Kael Varn had made a lot of bad calls, like the time he tried to outrun a pirate fleet with a half-charged engine, but choosing to save his sister Mira over the galaxy might top them all. Voryn's core was falling apart, the cavern shaking like a beast in its death throes. Crystals shattered, raining glowing shards that burned where they touched. The control node, a massive crystal Kael had activated to free Mira, pulsed wildly, its red light blinding. Mira's stasis pod stood open, but she was still out cold, her pale face lit by the chaos. Zara, the Coalition deserter who'd gone from enemy to ally in a heartbeat, grabbed Kael's arm, her scar twitching with panic. The Devourer's voice, a growl that clawed his mind, laughed from the shadows. "You chose well, human. Now watch your worlds burn."
Kael's pulse rifle was dead, its charge spent, so he clutched the console, heart hammering. "Syl!" he shouted into his wrist comm. "Tell me I didn't just end the galaxy!"
Syl, his ship's snarky AI, buzzed through static. "Node's active, but it's overloading Voryn's core. The planet's collapsing, and the Devourer's essence is spiking. You've got minutes before this place is dust. Oh, and Mira's vitals are stable, but she's not waking."
Kael's throat tightened, his eyes locked on Mira. Her dark hair clung to her face, and she looked so small, like the kid he'd promised to protect when their parents died. He'd activated the node to save her, but now the cavern was crumbling, and the Devourer was free. Great job, hero.
Zara yanked him back as a crystal spear crashed where he'd stood. "Kael, move! We can't stay here!"
"She's not awake!" Kael snapped, pulling free. "I'm not leaving her!"
Zara's eyes blazed, but her voice softened. "You won't help her by dying. The node's destabilizing everything. We need to find the control hub."
Kael hesitated, guilt and hope tearing him apart. The Devourer's laugh echoed, and the ground split, revealing a chasm glowing with molten red. Shadows moved inside, eyes like dying stars. Kael's skin crawled. He'd fought pirates, drones, and crystal beasts, but this was different. This was the end of everything.
"Syl, find me that hub," Kael said, hoisting Mira's limp body from the pod. She was light, too light, and her breath was shallow. He slung her over his shoulder, ignoring the pain in his bruised ribs.
"Hub's deeper," Syl said. "Follow the energy signature. Tunnel to your left. Hurry, Captain."
Zara led the way, pistol ready, her boots crunching on crystal shards. The tunnel glowed with red veins, pulsing like a heartbeat. The air was thick, metallic, like blood and ozone. Kael's HUD screamed warnings: seismic spikes, energy surges, atmospheric collapse. Voryn wasn't just breaking. It was fighting back.
"You sure about this?" Zara asked, glancing at Mira. "If the Devourer's using her, waking her could make it worse."
Kael's jaw clenched. "She's my sister. I trust her more than I trust you."
Zara flinched but kept moving. "Fair. But I'm trying to keep us alive, Varn."
The tunnel shook, walls cracking. A shadow lunged from the dark, not the Devourer's full form but a shard of its essence, claws gleaming like black glass. Kael dove, shielding Mira, as Zara fired, her bolts sparking uselessly. The shadow roared, its voice a mix of rage and hunger.
"Keep moving!" Kael yelled, dragging Mira toward a glowing archway. The shadow slashed, grazing his armor, the impact like a hammer. Zara grabbed a crystal shard, using it like a blade to stab the shadow. It shrieked, dissolving into smoke, but more shadows formed, their eyes glowing.
"Syl, we need an edge!" Kael shouted, stumbling through the archway into a new chamber. It was vast, filled with floating crystals, each pulsing with red light. At the center stood a massive console, its surface etched with Ascendant runes, humming with power.
"Control hub," Syl said. "It regulates Voryn's core. Shut it down, and you might stop the collapse. But it'll cut Mira's pod link. She could die."
Kael's stomach dropped. He set Mira down, her breathing faint. "There's gotta be another way."
Zara scanned the console, her face grim. "The Coalition built this hub. They wanted to control the Devourer, use it as a weapon. I saw the plans before I bailed."
Kael rounded on her. "And you didn't think to mention this?"
"I didn't know it was this bad!" Zara snapped. "They thought they could leash a god. They were wrong."
The chamber shook, crystals exploding. The Devourer's voice boomed. "You cannot stop me. I am eternal."
Kael's HUD flashed: energy surge critical. The console flared, and a hologram flickered: Mira, her eyes red, her voice cold. "Kael, let me go. You can't win."
"No!" Kael shouted, slamming his fist on the console. "I'm not losing you again!"
Zara grabbed his shoulder. "She's not herself. The Devourer's in her head."
Kael shook her off, his mind racing. The visions, the shadows, Mira's warnings. It all pointed to one thing: the Devourer was using her as a key. But she was still his sister. He punched the console, runes glowing under his touch. "Syl, find me a bypass. Save her, stop this thing."
"Working on it," Syl said. "But the shadows are closing in. You've got company."
The shadows poured into the chamber, a dozen now, their claws slashing. Kael grabbed a fallen crystal, using it as a club, while Zara fired, her pistol overheating. The shadows were relentless, their eyes burning with hunger. Kael's arms burned, his ribs screaming, but he fought, every swing for Mira.
Zara took a hit, a claw raking her side. She grunted, blood seeping through her armor, but kept fighting. "You're not bad in a scrap, Varn!"
"Flirt later!" Kael yelled, smashing a shadow. The console hummed, and Syl's voice cut through.
"Bypass found! Input the sequence on your HUD!"
Kael's HUD blinked, showing runes. He dove for the console, dodging claws, and punched in the code. The hub flared, and the shadows froze, shrieking. The crystals dimmed, and Mira's body twitched, her eyes fluttering open.
"Kael?" she whispered, voice weak but hers.
"Mira!" Kael knelt beside her, heart soaring. But the chamber shook harder, the hub sparking. The Devourer's voice roared. "You cannot hold me!"
Zara staggered over, clutching her side. "The hub's overloading. We need to go!"
Kael lifted Mira, her weight pulling at his wounds. The shadows reformed, bigger, their eyes blazing. The chamber's ceiling cracked, rocks falling. Syl's voice buzzed. "Exit tunnel, north! Coalition ships are above, bombing the surface!"
Kael's blood ran cold. The Coalition was here to bury them. He ran, Mira in his arms, Zara limping beside him. The tunnel glowed, crystals pulsing erratically. The Devourer's voice followed, laughing. "You delay the inevitable."
The tunnel opened to a cliff, Voryn's surface a chaos of fire and collapsing canyons. Coalition ships loomed overhead, their cannons blazing. Kael's heart sank. They'd escaped the core, but the war was just starting.