Chapter 6: The Legacy Revealed

The chamber seemed to hum with an energy that was both familiar and foreign to Iris, the air thick with the pulse of something ancient, something powerful. Every inch of her body was alive with sensation, as though the very essence of the station was coursing through her veins. She could feel the weight of the visions still pressing against her mind, fragments of memories and knowledge she hadn't asked for yet couldn't ignore. The woman's words echoed relentlessly in her mind.

**"The time is now. The stars have chosen you."**

Kian's hand was still gripping her shoulder, his touch grounding her, pulling her back to the present. But even as she focused on him, Iris felt a deep, undeniable connection to something much larger. She had never been one for destiny or fate, but now, standing in the heart of the ancient station, it was impossible to deny the magnitude of what had just unfolded.

"Iris," Kian said gently, his voice cutting through her thoughts. "What happened? What did you see?" His expression was soft now, a mixture of concern and confusion. He had seen her collapse, the storm of energy consuming her, and the fear in his eyes was unmistakable.

"I saw… her," Iris whispered, her voice still shaky. "A woman. She spoke to me. She called me… daughter of the stars."

Kian's brow furrowed, but he didn't pull away. He seemed to sense that whatever this was, it had changed her. It had changed them all.

"Who was she?" Captain Rhea asked, stepping closer. There was an unusual intensity to her gaze, an edge of fear that hadn't been there before. "What did she want from you?"

Iris closed her eyes, her mind racing. The memory of the woman's face—the glow of her eyes, the power in her voice—was seared into her thoughts. But the meaning behind it all, the purpose of this moment, still eluded her.

"She said I was chosen," Iris replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "By the stars. She said it was time. Time for what, I don't know. But I… I can feel it, Captain. I can feel it deep inside me. Something is coming."

The captain exchanged a glance with Kian, her face unreadable. There was a subtle unease in her eyes, a cautionary glance that Iris could read all too well. The woman's words hadn't been just a cryptic message—they had been a call to action, a summons that Iris couldn't ignore.

"We need to leave, now," Kian urged, his voice growing urgent as he glanced around the chamber. "This station—it's changing. I can feel it."

"I don't think we can just leave, Kian," Iris replied, her voice firm. She turned toward the pedestal, where the crystal still glowed with that otherworldly light, its pulse steady and unwavering. "Whatever this is, it's connected to me now. To us."

Rhea looked at her, skepticism written in the lines of her face. But there was a certain respect in her gaze as well, something Iris hadn't seen before. Perhaps it was the weight of the situation, or perhaps it was the recognition of something greater at play.

"We can't leave without understanding what's happening here," Rhea said, her voice resolute. "We've come this far. We can't turn back now."

But Kian's eyes narrowed, and Iris could see the concern etched in his expression. "And if it's dangerous? What if this station is a trap, or worse?"

Iris turned back to him, meeting his gaze with an intensity that was new to both of them. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice softer now. "But I have to know. This… whatever it is, it's a part of me now. And I can't just walk away from it."

There was a moment of silence between them, the weight of her words hanging in the air. Then, slowly, Kian nodded, though his reluctance was still clear. "I can't stop you, Iris. But I'll be here. Whatever happens, we face it together."

For the first time, Iris felt a flicker of warmth in the cold, alien chamber. There was a sense of unity in his words, a bond that had been forged through their shared journey. And despite the overwhelming uncertainty, Iris knew that she wasn't alone in this.

"Let's find out what this is, then," Captain Rhea said, her voice cutting through the tension. "We proceed carefully. No more surprises."

The team moved cautiously toward the pedestal, the crystal's glow casting strange shadows on the walls. Iris's heart pounded in her chest as she stepped forward once again. She could feel the pull of the crystal, as if it were beckoning her, urging her to take the next step.

As she reached the pedestal, the crystal pulsed once more, a soft, musical hum filling the room. The air grew heavier with each passing moment, charged with a presence that Iris could barely comprehend. She reached out, her hand trembling slightly as she hovered just above the surface of the crystal.

And then, without warning, the air around them shimmered. The walls of the chamber seemed to ripple like water, and a blinding light enveloped them. Iris gasped, her vision momentarily blinded by the intensity of the glow.

When the light subsided, they found themselves standing in a completely different place.

The station was gone. The pedestal was gone. The chamber was gone.

Instead, they stood in an open field, the sky above them a swirling mass of stars, constellations shifting and changing like a living map of the universe. The ground beneath their feet was soft, the air thick with the scent of something alien and distant.

"What is this?" Kian asked, his voice filled with awe. "This isn't possible. This isn't real."

But Iris felt no fear. Instead, she felt a deep sense of calm, an understanding that flowed through her veins like water. This place… it wasn't an illusion. It was a part of the journey.

"This is the legacy," Iris said, her voice reverberating in the stillness. "This is where it all begins."

The stars above them seemed to pulse in time with her words, as if they were listening, responding to her. And in that moment, Iris realized that she was not just a part of this universe—she was connected to it in a way she had never understood before.

The time had come. And the stars had indeed chosen her.