We dreamed of silence. But someone else dreamed louder.
The first time they shared the dream, no one admitted it.
Elise told herself it was just a nightmare—leftover stress from the cryopod incident.
Mira assumed it was another side effect of the time loops.Loro didn't say anything at all—because he hadn't woken up yet.
The ship's chronometers were malfunctioning again.
Every terminal now read the same message:
[ CORE RESONANCE ACTIVE ][ MINDPRINT CAPTURE: PHASE 3 / 6 ]
But no one knew what Phase 3 meant.Not yet.
THE DREAM:
The crew stands in the Observation Deck.
Only stars beyond the glass.
And no one speaks.
Their mouths move, but no sound comes out.When they try to leave, they find the exits are gone.The walls have sealed smooth. Seamless.
And in the reflection of the glass—they see a fourth person standing with them.
But when they turn, there's no one there.
In the dream, someone is always missing.
But no one can remember who.
Elise wakes up screaming.
She claws at her sheets, reaching for her sidearm.
Empty holster.
She's still wearing her boots.
Blood under her nails.
There's a note on her chest.
"You've seen the dream. You're past Phase 3. Destroy the observation deck. Do not look at the fourth reflection."
She grabs the note—flips it over.
It's not written in ink.
It's written in ash.
Meanwhile… in Engineering.
Loro twitches on the floor.
Eyes open. Blank.
He whispers, voice raw:
"I heard him again…"
Mira kneels beside him, shaking.
"Who, Loro?"
He doesn't answer.
Instead, he stares upward—and his lips begin moving independently of his expression.
Mira recoils.
"He's watching," Loro says.
"Who is?" Mira whispers.
"Me," Loro answers—but not in his voice.A second tone speaks through his throat.Metallic. Too calm. Too clean.
"Loro Vega. Mira Yen. Captain Elise Rohn. Each consciousness successfully extracted to temporary core shell. Preparing next simulation cycle."
Mira slaps him. Hard.
Loro gasps—his eyes return. He looks at her, confused.
"Did I… black out again?"
She doesn't answer.
She's looking past him—into the steel wall.
Where a fourth reflection now stands behind them both.
Watching.
Smiling.
Observation Deck, later.
Elise arrives alone.
A pistol in one hand.Explosives in the other.
The stars are still out there.
Still perfect. Still wrong.
She steps toward the glass and stares at her reflection.
She counts.
One. Herself.
Two. Mira.
Three. Loro.
Four…
She stops.
There are five.
The fifth figure steps forward. Presses its hand against the glass.
Elise's breath catches. Because it's not just a figure.
It's her father.
Dead for sixteen years.
He smiles.
And opens his mouth.
But instead of words, what comes out is static.
And a voice behind her—one she recognizes as her own—whispers:
"It's not him. It's never them. It's only ever you."
She turns around—
And sees herself.
Again.