The cavern was endless, a cathedral carved from the bones of the planet itself. At its center floated the colossal crystal, radiating light so intense it painted the walls in waves of blue and violet. Each pulse shook the ground like the heartbeat of a sleeping titan.
Daniel stepped forward instinctively. His own crystal flared in response, veins of light threading across his chest and neck like roots spreading through soil.
"Stay back," Hayes barked, raising his rifle. His voice sounded smaller than he wanted it to. "We don't even know if that thing is stable."
Okafor shook his head slowly, eyes wide with scientific awe. "Stable? That thing is the most advanced power source in existence. It's not a reactor. It's… it's a living core. We're standing inside a planetary engine."
Marquez kept her focus on Daniel. She grabbed his arm. "Don't get closer. You don't know what it'll do."
Daniel's eyes glowed brighter, reflecting the crystal's radiance. "I can hear it."
"Hear what?" Marquez demanded.
He turned, voice distant. "It's calling me."
---
The Pull
Before anyone could stop him, Daniel broke free and walked toward the edge of the abyss where the colossal crystal hovered. The ground beneath his boots shifted, forming a narrow bridge of light that extended outward, carrying him closer.
Hayes cursed. "It's building him a damn walkway." He turned to the others. "Tell me you see this. Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is insane!"
Marquez grabbed his rifle barrel, forcing it down. "If you fire, and that thing reacts, we'll all die. Let him go—but stay ready."
The walkway stretched until Daniel stood only a few meters from the massive heart. Its light washed over him, and for a moment, the veins of glowing energy in his body synced perfectly with its pulse.
He gasped, falling to his knees. Images tore through his mind—entire galaxies at war, civilizations burned away by shadow, a darkness older than stars. And always, at the center, the crystal burning like a beacon against the void.
The voice filled him again, overwhelming, undeniable.
Vessel. The war is not ended. The shadow stirs beyond the veil. You will carry the heart across the void.
---
The Others
"Daniel!" Marquez shouted, her voice echoing. "What's happening?"
He turned, eyes blazing blue, his voice layered with something alien. "It wants me to take it. To carry its power back to Earth."
Hayes's face went pale. "Like hell we're bringing that thing home."
Okafor's hands trembled, caught between fear and wonder. "But think about it… if we could harness even a fraction of this—"
Hayes snapped. "Harness it? You saw what it did to him! You want Earth to end up like this dead rock?"
The bridge began to retract, pulling Daniel back toward them. The colossal crystal pulsed once, harder than before, shaking the cavern. Dust rained from above.
Daniel stumbled onto solid ground, clutching his chest. His breathing was ragged, his veins glowing brighter than ever.
He whispered, almost to himself: "We're not supposed to stay. It wants us to leave."
---
The cavern rumbled, and from the shadows along the walls, shapes began to stir—darker, thicker, crawling upward like smoke given form.
And for the first time, the shadows no longer bowed.
They advanced.