Shadows on Naxion-9

I slowly opened my eyes, trying to shake off the dizziness caused by the improvised jump. The ship's cockpit trembled gently as we penetrated the thick atmosphere of Naxion-9, creating luminous sparks around the hull.

"Stabilizers at fifty percent," I warned, quickly checking the panels. "The atmosphere is worse than I thought. We can't stay here for long."

The archaeologist was breathing heavily, gripping the seatbelt with excessive force. Clearly, he wasn't someone accustomed to the adrenaline of survival.

"I told you jumping straight here wasn't a good idea," I muttered irritably, though I knew we had no other choice.

"We had no alternative," he retorted, staring out the windows. "But I didn't think it would be this bad..."

Ahead of us, the horizon slowly revealed itself. Massive structures floated in the air like monuments to chaos, enormous pieces of black stone covered in pulsating crystalline vines, glowing with a spectral blue light. Below, the ground was barren, covered in sharp crystalline formations, as if blades were emerging from the earth.

Naxion-9 was a place that seemed to defy all natural laws.

"Let's land over there," I pointed to a floating, ruined platform, partially overtaken by dark, twisted vegetation. "We can't stay in the air for too long."

The archaeologist nodded, visibly nervous.

"Are you sure about this?"

"No," I replied honestly. "But it's better than waiting for the Empire to find us here."

I guided the ship to the platform, landing carefully. The moment we touched the surface, I felt a strange vibration spread through the hull. It was almost as if the planet had noticed our presence.

I powered down the systems and stood up, quickly checking my weapons and equipment. My biomechanical arm was still pulsating strangely since the escape, but I decided to ignore it for now.

As we opened the hatch, we were met with an unsettling silence. There was no wind, no sounds of animals, or any other typical signs of life. Just a deep, oppressive silence.

We descended slowly onto the platform. The archaeologist activated a portable scanner, which projected an unstable hologram of the fragmented star map.

"The deepest ruins are over there, in the center of those structures," he pointed to massive pillars floating in defiance of gravity. "That's where we'll find what we need."

"Have you been here before?" I asked, walking slowly while my eyes scanned the shadows.

"Never personally," he replied, uncomfortable. "But I've studied all existing records. Unfortunately, few explorers have returned to tell the tale."

I felt an uncomfortable twinge in my chest, remembering bodies moving on their own in past missions. The horrors of places like this always left scars.

We advanced cautiously, crossing unstable terrain covered in what looked like dark moss, but which vibrated softly as we stepped on it. The atmosphere was dense, and the deep silence was broken only by low, almost whisper-like sounds echoing around us.

"Did you hear that?" the archaeologist asked, his eyes wide.

I had heard it some time ago—a low murmur, like muffled voices coming from afar, carried by the cold wind. My muscles instinctively tensed.

"Just stay close," I said, my voice tight, slowly drawing my arcane pistol. "And don't touch anything."

The path led us to a large entrance that seemed to have been carved into a glossy black stone, with worn carvings depicting indistinct shapes, distorted by time or the magic infesting this place.

As soon as we crossed the threshold, the light around us changed abruptly. The sky darkened, and the air seemed to grow heavier, almost suffocating.

"Are you feeling that?" the archaeologist asked, his voice trembling.

"What? The sensation of being watched by something we can't see? Yes," I replied dryly, moving a little faster. "But try not to think about it."

We entered an immense chamber, a circular hall whose walls were covered in pulsating crystals, emitting a faint light that illuminated ancient inscriptions. The archaeologist immediately ran to them, scanning with his datapad.

I remained alert, carefully examining the area. Then, something caught my attention further ahead.

It was a humanoid figure, kneeling on the ground, perfectly still. I approached slowly, and what I saw froze me for a moment: it was the corpse of an explorer, covered in a blue crystalline dust that seemed to pulse softly.

And then, to my horror, its head moved slightly, turning toward me, its eyes completely overtaken by a spectral glow.

"You're late, Julian Solis. We've been expecting you."

I immediately stepped back, aiming my weapon directly at the face of that dead thing, which now smiled, its lips cracked from dehydration. The archaeologist let out a short scream of horror behind me.

"What the hell are you?" My voice sounded strangely calm, despite the growing fear.

The figure ignored my question, slowly turning its head to the side, where more shadows began to emerge. An entire group of corpses, all with glowing eyes, rose slowly, surrounding us.

"They've been taken," the archaeologist murmured, slowly backing away. "We need to get out of here now!"

Before we could react, I heard a distant noise, immediately recognizable: Imperial ships entering the atmosphere. High Inquisitor Vharya was arriving.

Now we had two immediate threats: the undead ahead of us and the Empire closing in behind.

I clenched my teeth, feeling the familiar burning tingling of my biomechanical arm going into maximum alert.

"Stay close to me and do exactly as I say," I growled at the archaeologist, preparing my weapon. "This is going to get much worse before it gets better."

The archaeologist stumbled back, falling against a wall covered in black, pulsating vines. His wide eyes remained fixed on the cadaverous figures slowly rising from the shadows around us, encircling us in a menacing ring.

"Julian, please... tell me you have a plan," he whispered hoarsely.

"Working on it," I replied, trying to stay calm as I assessed the situation.

There was something deeply disturbing about those creatures. Their bodies bore marks of Naxion-9's unstable magic, blue veins pulsed beneath their cracked skin, and their glazed eyes shone with an insane glow. It was as if they were mere puppets, moved by invisible strings from some distant, terrible place.

"We are intruders," the first corpse's raspy voice echoed through the chamber with an unnatural reverberation. "You've come for what does not belong to your world. We will not allow it."

I ignored the threat, tightening my grip on the arcane pistol. I knew energy shots wouldn't be enough against beings sustained by primordial magic, but they might buy us time to escape.

"Run back when I give the signal," I murmured to the archaeologist, not taking my eyes off the creatures. "Follow the same trail we came from and don't stop until you reach the ship."

"And you?"

"I'll find a way to delay them."

Before he could protest, I raised the arcane pistol and fired. A bright beam of energy pierced the chest of the nearest figure, exploding into a cloud of crystalline particles. The corpse collapsed, convulsing on the ground, but immediately another moved to replace it.

The archaeologist bolted in the opposite direction, retreating quickly, shouting in desperation. The creatures, realizing he was escaping, advanced on me in a coordinated, unnatural movement.

My mechanical arm moved with impossible speed. I struck the nearest creature with such force that its skull caved under the blow, sending fragments of bone and blue crystalline dust flying everywhere. But the victory was short-lived. More creatures crowded around me, grabbing me with icy hands.

"You bear the mark, human," they whispered in unison. "The Heart has already recognized you."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. What did they know about me that I didn't?

Before I could respond or fight back, a thunderous roar cut through the air. An explosion shook the ground, and I clearly saw, through the temple's opening, Dominion Solari ships landing on the floating platforms. Soldiers in white and gold exosuits descended quickly, weapons in hand, led by a figure I would recognize anywhere: High Inquisitor Vharya.

Her white hair, tied in a tight bun, gleamed under her ornate helmet. Her cold, elegant face showed no emotion as her soldiers opened fire on the reanimated corpses, their magical shots evaporating the already decayed flesh.

The creatures briefly retreated, disoriented by the surprise attack. Taking advantage of the distraction, I leaped over a fallen rock and ran down the trail where the archaeologist had escaped. Behind me, the sounds of combat grew louder, mixing with the distorted screams of the creatures and the firm orders of the High Inquisitor.

Running with difficulty across the unstable terrain, I felt something strange. The magical energy of the place seemed to be accumulating within me, pulsing in sync with the planet's vibration. My vision blurred, shadows and lights dancing before my eyes. I blinked hard, trying to clear my mind, but flashes of unknown images began to overlap with reality:

A vast city made of crystal, figures of pure light walking under impossible starry skies. A giant shadow rising on the horizon. A silent explosion, consuming everything.

I shook my head violently, dispelling the visions. I couldn't lose myself now.

I reached the archaeologist, who was stumbling and falling repeatedly as he tried to run. I grabbed his arm with force, almost dragging him along.

"Get up!" I shouted. "If we stay here, we die!"

He obeyed, though he was nearly out of strength. I looked back, and a chill ran down my spine as I saw Vharya and her soldiers close behind us, easily navigating the obstacles in their reinforced armor.

Finally, I spotted the makeshift landing platform. Our ship was still there, intact, waiting for our escape. I pressed the remote control on my mechanical wrist, and the ship's engine roared to life, filling me with hope.

We reached the ship as shots exploded around us, nearly hitting us. I shoved the archaeologist inside and jumped in after him, sealing the hatch just as magical shots struck it.

"Take off now!" I shouted, taking the controls and forcing the ship to lift off while the Imperial soldiers fired relentlessly at our hull.

As the ship gained altitude, I clearly heard High Inquisitor Vharya's voice resonating through the onboard communicator:

"There's no place in this galaxy where you can hide, Specter of Oris. The Dominion Solari does not forget, does not forgive. We will hunt you to the ends of the universe if necessary."

I stared into the dark space ahead of us as our ship entered orbit. I knew this wasn't just a threat. It was a promise.

"What do we do now?" the archaeologist asked, exhausted and clearly shaken.

I looked at him, realizing for the first time how deeply I had gotten involved in this story. My mechanical arm pulsed uneasily, still charged with the strange energy of the planet. I could no longer ignore it.

"You mentioned an incomplete map," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "Do you have other clues?"

He nodded hesitantly, grabbing his trembling datapad.

"Yes... but we'll need to decipher it. It points to another planet, something even older. Maybe that's where we'll find what we're looking for."

I looked out the window, staring at the bright stars in the silent darkness of space. My journey had barely begun, and I was already more involved than I ever intended to be.

But now there was no turning back.

"Show me the next destination," I replied firmly, feeling something deep and dark stirring within me, something awakened by the energy of that cursed planet.

The hunt for the Heart of the Galaxy was just beginning, and I had a feeling the consequences would be far greater than any of us imagined.

After all, the universe hid horrors greater than any weapon the Dominion Solari could create.

And now, they had my trail.