The colony on Helios-3 was an inferno of frustration and exhaustion. The once orderly site had devolved into chaos under the relentless demands of Dr. Calder Vrenna for the past few days. A massive crater surrounded the black pillar now. The artifact standing exposed to the harsh surface, its crimson veins faintly pulsing in the gray light of the planet’s pale sun. Machinery churned endlessly, tearing away at the soil around the site as workers slogged through their tasks, their nerves frayed to the breaking point.

Tensions were high. The workers, worn thin by Calder’s ceaseless commands, muttered among themselves in growing defiance. The task force leader, oblivious to their suffering, barked orders with an air of smug indifference.

“Move faster! This section isn’t clear enough. I don’t care if you’re tired this isn’t a playground!” Calder’s voice carried over the comm system, sending a collective groan through the workers.

Tessa stood near a generator at the crater’s edge, her grease-streaked hands tightening bolts on a sputtering valve. “I swear, if he says one more word...” she muttered, her voice trailing off.

Quinn, a few feet away, hefted a heavy mining tool over his shoulder, his face a mask of simmering anger. “We’re breaking our backs out here and he’s just standing there like a damned overseer. I’ve had enough.”

“Join the club.” Tessa replied, glaring up toward the observation platform where Calder surveyed the site. “But unless we plan to quit and let’s be real, we can’t. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Nearby, Finn adjusted a control panel on one of the automated drilling rigs. He moved sluggishly, his hands trembling as he keyed in commands. His face was pale, his eyes ringed with exhaustion. Every muscle in his body ached, but the dream he’d had earlier that week still weighed heavier than any physical strain. The eye. The voice. The sense of something vast and malevolent pressing down on him. It hadn’t left his thoughts.

Around him, other workers exchanged murmurs, their voices low but filled with resentment.

“This is insane.” one muttered. “We’re not machines.”

“They don’t care.” another whispered back. “We’re just tools to them.”

Finn tried to focus on the task at hand, but the murmurs clawed at the edges of his mind. He rubbed his temples, willing himself to stay upright. The ground beneath him seemed to tilt slightly, his vision blurring. He shook his head to clear it, but the effort only made him dizzier.

“Finn, you okay?” Tessa called, her voice tinged with concern.

“Yeah... yeah, I’m fine.” Finn replied weakly, though his knees buckled slightly. He leaned against the control panel for support, taking deep breaths.

But he wasn’t fine. His head swam, his limbs felt like lead, and the world around him seemed to narrow into a tunnel. Before he could steady himself, his vision went dark, and he collapsed, tumbling down the steep edge of the crater.

“Finn!” Tessa shouted, dropping her tools and running toward the crater’s edge.

Finn’s limp body slid down the loose gravel, gathering momentum as he neared the pillar. He struck the rocky floor at the base, his forehead grazing the pillar’s cold, smooth surface. A sharp gash opened just above his brow, and a thin stream of blood trickled down, pooling against the artifact. The workers above froze, a collective gasp rippling through the site.

“Get him out of there!” Calder’s voice snapped over the comm system. “Now!”

Quinn and Tessa scrambled down the crater wall, reaching Finn just as his blood crept toward the small incision in the pillar created during the earlier shard extraction. Unseen by the workers, the blood seemed to defy gravity, crawling like tendrils toward the opening.

Deep within the artifact, the Flesh God stirred.

The blood seeped through the incision. Guided by the Flesh God’s will. Within the depths of its prison, a mummified hand moved for the first time in millennia. The finger twitched, the red veins faintly pulsing with renewed energy. Slowly, deliberately, the blood was drawn into its shriveled fingertip. The Flesh God’s consciousness flared, a low chuckle reverberating through the artifact’s structure.

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“Blood... life... oh how sweet it is..” it murmured. Its ancient voice a rasping whisper. The single finger where the blood entered began to change. Darkened veins spreading outward as the flesh took on a faint reddish hue. “A fragment of vitality... a thread to weave.”

It curled the finger inward, savoring the taste of connection. Its awareness stretched beyond the pillar, coiling toward Finn, whose body lay limp as Tessa and Quinn carried him toward the infirmary.

“Soon, weak one.” the Flesh God thought, its voice filled with dark amusement. “We are bound now, you and I. Through you, I shall rise.”

Somewhere Else

Far from Helios-3, within the bustling offices of Leviathan Industries, Jonas Kieran ended his shift and left the building, slipping into the anonymity of the city streets. The unassuming agent made his way to a discreet, nondescript apartment that served as his base of operations.

Once inside, he locked the door and activated a secure communications device. The Aegis Intelligence team answered within moments, their voices cold and professional.

“Report.” the lead operative said.

Jonas relayed everything he had gathered: the discovery of the artifact, the halt on mining operations, the excavation efforts, and the involvement of Leviathan’s upper leadership. “They’re prioritizing the artifact over everything else.” Jonas concluded. “It’s significant enough to send a second ship. Whatever they’ve found, it’s big.”

There was a pause before the operative responded. “Good work, Jonas. We’ll relay this to Ronan Vale.”

Jonas hesitated, then added, “Listen. I’ve done what I can from here but the operation is escalating. I suggest you send someone to Helios-3 for firsthand intel. If I dig any deeper from my position I risk exposing myself.”

“Understood. Your recommendation will be considered.” the operative replied before cutting the connection.

The Aegis Intelligence team wasted no time, contacting Ronan Vale directly. Within minutes, Ronan stood before Lucien Dax aboard the Aegis Sovereign, briefing him on Jonas’s findings.

“So Leviathan has found something.” Lucien mused, his tone calm but calculating. “And they’re expending significant resources to secure it.”

“Yes.” Ronan confirmed. “Jonas recommends sending a team directly to Helios-3.”

Lucien nodded, his sharp blue eyes gleaming with ambition. “We’ll need professionals. Mercenaries willing to do whatever is necessary. Make the arrangements Ronan. I want boots on the ground within twenty-four hours.”

“As you wish, sir.” Ronan replied before leaving to carry out his orders.

Back On Helios-3

Finn lay unconscious in the infirmary, his head bandaged from the fall. Tessa sat beside him, her worry etched into her features.

“He’ll be okay.” the medical officer said as they checked his vitals. “He just needs rest.”

"Are you sure?" Tessa asked, her tone filled with uncertainty. "Mhm. His vitals are stable. He didn't loose a lot of blood and the scans didn't show any damage on his skull." the medical officer reassured before looking at Tessa.

"He'll be alright but its best we leave him be for now. You can return back to work. He'll be safe here." the medical officer said. Reluctantly, Tessa would proceed to do so, glancing at Finn one last time before leaving the infirmary. Meanwhile, the medical officer would check Finn's vitals one last time before proceeding to head off somewhere in the infirmary.

As the room quieted, something stirred in the shadows. The Flesh God’s spectral form materialized near Finn’s bedside. Its hollow eyes fixated on the sleeping man. Though its physical body remained trapped within the pillar, its growing connection to Finn allowed it to project its presence.

It reached out, a ghostly hand brushing against the bandage on Finn’s forehead. “How fragile you are.” it whispered, its tone almost tender. “But within you lies strength you do not yet understand. Through your blood, I have tasted freedom. And through you, I shall have it.”

The Flesh God’s voice was barely audible, a whisper that seemed to crawl into Finn’s subconscious. “Sleep now, weak one. When you wake, the world will begin to change.”

It withdrew its hand before fading back into the shadows. Leaving no trace of its presence. But its influence lingered. A silent thread woven into Finn’s mind. Binding them ever more closer.

Outside the infirmary, the colony buzzed with uneasy energy. Workers muttered darkly about Calder’s relentless demands, the constant stress, and the eerie presence of the pillar.

“This isn’t sustainable.” Tessa said to Quinn as they leaned against a transport cart taking a rare moment to rest. “People are going to snap.”

“They already are.” Quinn replied grimly, nodding toward a group of workers arguing with one of Calder’s team members. The argument escalated quickly, voices rising as frustrations boiled over.

“Back to work!” Calder’s voice cut through the commotion as he approached, his expression thunderous. “I don’t have time for your whining. Do your jobs or-”

“Or what?” one of the workers shot back. “You’ll replace us? Go ahead. See how well that works when no one else wants to touch this damned place!”

The tension in the air was electric. The workers’ resentment threatening to explode. Calder sneered but said nothing, turning on his heel and storming off. The confrontation only deepened the rift between the task force and the colony.