Chapter 98: The Coming of the Umag

The shuttle pierced through the last layer of the storm, emerging into the icy blackness of space where the Ark awaited. Its gleaming hull seemed smaller and more fragile against the vast expanse, and for the first time, it struck Ethan how much was riding on the ship, and on them.

"Approaching the Ark," Nova announced, her tone clipped. She deftly maneuvered the shuttle toward the docking bay, her hands steady despite the tension that hung heavy in the air. "Tell the crew to brace for some bad news."

The silence on the shuttle was palpable as they docked. Prella's fingers twitched faintly, her Etheric energy still unsettled from her contact with the alien structure. Even Tazra, who usually met any crisis with a sharp quip, sat quietly as the shuttle landed with a faint hiss.