Shadows of the Underground Market

After hours hiding in that abandoned building on Tarfos VII, Kel'Drek finally contacted us through a disposable communicator. His message was short and direct:

"I found something about the map. Come quickly. I'm not safe here for long."

I didn't like the urgency in his voice. Vhorkans were usually calmer, which meant the situation must have been critical. We moved immediately, navigating dark alleys and narrow passages to the underground district where the forbidden market thrived in the shadows of the city.

The entrance was discreet, hidden beneath a dirty hologram advertising illegal implants. We descended rusty stairs until we emerged into a massive underground hall, crowded with vendors and customers of all races, illuminated only by blue and red light crystals that cast unsettling shadows on the walls.

We spotted Kel'Drek immediately, hidden behind a heavy curtain, his scaly gaze even more uneasy than before.

"Quickly, we can't be seen together," he whispered, pulling us behind the curtain.

The cramped space was filled with makeshift equipment and devices I could barely recognize. Kel'Drek showed a holographic datapad where the star map glowed brightly.

"I managed to decipher part of the coordinates. They point to a planet we believed lost, called Zel'Thoris. They say it's the cradle of the Eldariun."

Therion's eyes widened.

"Eldariun? They were nearly wiped out by the Dominion Solari!"

"Exactly," Kel'Drek continued, nervous. "And the reason is clear: they knew about the Heart of the Galaxy. If there are answers, they're there."

"Great, then let's get out of here immediately," I said, ready to leave, but Kel'Drek blocked my path.

"There's a problem," he replied tensely. "Someone already knows about you. Not the Empire, something worse. The Tarfos Syndicates found out about the map. They'll come after it any moment now."

I felt my pulse quicken. The syndicates were ruthless, and they wouldn't hesitate to kill for profit or information.

As if to confirm my suspicions, the sound of heavy, rapid footsteps echoed through the market. An armed group, led by a massive Zarthii, was advancing directly toward the stall where we were.

"Hand over the map, Kel'Drek!" roared the Zarthii leader, drawing a massive Runametal blade that glowed with unstable magical energy.

"You need to get out of here now!" Kel'Drek shouted desperately, pushing me away while grabbing a hidden weapon under his table. "I'll handle them!"

I hesitated, but a fierce look from the Vhorkan convinced me to obey. I grabbed Therion by the arm, and we ran through the crowded market as shots exploded behind us, spreading absolute chaos. Customers fled in panic, merchandise flew through the air, and market security reacted, turning everything into a battlefield.

Suddenly, two Zarthii blocked us, raising pulsating energy lances. They grinned savagely, eager for the confrontation.

"Nothing personal, human," said the larger one. "But the map is worth a fortune."

Therion backed away in terror, while I just sighed, tired of the violence that seemed to follow me everywhere.

"Didn't want to have to do this," I muttered, activating my biomechanical arm at full power.

My metallic left arm began to glow intensely, magical energy flowing rapidly through the circuits. With a violent motion, I grabbed one of the Zarthii and threw him brutally against a magical crystal stall, destroying it in an explosion of light and fragments.

The other charged furiously, wielding a magnetoplasma lance that nearly took my head off. I barely dodged, drawing my pistol and firing a precise shot that tore off his arm. But the Zarthii warrior seemed to ignore the pain, advancing with brutal strength.

We were thrown to the ground, rolling amidst the chaos as he tried to strangle me with his remaining arm. My mechanical arm groaned, struggling to push him away as he pressed with all his might.

Therion, desperate, grabbed a metal shard from the ground and, to my complete surprise, stabbed it into the Zarthii's back with a cry of desperation.

The warrior fell, convulsing briefly before going still. Therion was pale, trembling, unable to believe what he had just done.

I got up quickly, pulling him with me.

"Let's go, we don't have time to think about this now."

We ran until we reached a dark side tunnel leading back to the surface, emerging on an isolated street. Imperial police sirens echoed in the distance, indicating the conflict had already attracted too much attention.

"The ship! We need to get back to the ship!" Therion shouted, panicked.

"They'll intercept us before that," I replied coldly, quickly scanning our surroundings.

Then I noticed a figure in the distance, hidden in the shadows. It was small, humanoid, but with strangely mechanical and controlled movements. A Syntherio, silently watching, standing in front of a dark alley.

When our eyes met, he gestured briefly for us to approach. Something in me said not to trust him, but we had no choice.

"This way!" he shouted, his metallic voice echoing through the alley. "I can get you out of here safely."

"Who are you?" I asked, suspicious.

"Just a Syntherios trying to keep the Dominion Solari from winning. Now come, quickly!"

I hesitated briefly, feeling my prosthetic pulse with strange intensity again, as if recognizing something familiar in him.

Therion tugged at my arm, pleading with his eyes to accept this unexpected help. The High Inquisitor's voice echoed in the distance, indicating the Empire was too close.

"Let's go," I finally decided, not knowing if I was making the right choice.

The Syntherio quickly guided us through an intricate network of alleys and underground tunnels, with the mechanical precision typical of his kind. His movements were silent and fluid, as natural as they were unsettling, considering his biomechanical body. Finally, we stopped in front of a hidden door amidst layers of rust and dust.

"We'll be safe here," he stated, pressing his metallic hand against a glowing panel, which briefly scanned his circuits before unlocking with a soft click.

We quickly entered what appeared to be an abandoned old laboratory. Rusty panels and dark monitors covered the walls; metal tables were cluttered with equipment covered in thick layers of dust. The place exuded an oppressive silence, disturbed only by occasional electrical hums.

Therion looked like he was about to faint, breathing heavily as he sat on the floor.

"Who are you? Why did you help us?" I asked firmly, staring at the Syntherio while studying him carefully.

The biomechanical being turned slowly, revealing icy blue glowing eyes, his face a tangle of metallic lines and partially worn synthetic skin.

"My name is Arkeon. I'm one of the few free Syntherios left in this sector. I've been monitoring activities related to the Heart of the Galaxy for a long time. When I realized you were in danger, I decided to intervene."

There was something disturbingly human in the way he spoke, though his voice had a metallic timbre.

"And why exactly would you be interested in the Heart?" I asked, suspicious.

He took a few slow steps toward an ancient control panel, activating a three-dimensional hologram. A blurry image of Zel'Thoris appeared, slowly rotating before us.

"Because the fate of my people is tied to the Heart of the Galaxy. The Syntherios were created with unstable magic as fuel for our biomechanical existence. We believe the Heart is the original source of the energy that gave us life. If it falls into the wrong hands, it will be our definitive destruction."

"And you think we can help?" I asked, crossing my arms skeptically.

"I'm sure of it," he replied coldly. "Your mechanical arm has already reacted to the Heart, hasn't it?"

I felt a chill hearing that.

"How do you know that?"

"Because my structure reacts the same way," he showed his biomechanical hand, displaying small luminous patterns similar to those that appeared on my prosthetic. "The artifact's magic is awakening something within you. Something that could be useful or extremely dangerous."

I felt my stomach churn at the revelation. Before I could ask more, a sharp noise echoed through the lab, making us freeze.

"We shouldn't have been followed here," Arkeon murmured, on high alert.

Therion stood up trembling.

"What is that?"

Arkeon moved to a side screen and quickly checked external cameras.

"It's them," he said gravely. "The shadows."

"What shadows?" I asked, feeling something cold form in my chest.

"Creatures from the Interstellar Void. Nyx'Zar. Something here attracted them. Something related to the map or to you, Julian."

Before I could question him further, the ceiling above us creaked violently. A dark mass began to seep through the cracks, slowly taking humanoid but irregular shape, as if made of solid smoke. Their eyes were disturbing luminous points, glowing with an alien and hungry consciousness.

My body reacted instinctively, pulling Therion back as Arkeon fearlessly advanced against the creatures. His hand opened, revealing an embedded energy weapon that fired concentrated rays at the shadows. The creatures recoiled but weren't destroyed. They seemed to absorb the energy, growing even larger and more threatening.

"Energy weapons don't work!" I shouted, drawing my Runametal blade.

I charged at one of the shadows, slashing it with all my strength. To my surprise, the enchanted metal cut through the creature, making it retreat with a silent scream, a mental vibration that made my ears bleed.

Arkeon noticed the strategy and activated a biomechanical blade that emerged from his forearm. The two of us moved together, in sync, facing the creatures that kept emerging from the cracks, almost as if they were infinite.

Therion stayed behind, trembling and nearly paralyzed, unable to react as he watched the desperate fight. Each strike against the shadows produced unbearable pain in my head, as if each attack connected them more directly to my mind.

"Julian!" Arkeon shouted after destroying another shadow with effort. "They're trying to access your mind!"

It was true. I felt a crushing pressure, distorted images of dead worlds, forgotten civilizations, something colossal floating in the Interstellar Void. A dark, conscious presence that seemed to look directly into my soul.

"You… cannot… escape us…" the creatures whispered directly into my mind, echoing with increasing intensity.

I clenched my teeth, fighting to resist the mental invasion while slashing violently at the last visible creature. Silence returned briefly, with the shadow bodies dissipating into smoke.

I fell to my knees, gasping. Arkeon helped me up firmly.

"We need to leave now," he said seriously. "They'll return in greater numbers now that they've sensed your presence."

"Where to?" I asked, trying to recover.

"Zel'Thoris is our only option now," Arkeon replied, determined. "There, we'll have a real chance to find answers and maybe protection against the shadows. The Eldariun knew the Nyx'Zar. They'll know how to deal with this."

Therion, in shock, just nodded. I looked one last time at the destroyed lab, feeling my life slipping further out of control.

"Then let's go. Before they come back."

We quickly left the lab, fleeing through the dark city toward the hangar, now guided by Arkeon. My mind still pulsed painfully with echoes of the visions induced by the creatures. Something very ancient had awakened and was hunting me.

And for the first time since I took this job, I fully understood that it wasn't just the Dominion Solari soldiers I should fear.

Something much worse had awakened. Something that didn't belong to this universe. And I was tied to it.

But for now, our only option was to keep running.

And hope that the answers on Zel'Thoris would be clearer than the horrors chasing us now.