Chapter 70: Neon Shadows

Nova City pulsed with its usual frenetic energy. Towering skyscrapers, each a kaleidoscope of neon signs and holographic advertisements, scraped the underside of the city's artificial atmosphere. Hovercars and light-speed shuttles weaved through the neon canyons in a constant ballet of light and sound. Yet, amidst the usual urban symphony, a discordant note vibrated.High atop Prism Corps Headquarters, Astra Blaze, the Prism Prime, stood gazing out at the cityscape. Her brow furrowed beneath the golden crest of her Centurion suit. Unease gnawed at her. It had been weeks since they'd thwarted Xanathar Prime's last attempt to seize control of a vital hyper warp hub, and the silence was deafening. The villain, a Xandrossian tyrant wielding the corrupting power of the Dark Prism, was far too cunning to remain inactive for so long."Astra," a voice crackled through her holo-communicator. It was Cygnus Vortex, his voice tinged with urgency. "We've picked up unusual energy readings emanating from the Xandrossian sector."Astra's heart hammered against her ribs. "Anything else?""Just… shadows. A sense of unnatural darkness that shouldn't be there."A cold dread settled in Astra's stomach. Xanathar thrived in the shadows, his dark energy warping reality itself. "Gather the team," she commanded. "We're going in."Moments later, a squad of Prism Corps Centurions assembled in the hangar bay. Orion Shield, a stoic warrior clad in azure armor powered by the Celestial Prism, stood beside Astra. Vega Specter, a whirlwind of refracted light thanks to the Spectrum Prism, shimmered impatiently. Even Denarians and Millennians bustled with nervous energy, their suits humming with the potent energy of the Prism Stones.As the hangar doors slid open, revealing the vast emptiness of space, a sleek battle cruiser, the Starfire, materialized before them. Its hull gleamed under the artificial sun, its hyper warp engines crackling with anticipation. Astra boarded first, her resolve hardening with each step.The journey to the Xandrossian sector was a tense one. The crew, usually a boisterous bunch, fell silent, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them. Finally, the Starfire lurched out of hyperspace, the alien world of Xandros looming ahead. Its once vibrant cities were shrouded in an unnatural darkness, tendrils of inky energy writhing around monolithic obsidian structures."This doesn't feel right," Vega murmured, her voice laced with unease."It's worse than I imagined," Cygnus added, his gravity manipulation keeping the Starfire steady amidst the swirling darkness.Astra swallowed the lump in her throat. "Prepare for battle," she ordered, her voice echoing through the bridge.The Starfire descended towards the planet's surface, dodging obsidian spires that erupted from the ground like malevolent claws. As they pierced the veil of darkness, a horrifying sight met their eyes. Xandrossian soldiers, their eyes glowing with an unnatural red light, patrolled the desolate streets. Above them, a colossal warship, unlike anything they'd ever encountered, hung menacingly in the sky. Its hull, a swirling vortex of darkness, pulsed with an energy that made Astra's skin crawl."That must be Xanathar's flagship," Orion rumbled, his voice grim."But where's Xanathar?" Vega questioned, her spectral vision failing to pierce the unnatural darkness that cloaked the vessel.Before Astra could answer, a booming voice resonated across the comms, sending shivers down their spines."Welcome, Prism Corps, to your doom!" The voice was Xanathar's, laced with a chilling amusement. "I've been expecting you."A new threat awaited the Prism Corps, one that shrouded itself in shadows and pulsed with an energy they'd never faced before. The fate of the universe hung in the balance as Astra and her team prepared to face the darkness head-on.