally broke free, tearing away from the pull of the Death Wave.
The vision shattered. The whispers ceased.
The crimson storm receded behind them, no longer chasing but simply... waiting.
Kael exhaled, his chest heaving. The crew was safe. For now.
But something inside him had changed. The Death Wave had seen him. And it wasn't finished yet.