In Trouble
Clara steps out of Safira's infirmary, a white medical case and some bandages in her hands.
Her pace is fast, her face filled with concern—
But also, a warm and affectionate smile.
"This will have to do."
The moment she sets foot in the corridor—
Heavy footsteps thunder behind her.
"THERE YOU ARE!!!"
A deep male voice roars, full of anger.
Clara instantly turns, an annoyed expression already on her face.
"Don't come at me with your bullshit—"
She doesn't even get to finish.
A large, furious man swats the medical case out of her hands.
It crashes onto the floor, the plastic clattering loudly in the empty hallway.
Clara locks eyes with her aggressor.
Javier.
He's fuming.
Breathing heavily, nearly exploding with rage.
"How dare you talk to me like that—"
Now—it's his turn not to finish his sentence.
Because—Clara is already moving.
Her right leg swings up—
A high kick aimed straight for his face.
She's fast.
But Javier is faster.
Shoosh—
His massive, brute hands catch her leg mid-air.
He's wearing specialized combat gloves, a flexible metallic material woven into his sleeves, extending up to his elbows.
Thin carbon-coated tubes are embedded in his arms, pumping synthetic stimulants through his veins.
A high-performance combat drug. It turns him into a superhuman fighter—
But with brutal side effects. Especially on the mind.
Clara doesn't care.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!"
Still trapped in his grip, she pushes off the floor with her left leg—
Attempting another kick.
But—Javier is as strong as five men his size.
Cybernetic enhancements and drugs boosting his raw strength.
He easily swings Clara's body like a ragdoll—
And throws her backward.
She crashes down, rolling swiftly across the floor.
Mitigating the impact. Landing on her feet.
Her eyes burn with fury. Her hand flies to her holster.
Pulls out her high-caliber pistol.
"You better back the fuck off!"
She aims the gun at Javier.
But—he doesn't care.
He advances.
"You're gonna shoot your superior?? I don't think so!"
Clara hesitates to shoot his body.
But—she aims right next to his head.
Pulls the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet slams into the wall.
Ricochets onto the floor.
Doesn't hit anyone.
But—the sheer volume of the gunshot is deafening.
Javier flinches, momentarily stunned—
Then—his rage explodes even more.
"YOU BITCH!!!"
Javier closes the distance between them in an instant, grabbing Clara's wrist—the one holding the pistol.
She feels his brute grip tighten painfully. The gun slips from her hand, clattering to the floor.
Then—she sees it.
His other hand—rising—aimed straight for her face.
She knows that punch will hurt. A lot.
At that time—she feels fear.
And with that fear—
A new thought enters her mind.
She thinks of him. Her silent protector.
She wishes—prays—that he were here to help her.
And like a last-minute miracle—
A pale, flawless hand appears.
Grabbing Javier's wrist.
Stopping his punch—just centimeters from Clara's face.
"YOU!!!"
Clara is stunned—but it's a good kind of surprise.
He heard the commotion. Heard her voice. He was already on his way.
"WHO?!?"
Javier snaps his head to the side—completely shocked.
He didn't even see this pale bastard appear out of nowhere.
And even worse—he can't move his damn arm.
The mysterious man stands there, composed, his cold fingers wrapped around Javier's thick wrist.
Javier, on the other hand, is not composed.
His veins bulge, his muscles strain—but he can't break free from the grip.
Clara's lips curl into a devilish smirk. She throws Javier a mocking glance.
"Now you're really fucked."
Javier doesn't care who this guy is.
All that matters—he's the enemy now.
Without a word, he releases Clara—
And throws a massive punch at the mysterious man.
His metallic glove screeches through the air.
Clara can feel the sheer weight of the attack.
Shoosh!
Javier is fast. Faster than Clara. But not faster than him.
The mysterious man effortlessly catches Javier's fist in his open palm.
Quickly. Easily. Like an adult stopping a toddler's tantrum.
"WHAT?!"
Something clicks in Javier's mind.
This guy isn't just strong—he's inhumanly strong.
His reflexes, his control—Javier has never seen anything like it.
The tall, pale man remains still, calm as a mountain.
But now—his eyes change.
A flicker of annoyance. Disappointment.
Then—contempt.
Javier feels it.
His opponent loosens his grip—
Not because Javier fought back—
But because he wasn't even worth holding onto.
Like he wasn't even worth the effort.
For a fighter like Javier—
That's a bigger insult than any punch.
A bitter taste fills his mouth.
But—he won't back down so easily.
"How about this, motherfucker?!?"
With his free hand, he presses a small button on his gauntlet.
A mechanism inside clicks. His gloves glow a violent blue—
And a surge of electricity courses through them.
Javier has used these gloves to torture and kill before.
But—he makes a critical mistake.
His opponent is holding him directly—skin to skin.
The same 100 milliamperes of electricity that erupts into the mysterious man's body—
Shoots straight back into Javier.
BzzZZz!
"ARRRHHHH!!!"
Javier screams as a violent current floods his system.
His muscles convulse—his body jerks uncontrollably.
Then—he's blasted backward.
THUD!
He tumbles across the corridor floor.
Stops—right in front of the elevator.
Just as the doors slide open.
"JAVIER!!"
Diego steps out, eyes wide.
He rushes forward, kneeling beside the fallen man.
Javier's skin is burned, his veins darkened.
His hair—frizzed from the electric shock.
His clothes—partially scorched.
"Ahh—hahh—"
He tries to sit up—
And collapses.
Unconscious.
More crew members spill out of the elevator behind Diego.
They immediately move to tend to Javier.
Diego finally looks up—
His gaze locking onto Clara and the mysterious man.
Unlike Javier, that man looks far better despite the wounds on his chest and skin from the previous battle.
His hair, which had been frizzed up from the electrical discharge, now falls back onto his shoulders in perfect condition.
The only reminder of Javier's attack is his slightly singed pants.
He looks at Diego and sees anger taking over his face, but the man doesn't move. He just stares back with cold eyes.
"You!!" Diego stands up and pulls a revolver from his holster. It has a long barrel of dark steel with wood-like details on the grip—a classic, old-world Earth design.
"No!!" Clara steps in front of the mysterious man, raising her hands toward Diego. "It wasn't his fault!"
"Step aside, Clara!!" Diego commands, keeping his gun leveled at the pair.
The mysterious man furrows his brow slightly and takes a step toward Diego, but Clara pushes his chest back forcefully.
"Stop, please!" she pleads, nervous.
The man stops, but Diego keeps the gun aimed, furious.
"Who the hell are you???"
He asks, frustrated, and then glances at Clara.
"How dare you bring this stranger onto the ship and let him attack Javier!?"
As everything unfolds, the other crew members of the Safira appear from the elevator and staircases, shocked and curious.
"Who fired a shot?"
"Was Javier shot??"
"Who's that guy with Clara???"
Most of them look confused and curious.
But some grow hostile as they see Diego pointing his gun at the mysterious man, clearly siding with their captain.
That might be the majority, but not everyone.
Matteo, arriving with Jex, quickly steps in front of Diego.
"Calm down, Diego! Let's figure out what happened here."
"It's obvious what happened!" Diego pushes Matteo aside and keeps his gun trained on Clara and the white-haired man.
"You're wrong!"
Clara shouts quickly. "Javier! He was the one who attacked me, and this man just saved me!"
"Bullshit!!!" Diego clenches his teeth, his finger slowly pressing against the revolver's trigger.
"Real shit!!" Clara fears the worst. Not that this invincible man would get hurt, but that Diego might trigger a massacre, and everyone could end up dead.
Since Diego doesn't look convinced by her words, she thinks fast.
"ECHO! Echo!? Tell them the truth!!"
Clara demands, and the robotic voice of the AI assistant echoes through the corridor's speakers.
"Doctor Dravenmoor has given an accurate description of the situation. First Officer Santoro attacked her in a fit of rage, clearly under the influence of psychoactive drugs."
"He would have undoubtedly harmed her if not for this man, who merely restrained him. However, Santoro initiated an electrical attack and suffered the consequences of his own actions due to their proximity."
Echo's report calms the entire crew, making it clear that the mysterious man is not an enemy. Most of them are now angry at Javier, who still lies unconscious on the floor.
But Diego still refuses to lower his revolver, his eyes filled with malice.
"I don't care who started the fight! My brother is the one who's hurt!!"
"Captain!" One of the men helping Javier on the floor quickly speaks up. "He's going to be fine. Javier is tough as hell, you know that."
While that guy speaks, he stares at the white-haired man.
"Javier will just wake up sore, but what's weirder… If both of them were electrocuted the same way, how is this guy standing there so calmly???"
Curiosity about Clara's new companion spreads like wildfire among the Safira's crew.
But Diego still scowls, keeping that large revolver aimed at the newcomer.
Matteo, still trying to be as patient as possible, places a hand on Diego's raised arm.
"Lower the gun, captain, please."
"We all knew something like this would happen. Javier was going around after Clara like a mad dog, and you let it continue…"
Diego shows no regret, only anger toward the mysterious man.
"But this guy! This is all his fault!"
"It's not his fault, Captain," Matteo says softly, though it still sounds like a scolding. "You're the one who let Javier do whatever he wanted."
Matteo glances at Clara with a kind, grandfatherly expression.
"And honestly, it's good that it happened this way…"
"If it were Clara on the floor instead of Javier, everyone would be blaming you, Captain."
The harsh truth in Matteo's words silences the room, even the most loyal of Diego's men nodding in reluctant agreement.
Diego realizes he's being irrational and slowly lowers his gun, though his posture remains hostile.
But he still points a finger at the white-haired man.
"He's still an unauthorized intruder on my ship."
"But—" Clara tries to speak.
"I want him gone!" Diego stomps his foot, unwilling to back down.
Clara's expression darkens.
"I demand a summit meeting to decide this. You don't rule over us like some damn dictator!"
"You!!" Diego clenches his fists. "You dare challenge me???"
Clara nods, resolute.
"He was the most important part of this mission's success. You can't just discard him like that."
Diego looks confused.
Before Clara can explain, Jex steps forward, standing beside her and the white-haired man.
"He helped Clara save the Safira, Captain. And he also saved her in the pyramid, ensuring the relic's safety."
Diego grows frustrated, unable to punish the mysterious man who already infuriates him.
He tries to argue back, but Jex suddenly looks uneasy when an alarm starts blaring through the corridor.
"Echo? Are they already close??" She asks, suddenly nervous.
"Confirmed, they're at the ten-mile mark." Echo's voice responds immediately.
"SHIT!" Jex curses, then glances between the captain and Clara. "We've got way bigger problems right now, REALLY BIG ONES!"
The entire crew grows tense, and Matteo is the first to ask.
"What's wrong??"
"You need to see this!" Jex grabs Clara by the wrist and sprints toward the corridor leading to the bridge.
She gestures for the white-haired man to follow, and behind them, the rest of the crew rushes to catch up.
As soon as they reach the bridge, everyone sees exactly what Jex was talking about—through the large glass panels at the front of the ship:
A gigantic sandstorm.
Miles-wide, stretching high into the sky, a churning mass of dust and wind rolling in from the horizon.
"A sandstorm??" Diego mutters aloud, confused.
"It's not just that…" Clara's eyes widen as she recognizes the signs within the storm—especially the way the sand erupts upward, thrown violently from the ground.
"Echo, zoom in!" Jex commands.
The AI assistant instantly enhances the image on the large side screen of the bridge.
And now, everyone can see the bizarre truth:
The sand isn't just rising on its own.
Beneath the storm, massive sandworms—Vhorr'Ka—move at terrifying speed beneath the desert surface.
Above them, huge saddle-like platforms of rock are strapped onto their backs, carrying dozens of humanoid creatures with dark orange, cracked skin.
"Vhorr'Ka!!" Clara exclaims. "It's a fucking army of them! The Thek'Shar are coming, and they don't look friendly."
"Wait! What's that up front???"
Everyone focuses on a single dark spot ahead of the entire sandstorm.
Echo zooms in further, and the entire crew is shocked once again.
It's one of the crew's hoverbikes—but this one is painted in black and neon green, a distinct cyberpunk aesthetic.
And on the bike, a slender, hooded figure.
A wave of concern washes over Clara's beautiful face.
"Nyx!!!"