The corrupted miners moved with jerky, unnatural motions, their eyes burning with voidfire. Each step they took left behind a faint trail of dark energy that sizzled against the floor.
Titan slashed through the nearest attacker, but as the creature fell, a black mist seeped from its wounds, spreading rapidly.
Kaela fired with precision, taking down another, but the mist grew, creeping towards the station's core systems.
Lira's voice crackled urgently: "The corruption is infecting the colony's AI. If it reaches the power grid, it could overload and cause a meltdown."
Merek's expression darkened. "We need to find the source—and sever the infection."
Titan nodded. "Keep the corrupted off us. Kaela, with me. Merek, you work on the systems."
They pushed forward into the heart of the colony, the air thick with tension and the metallic scent of decay.
In the deepest chamber, they found a pulsing, shadowy crystal—its dark energy pulsing like a heartbeat.
"That's the source," Titan said grimly. "Destroy it—and we end this."
But as they prepared to strike, the crystal emitted a deafening pulse, throwing them back.
The battle for the colony was far from over.