The alien sun rose slowly, bathing the crater in a purple light that blended with the gold of dawn.
Dorian opened his eyes before the suit fully woke him. The fragment sealed in his armored compartment emitted an almost imperceptible vibration against his chest, like a second heart that did not belong to him.
He pushed himself up with a low grunt. His body protested: muscles stiff from yesterday's fight, joints cracking as if they had aged years in a single night.
The morning air was cool, heavy with the scent of damp earth and something sweeter, almost floral, that he hadn't noticed before.
—Omega, status report.
—"Restorative sleep: 4.7 hours. Energy levels at 92%. No hostile signals within a 500-meter radius. The fragment shows stable energy activity, no spikes detected overnight."
Dorian stood, stretching his arms. He walked to the ledge he had climbed after defeating the Apex and looked down at the Apex's shattered corpse: during the night, new lichens had partially covered it, as if the planet had already begun to reclaim it.
Small black roots forced their way between the broken obsidian plates.
—No time for sentimentality —he muttered—. Today, we explore this beautiful planet.
He ate a nutritional bar from the suit while Omega projected a partial holographic map of the planet, based on data downloaded from the Sigma-12 and its own scans.
—"Priority zones: bioluminescent river 8 km northwest, crystalline formation 12 km east, and organic ruins detected 15 km south. Initial recommendation: the river. High probability of water resources and observable fauna without immediate combat."
Dorian nodded. He stored the compressed sword, adjusted the suit to exploration mode—less heavy armor, more sensors—and began walking toward the edge of the crater.
The climb was easier in daylight. The rocky walls were covered in moss glowing with a soft emerald hue, and in some spots tubular flowers opened to the sun, releasing pollen that drifted like golden dust.
When he touched one with the tip of his gloved finger, the flower snapped shut, releasing a sound like a sigh.
—Interesting —Dorian said—. Defensive reaction.
—"Possible contact-based pollination mechanism. Logged for later analysis."
Reaching the crater's edge, the landscape opened before him like a sea of undulating dark vegetation.
Black-barked trees formed a high canopy, broken by clearings where the purple light created dancing patterns of shadow on the ground.
The wind carried sounds: a low chorus of hums, distant creaks, and now and then a sharp cry that could have been birds—or something else entirely.
Dorian activated the suit's efficient movement mode and began the journey toward the river.
The first kilometers were calm. The ground was spongy, covered by a layer of black leaves that disintegrated underfoot, releasing an earthy scent with citrus notes.
Small creatures—no larger than a fist—scurried between the roots: translucent bodies with pulsing blue veins, six delicate legs, and compound eyes that reflected light like jewels.
Omega classified them quickly.
—"Non-hostile species. Possible ecological role: primary decomposers. Consume fallen organic matter and release nutrients into the soil."
Dorian crouched beside a group. One of the creatures approached without fear, climbed onto his boot, and stopped at his ankle as if inspecting him.
Its antennae vibrated, brushing against the suit's material.
The helmet opened.
—Don't look at me like that —Dorian said with a half-smile—. I'm not food.
The creature seemed satisfied and climbed down, disappearing into the leaves.
Farther on, the terrain began to slope gently downward into a wide depression. The air grew more humid, and the sound of water reached him before the sight: a constant murmur, like thousands of voices whispering in unison.
The river appeared suddenly as he stepped out of a clearing.
It was wide—at least fifty meters—and its water was not transparent. It glowed.
A deep blue scattered with moving points of light, like living stars.
Giant hexagonal leaves floated on the surface, iridescent green, reflecting the purple sky in hypnotic patterns.
Dorian stopped at the shore, impressed.
—Damn… this is beautiful.
—"Anomalous aqueous composition. High concentration of bioluminescent particles. Temperature: 18°C. Moderate current. Estimated average depth: 4 meters."
Dorian removed his helmet—or rather slid it down around his neck; it was the second time since waking up.
The air was clean, with an unexpected hint of salt. He breathed deeply.
He stepped closer to the edge. In the water, elongated shapes swam lazily: serpentine creatures about three meters long, translucent bodies with fins that shone like stained glass.
They had no visible eyes, only a sensory crest that vibrated when detecting movement.
One surfaced partially, opening a circular mouth filled with glowing filaments. It wasn't a threat; it seemed to be filtering particles from the water.
Dorian took out a vial and collected a sample.
—This could be worth a fortune to bioluminescence labs.
He followed the river upstream. The terrain grew rockier, with formations that looked like natural sculptures: twisted pillars covered in crystals that sang when the wind passed through them, producing deep, melancholic notes.
At one point, the river formed a small waterfall, dropping from a height of ten meters into a circular pool.
The impact created a glowing mist that floated like blue smoke.
Dorian sat on a flat rock beside the pool. He took out another nutritional bar, this time washing it down with river water—filtered by the suit, of course.
As he ate, he observed aquatic life. Groups of smaller creatures, like tadpoles with membranous wings, leapt from the water and glided short distances before diving back in.
Others, disk-shaped, floated on the surface, absorbing sunlight.
—Omega, record all of this in high definition. I want to remember this place.
—"Recording initiated. Reason?"
Dorian was silent for a moment.
—Because not everything on this planet wants to kill me. And that… is reason enough. And besides, I'm exploring. Exploration without samples, evidence, or memories isn't exploration.
He continued exploring upstream for hours. The landscape gradually changed: vegetation grew denser, with hanging vines whose tips glowed like fireflies.
He found a bank of black sand where hundreds of crab-like creatures—but with crystalline shells—were building perfectly geometric structures from fragments of rock.
Omega analyzed.
—"Collective constructive behavior. Possible function: shelters or traps for smaller prey."
Dorian approached carefully. The "crabs" did not flee; they simply watched him with faceted eyes and continued working.
One even left a small hexagonal structure at his feet, as if it were an offering.
Dorian picked it up. It was very light, perfectly symmetrical, and glowed faintly from within.
—A souvenir —he said, storing it.
The sun reached its highest point, bathing everything in intense violet light.
Dorian decided to leave the river and head inland, following a natural path marked by large footprints—not from his species, but regular and deliberate.
The forest closed in around him. Light filtered down in purple rays, creating columns of dancing dust.
The ground was carpeted with fungi that glowed when stepped on, leaving luminous footprints that slowly faded.
He found a perfectly circular clearing about twenty meters wide.
At its center stood a different tree: a silver-white trunk, branches curving upward like arms in prayer, and translucent leaves that captured the light and projected rainbow patterns onto the ground.
Around the tree lay fallen fruit: apple-sized spheres, translucent amber in color, with golden veins inside.
Dorian approached cautiously. He picked one up. It was warm to the touch and pulsed faintly.
—Omega, analyze.
—"Complex organic composition. High nutrient concentration, possible restorative properties. No toxins detected. Warning: unknown side effects on non-native physiology."
Dorian studied it for a moment. Then he bit into it.
The flavor exploded in his mouth: sweet like honey, with citrus notes and a metallic finish.
Pure energy surged through his body; accumulated fatigue vanished like mist under the sun.
—Damn… this is better than any Helion stimulant.
He ate two more. The suit registered a 28% increase in energy levels and accelerated muscle recovery.
He stored a dozen in the sample compartment.
The tree seemed to respond: its leaves glowed brighter, and a gentle breeze stirred the branches, like a sigh of approval.
Dorian sat beneath the tree for a long while. The place felt calm, almost sacred.
For the first time since arriving, he allowed himself to truly relax.
He closed his eyes and listened: the distant river, the hum of the forest, the faint heartbeat of the fragment in his chest.
When he resumed his march, the path led him to a rocky rise from which he could see much of the valley.
The river snaked like a vein of blue light, the forest stretched to the horizon, and in the distance—barely visible through the purple mist—rose structures that might have been ruins or gigantic natural formations.
The sun was beginning to set when he decided to return.
The way back was faster, guided by the glowing footprints he had left among the fungi.
By the time he reached the crater, the sky was already darkening.
Dorian sat once more beside the Sigma-12, this time with a peace he hadn't expected.
—Omega… today we didn't fight. We just… saw.
—"Correct. Sample collection: 18 new types. Visual data: 14 hours of recording. Physiological benefits confirmed from amber fruit ingestion."
Dorian smiled.
—It was a good day.
He leaned back against the familiar metal, watching the first stars appear.
The planet was lethal.
But it was also beautiful.
He couldn't understand how both could exist in the same place.
And for the first time, he felt that maybe—just maybe—he could understand a small part of it.