Steadying herself, Mera picked up her knife and took a step back, her gaze sweeping over the looming black structure. It was an incomprehensibly massive vessel. A chill ran down her spine as fragmented memories resurfaced: the pale hands from earlier.
She began connecting the dots—the ship, the alien hands—but... how did Vizor know? Did he know? How could he know?
Her train of thought shattered at the sound of rustling. Her eyes darted back to Ryan—and her heart sank. The pink grass—no, the tendrils—were coiling around him, dragging his limp body back toward the black wall.
“No no no!” Mera gasped, panic flooding her chest.
She rushed over, heart racing, slashing wildly at the cocoon as soon as the tendrils began wrapping him again. The fibrous layers parted beneath her blade, but the pink tendrils resisted, clinging to him as if unwilling to let go.
Frantic, she yanked him free, her hands shaking as she pulled his body from the cocoon in a frenzy.
Suddenly, she felt a chill crawl up her spine; she frantically looked for something in the shadows of the forest. Nothing.
No movement, no sound—just the quiet hum of the strange landscape.
But the feeling lingered, cold, and suffocating. The undeniable feeling of eyes. Her instincts were shrouded in an incessant panic, but there was an absolute certainty to the eerie feeling.
Her heart pounded as she started to tilt her head upward—but stopped herself. Every instinct screamed not to draw attention. Holding her breath, she kept her neck perfectly still, letting only her eyes shift upward toward the gaping maw of the vessel.
And that’s when she saw it.
Poking the top of its head over the edge, the pale side profile stared down at her. Large, empty white eyes, lifeless and featureless, locked onto her without blinking.
She clenched the knife tighter, the metal grounding her as fear clawed at her mind. Her free hand moved cautiously to her belt, fingers brushing against pouches and tools. She kept her gaze locked on the pale figure above, its empty, soulless eyes boring into her.
Her fingers fidgeted around until they curled around what she was looking for. A Kyyr booster.
Popping the cap off the tube, Mera’s fingers traced along the device, searching for the needle. The crystal-blue liquid inside shimmered faintly, resonating with her Kyyr as she carefully angled the sharp end toward her thigh.
Then, another pale head emerged beside the first.
Mera's heart skipped as her breathing hitched, but she kept her movements controlled. The figures hovered just at the edge of her peripheral vision, their features vague and indistinct, like fragments of a half-forgotten nightmare.
Hesitating, Mera tore her gaze from the pale figures watching from above and looked down at Ryan. Her hand trembled as she pressed the knife against his leg, sliding the blade along his skin with excruciating care, making sure to find a good stopping point.
Her breathing grew frantic as she began to dig the booster into her uniform. She had no idea how the pale figures—or Ryan—would respond. A wave of nausea twisted her stomach, but the ever-bearing dread of those things just beyond her gaze now tore into her. She stared at Ryan’s leg, the blade against his skin, the thought of bone shattering, of sinew ripping; her hands trembled. She took in a deep breath.
1…
2…
3…
She slammed the booster into her thigh, the Kyyr liquid surging through her veins. With a sharp inhale, Mera surged Kyyr through the knife. In one swift, jagged motion, she hacked through the leg, butchering the limb at an awkward angle. Blood erupted as Ryan’s eyes shot open. The severed leg hit the grass with a piercing screech, tendrils spilling from the stump and writhing frantically, snaking toward Ryan’s body as if trying to reattach. Mera kicked the limb away, as she summoned a mild flame in her palm, raw Kyyr energy sparking at her fingertips. She clamped her burning hand onto the nub, sealing the wound with searing heat.
Ryan screamed—an agonized howl as sensation surged back into his body, his mind catching up with the pain.
Mera’s head snapped up, heart lurching as the larger of the two creatures now hung over the two like a twisted tree branch. It’s figure was darkened by the light bleeding through the floating lake above. It’s shadow growing larger as it began to free fall onto the two.
Adrenaline surged through Mera, Kyyr flooding her body. Without a second thought, she yanked Ryan and herself away from the vessel with a burst of enhanced strength, narrowly dodging the creature’s descent.
A visceral crunch filled the air as the thing collided with the ground, sending up a dense cloud of dust that swallowed everything in its wake.
Ryan grunted in pain, his voice sharp with panic. Mera focused.
Without missing a beat, she scooped him into her arms, holding him tight. Dust swirled around them, choking the air. A loud, vile roar filled the air. Mera and Ryan froze for a split second, their eyes locked on the creature’s shifting silhouette as it twisted toward them. Its massive form loomed through the haze.
“No…” Mera whispered under her breath, panic clawing at her. Without a second thought, she spun on her heel and bolted, running as fast as her legs would carry them, the sound of the creature’s roar still ringing in her ears.
The forest reacted violently as a black haze erupted from the ground swirling around, suffocating them in a dark veil. The miasma grew thick, forcing Mera to rely on her Kyyr Retina as she weaved around the pulsing lights around them.
Ryan remained silent as he looked behind them, catching glimpses of something lumbering in the haze. In those swirling clouds of darkness, he saw it—a shadow moving within the fog, vast and indistinct, as if part of the cloud itself. Each step it took caused the haze to ripple, bending around its presence.
Every so often, the forest erupted with sudden bursts of pink light, illuminating the fog like flashes of lightning in a storm. For the briefest moments, the shadow within the cloud emerged—huge, hulking, and strange, its form half-seen and distorted by the vapor that clung to it. The bursts of light made it seem like it was flickering in and out of existence, as if the thing was not entirely bound to this world, a figure glimpsed only between moments of light and darkness.
“Faster! Faster! FASTER!!!” Ryan shouted, his voice cracking with panic.
Mera’s muscles screamed under the weight, her breath hissing through her mask, but she pushed harder, channeling her Kyyr into her legs. Relying on her own strength to carry the wounded Ryan.
She ran and ran, the forest an endless, darkening hell. Around them, abyssal condensation began to manifest—tiny, erratic droplets clinging to everything they touched. They latched onto Mera’s skin, her uniform, her mask, each one disrupting her Kyyr.
She began to slow as their pursuer only grew closer—its gloomy form—shifted and contorted, becoming more defined with every burst of pink light from the forest. For a split second, it appeared vividly through the fog, a jagged silhouette that tore through the vapor like lightning ripping across the darkness.
Ryan watched her struggle, his face flashing in fear and regret as he thought of ways to help her. My Kyyr booster!
Fumbling with trembling hands, he yanked the small crystal-blue flask from his belt, the liquid inside shimmering faintly. Popping the lid without a second thought drove the needle into his thigh.
The Kyyr surged through Ryan, igniting every nerve in his body like a wildfire racing through his veins. He looked down at the stump of his amputated foot, the sharp sting of reality flashing through him as he fully registered the missing limb. He looked back up at Mera. Her face was hidden behind her mask, but the sound of her ragged, desperate breathing told him everything he needed to know.
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He turned his focus to the haze, fully accepting the situation. The creature was closing in, its jagged, labored breathing sending cold shivers down his spine.
Ryan gathered black Kyyr into his hand, the energy swirling like liquid smoke. Bracing himself with one hand on Mera’s shoulder, he stretched his arm around her, his pointer finger swirling in the black Kyyr.
He carefully scanned the shifting haze behind them, his eyes following the swirling tendrils of mist that coiled like restless phantoms. He watched, waiting for the bloom of a glowing surge of pink light to erupt from the forest depths. Patiently, he stared, his blue eyes flashing with a low blue glow.
Then—just for an instant—a shape flickered at the edge of his vision, slipping like a shadow between the trees. There!
The black Kyyr hissed and crackled, trailing after the figure like liquid lightning, vanishing into the depths of the fog.
A horrid roar split the air as the creature stumbled, crashing through the forest with a pained screech, tumbling into the shadows.
“Mera… I’ll keep it off us…” Ryan mumbled weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.
She gave him a quick nod and bolted deeper into the forest, her vision blurred by exhaustion and the swirling mist. The uneven terrain rushed beneath her feet, the pink grass waving like silent flames in the strange light. Then, without warning, her foot plunged into one of the deep, narrow pools concealed beneath the soft grass. Cold water clutched at her leg, yanking her momentum to a halt, and she crashed to the ground with a gasp, the shock of the fall sending a sharp jolt through her weary body.
Mera let out a startled gasp as she stumbled forward, struggling to hold onto Ryan, but he tumbled painfully out of her grasp, landing hard on the ground with a groan.
Frantic, Mera clawed her way out of the icy water, heart pounding in her chest. Panic gripped her as she scrambled to her feet, scanning the fog-shrouded forest.
“Ryan!” she shouted, her voice trembling as her eyes darted through the shifting haze.
She spotted Ryan slowly struggling on the ground just as another deafening roar tore through the air. Her Kyyr sensors flared in a panicked warning, sharp pulses thrumming through her spine. She turned, just in time to see a massive, clawed hand emerge from the swirling haze—each talon black and cracked, dripping with some foul, shimmering residue that hissed as it hit the ground.
Then, a pale face materialized briefly—only to peel away like shedding skin, revealing a gaping, jagged maw, ringed with overlapping rows of uneven, needle-like teeth. The darkness inside seemed endless, writhing with movement. Suddenly, spiraling tendrils shot forth from its depths, emerging like the mangled blossoms of a twisted flower.
Mera braced for the impact, heart pounding—but instead, there was only a sharp sting, followed by the creature’s agonized screech. The creature recoiled violently, its tendrils spasming as they snapped back into the gaping pit of its mouth. It staggered back, the mist swirling angrily around it as it writhed in pain, the sound of its agony echoing through the fog like a wounded animal trapped in a storm.
Mera’s breath came in ragged bursts, her pulse racing as the sharp scent of scorched air filled her nose. She turned to see Ryan, still on the ground but holding one trembling hand toward the creature, black wisps of Kyyr energy evaporating from his outstretched finger.
Scrambling over to Ryan, Mera shot a quick glance back, catching a glimpse of the creature writhing in agony. Slick with black Kyyr oil, it savagely tore into its own flesh, desperate to scrape the volatile substance from its body. Its claws raked deep, peeling away chunks of rotting skin and sinew, the dripping remains hissing as they hit the pink grass. The beast’s roars echoed through the mist, furious and broken, tendrils thrashing wildly before retreating into its gaping maw.
Without hesitation, she hauled Ryan up in one swift motion, her muscles screaming in protest. Forcing the pain aside, she broke into a full sprint, her breath ragged beneath her mask.
Shit—! Her Kyyr wavered, flickering with each step as exhaustion gnawed at her body. But she kept running, deeper and deeper into the endless pink hell. Adrenaline and Kyyr merged into a fragile lifeline, barely holding her upright as her legs burned, each stride driven by the fear of death.
Ryan’s blue eyes gleamed with a Kyyr-enhanced glow as he looked back over her shoulder, gathering Kyyr in his hands. The black energy coiled around his fingers like living smoke, crackling with potential as he readied himself.
He watched the shifting shadows, waiting for the monster to close the gap again.
The black haze had fallen slightly behind, but as the pink glow of the forest flickered in and out, Ryan caught fleeting glimpses of the creature trailing them from the side. It moved deliberately, weaving through the mist.
It’s avoiding a direct pursuit!?
“Mera! Focus more Kyyr into your Retina—find areas with low abyssal concentration!” Ryan shouted between labored breaths, each word strained with pain.
Mera gave a quick nod, her mind sharp despite the exhaustion gnawing at her limbs. She scanned the forest, her Retina amplifying the shimmering energy around them. Turning slightly, she adjusted their path, weaving through the forest along the faint gaps where the abyssal Kyyr concentration thinned.
Ryan concentrated on tracking the thing’s movements through the swirling haze. His gaze darted through the stormy depths of the fog, weaving between the silhouettes of shifting trees. The shadows bled together, restless and elusive, forcing his eyes to chase flickers of motion that might vanish in an instant. Every gust twisted the fog into new shapes, blurring the boundary between branches and phantoms, but Ryan held his focus, determined not to lose it.
The haze pressed closer, thick and suffocating—until there!
Without hesitation, Ryan fired another charged shot of black Kyyr from his hand. The shot hissed through the mist, striking its mark with precision. A piercing screech tore through the air as the creature recoiled in pain, its form retreating into the swirling fog.
As the beast faded into the shadows, the haze began to pull back with it. Mera adjusted her path without missing a beat, following the lower levels of Kyyr energy deeper into the forest.
In the distance, Mera spotted bubbles of water suspended in the air. Hope sparked in her chest—they had returned to a part of the forest that had some life. But as she drew closer, her heart sank.
The bubbles were empty. No souls. No signs of life.
A deep unease settled over her as she sprinted past them. “Something’s wrong!” she called to Ryan, her voice tight with fear.
Ryan scanned the forest, his eyes darting through the haze. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”
“There’s no life here anymore,” Mera said, her breath ragged. “This was the only part of the forest with animal life... but now it’s all gone!”
Ryan’s hand shot out. “Stop!” he shouted, his voice sharp and urgent.
Mera skidded to a halt, gasping for breath. “What?”
The wall of black haze seemed to falter; from within the haze, Ryan glimpsed the thing’s form—tall and grotesque, rising unnaturally upright in the suffocating darkness. Crackling arcs of pink light slithered along its edges, illuminating jagged contours that seemed to blur with the mist.
Then, their gazes locked—its empty, dead eyes meeting Ryan’s in a moment that felt unmoored from time. Hollow and indifferent, those eyes pierced through him, as if drawing Ryan toward an endless ocean that lay somewhere between them. For an instant, it felt as if the vastness of that dark sea between their souls had collapsed, and something unspoken passed between them—a silent, inescapable recognition. A resolution unseen was found with Ryan, unaware he stared, and it stared back.
“What in the...” Ryan muttered under his breath, dread creeping into his voice.
The tall figure did linger much longer. Without a sound, it turned and slipped back into the darkness, vanishing into the shadows as if it had never been there.
Ryan exhaled with a shudder as tears inexplicably began to crawl down his cheeks.
“Why did it leave?” Mera asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I wish I knew." Ryan whispered, wincing as Mera set him down. He grunted, adjusting himself awkwardly. Before wiping away his tears. “W-what happened to my leg?”
Tears welled in Mera’s eyes as she leaned in and hugged him, her words spilling out in a shaky breath as she explained everything that had happened.
Ryan frowned, his hand tracing the jagged edge of his crudely amputated leg. “If Anneli made it out of the forest, her best bet would be to run back to Circh Station... but that would take until nightfall,” he muttered, frustration flickering in his voice. “Since we’ve got the lowglider’s key, our best chance is to retrace our steps and find our way back to where we started.”
He dragged a hand across his damp brow, brushing away the sweat as he struggled to steady himself, choking back the pain radiating through his body.
“I hate to ask this." Ryan said softly, glancing up at Mera. “But our best option is for you to carry me... just a little longer.”
“Th-that’s not a problem!” Mera stammered, waving her hands as if trying to shake off the weight of the request.
Ryan glanced down at his crystalcomm—1703 (5:03 PM). A sense of urgency settled over him. “We don’t have much time left…”
He looked up through the shifting blossom canopy, squinting as he searched the fading light. “Based on the time, the sun should be somewhere around the northwest.” His gaze scanned the treetops until he located the sun, its glow filtering weakly through the pink blossoms.
Tracing the light with his finger, he pointed slightly south. “Our best bet is to use the shadows as a guide,” he said, his voice calm despite the tension simmering beneath.
Mera nodded, leaning down to lift Ryan into her arms so they could begin their journey.
“Let’s avoid using too much Kyyr,” Ryan muttered, groaning as a wave of pain rippled through him. “With how thick the abyssal condensation is getting, we won’t last long if we burn through it.”
“R-right…” Mera replied, adjusting her grip as she picked him up.