Astralis

As Samuel walked down the old, abandoned halls of the facility, his steps echoed faintly, swallowed by the oppressive silence. The air was heavy with dust, each breath reminding him of the weight of everything he'd lost. His armor, scratched and scorched, felt heavier than ever. Every step forward was a battle against the pain in his heart, but he knew there was no turning back.

"I have to keep moving," he muttered, his voice barely audible in the vast emptiness.

The corridor stretched ahead, dimly lit by flickering emergency lights that had somehow survived the years of neglect. The walls were cracked, with wires spilling out like exposed veins. The signs of decay and abandonment mirrored his own fractured spirit.

He trudged along, his boots kicking up small clouds of dust. Then, amidst the desolation, a faint glow caught his eye—a terminal, still functional, stood against the wall. Samuel approached cautiously, his gloved hand brushing the debris off its surface.

"Still works..." he murmured, more surprised than relieved. His fingers hovered over the cracked keyboard as the terminal's interface flickered to life. The screen glowed faintly, displaying outdated menus and commands. "I guess the terminal must be connected to the main power source from the Thermus."

Samuel's mind raced. If this terminal was operational, it might provide a clue about the facility's purpose—or a way to find his next steps. His fingers danced across the keys, navigating through corrupted files and fragmented logs.

"What were they doing here?" he wondered aloud, his voice breaking the eerie silence. The terminal beeped as it loaded a file, and Samuel leaned in closer, his brows furrowing at the cryptic data that began to scroll across the screen.

"Progress: Noris 4 Central Processing System completed."

"Adequate results acquired. Proceeding to Astralis—The Star of Knowledge."

Samuel's breath hitched as he read the words on the screen. "Astralis? The Star of Knowledge?" he muttered, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and intrigue.

This wasn't just another forgotten relic of the past. Whatever this facility was connected to, it had ties to something far bigger. Something that might explain the chaos and mysteries he had been grappling with since the mission began.

"What in the hell were they working on here?" Samuel muttered, scrolling further through the terminal, hoping for answers. But the files became more corrupted the deeper he delved, and soon the terminal buzzed with an error message.

ACCESS DENIED: FILES RESTRICTED TO ADMINISTRATIVE CLEARANCE LEVEL 1.

"Of course," he sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing's ever easy."

Still, the mention of Astralis lingered in his mind. It felt like a thread to pull, a direction to follow. He clenched his fists, determination flickering in his weary eyes.

"If this is a lead, then I'm following it," he said to himself, stepping back from the terminal and scanning the darkened hallway ahead. The answers he sought were out there, but the path to them was growing more treacherous with every step.

He then heard it—a faint, raspy breath echoing through the desolate hall.

Samuel froze, every instinct screaming at him to act. He drew his gun in a fluid motion, the barrel aimed steadily in the direction of the sound.

"Scan any approaching object moving," he commanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

Initiating scan... Processing...

The HUD in his helmet flickered to life, painting the dark corridor in a green overlay as the system processed. A faint blip appeared on his display, moving slowly—deliberately—towards him.

"Identify," he muttered under his breath.

Error. Unknown entity detected.

"Of course," he muttered. His grip tightened on the weapon as he stepped cautiously toward the sound. The faint breath grew louder, more labored, echoing off the cold metal walls.

"Show yourself!" he barked, his voice cutting through the oppressive silence.

But nothing emerged from the shadows, only the haunting rhythm of the breath growing heavier.

The knight reacted with precision, swinging its massive blade in a deadly arc. 

*SLASH!* 

But Samuel was already in motion, his reflexes heightened by the augmentation coursing through his body. 

"Up and away!" he shouted, slamming his feet against the ground. 

*CRACK!* 

The impact sent debris flying as he launched himself upward, narrowly dodging the lethal strike. Twisting mid-air, Samuel landed with pinpoint accuracy, his augmented strength driving his fist straight into the knight's face. 

The metallic sound of impact echoed through the hall as the knight staggered back, its glowing eyes flickering in response to the blow. 

The knight knelt before Samuel, its once-ominous presence now diminished and fragile. 

Samuel stood over it, his face hard with contempt. "Is that it?" he asked bitterly, his voice heavy with frustration and lingering grief. 

The knight raised its head, revealing a face that was battered but strangely filled with joy. Its hollow, skeletal features twisted into what could only be described as a grin. 

"HaHaHahah… not bad," the knight rasped, its voice echoing with a strange mix of admiration and malice.

Samuel's brow furrowed as he stared at the knight, the unease creeping in. His instincts screamed at him, and in a split second, he darted to the side and leapt back. 

"Touché," the knight mused, its severed arm rising off the ground. In an instant, it snapped back into place, sword and all, as though it had never been severed. 

Samuel's eyes widened. "What the hell...?" 

The knight's skeletal frame began to shift and crack audibly. The sound was unsettling, like dry branches splintering under pressure. Each bone ignited with a sinister blue flame, emitting a lavender scent that seemed strangely out of place in the oppressive atmosphere. 

The knight's form expanded, growing taller and broader, its bulk filling the already narrow hallway. The once-fragile appearance was replaced by something truly monstrous—a towering figure of fire and bone. 

"This will suffice," it rumbled, its voice deep and resonant, reverberating off the walls like a death knell.

The knight suddenly lunged forward, moving with shocking speed for its massive frame. 

"Crap!" Samuel cursed, his instincts screaming. He barely had time to react. 

"90 PERCENT MUSCLE MASS!" 

He strained to dodge, his body surging with enhanced strength, but to the knight, he was little more than a sluggish target. 

*BANG!* 

The strike connected with brutal force, sending Samuel hurtling down the hall like a missile. He crashed through two walls in succession, debris exploding in every direction, before landing hard in another room. 

Dust filled the air as Samuel groaned, struggling to move. His suit's damage indicators blared warnings, his body aching from the impact. 

"Well," he muttered through gritted teeth, "that sucked."

"Ah f*ck," Samuel groaned, his body wracked with pain as he lay sprawled on the floor. Desperately, he tried to crawl toward anything that could buy him time or give him a chance, but— 

"Ah shit," he muttered as he felt a cold, iron grip clamp around his neck. 

The knight hoisted him effortlessly into the air, holding him like a ragdoll. 

"Pity," the knight said, its voice a deep, echoing rumble. "You're but a mere mortal. You neither possess the power nor the wisdom forged through a thousand cycles of battle." 

The knight sighed, its bony form emanating an eerie lavender glow as it looked at Samuel almost mockingly. 

"Unfortunately," it continued, "this is the end for you... and your little army."

Samuel struggled desperately, his hands clawing at the knight's unyielding grip. His legs kicked against the air, but he couldn't budge an inch. 

"100 PERCENT MUSCLE MASS!" he roared through gritted teeth. 

*WARNING WARNING. Permanent damage to body tissue imminent.* 

The voice of his suit's AI blared in his helmet, but Samuel ignored it. His veins bulged, his muscles strained, and every fiber of his being screamed in protest. The knight's grip tightened, the ominous glow of its flames casting Samuel's desperate face in an eerie light.

Samuel lay on the cold, shattered floor, gasping for air as his vision blurred. His hands, trembling and weak, barely managed to clutch the ground beneath him. 

*Not...like this...* he thought, his strength fading. 

Then, in an instant, the world erupted. 

*OOOOOOHHHHHH BOOMMMMM!* 

A blinding flash of energy slammed into the knight, forcing it to drop Samuel like a discarded rag. The impact echoed through the crumbling hallway as the knight staggered backward, momentarily stunned. 

Samuel coughed violently, clutching his chest as he tried to catch his breath. His blurred gaze turned upward, where he saw a figure descending—a sleek, metallic form illuminated by a faint glow. It floated effortlessly, humanoid in shape, with sharp angles and polished armor reflecting the dim light. 

The knight recovered, its flames flaring with renewed fury. Its hollow eyes locked onto the newcomer, and it recoiled slightly, as if repulsed. 

"AN ABOMINATION THAT DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE RULES!" it bellowed, pointing its blade at the hovering figure. 

The robotic entity, calm and deliberate, suddenly emitted a thunderous voice that filled the hall. "I AM ASTRALISSSS!" it declared, each word vibrating through the broken structure. "AND YOU SHALL OBEY!" 

The knight's voice seethed with confusion and disdain. "What sorcery is this?" 

The figure's humanoid head tilted slightly, emitting a low hum that reverberated through the space. Its glowing eyes locked onto the knight, unflinching and cold. 

Samuel, still sprawled on the ground, managed a weak laugh between gasps. "Looks like I'm not the only one... who hates surprises."