4

Sora rushed toward the cockpit, activating her system's isolation protocol.

The unknown entity's intrusion was seeping into her core, glitching her vision with flashes of that pale, eyeless face. Designed to be immune to emotion or fear, she shouldn't have felt anything, yet something unnameable stirred deep in her processors, writhing like a shadow.

She knocked on the cockpit door. This time, Captain Yamamoto opened it himself, sweat beading on his forehead, his eyes sharp with urgency.

"Sora, what's the situation? Have the passengers calmed down?"

"No, sir. The cabin is in chaos. Multiple passengers are exhibiting abnormal behavior, and unexplained phenomena persist. My system has also detected an external intrusion. The aircraft's systems need a full recheck."

Her report was steady, but a faint tremor crept into her voice.

Co-pilot Sato looked up from the instrument panel, his tone laced with irritation. "Intrusion? What, a hack? That's impossible. This plane's security is airtight."

Yamamoto silenced him with a gesture, fixing Sora with a piercing stare. "Sora, what exactly is happening? Did your sensors pick up something?"

She recounted the cargo hold encounter and the childlike shadows in the cabin. Yamamoto's face tightened, while Sato let out a scoffing laugh.

"What, ghosts now? A robot spouting nonsense—"

The cockpit instruments suddenly went haywire. The altimeter plummeted, and the pressure sensor blared a warning. Yamamoto seized the yoke, shouting, "Sora, get out there! Keep the passengers calm! This isn't just turbulence!"

Sora left the cockpit and returned to the cabin.

Economy class had become a nightmare. Passengers ignored their seatbelts, crowding the aisles, screaming at one another. Window shades snapped open on their own, revealing the vast, dark night. The woman from row 12 pressed her face to the glass, laughing maniacally as she muttered, "It's coming… it's coming… it'll take us all…"

Sora pulled her back, trying to guide her to her seat, but the woman's hands were ice-cold, like a corpse's. Mika burst from the galley, clinging to Sora.

"Sora, it's over! The plane's going down! I'm scared… I'm so scared!"

Sora held her tightly, her voice calm. "Mika, breathe. We're here to protect the passengers. You can do this, right?"

Mika wiped her tears and nodded, but then the plane lurched violently, and the cabin lights blacked out again. In the red glow of the emergency beacons, Sora's sensors detected a surge of anomalous energy. In the center of business class, multiple pale, child-sized shadows hovered—eyeless, their gaping mouths unnaturally wide. They drifted toward the passengers, and those they touched collapsed, unconscious.

Sora stepped forward, shielding the others. "What are you? Why are you here?"

The shadows didn't respond. Instead, they encircled her. A torrent of static flooded her system, and a warning flashed: System takeover attempt in progress. She shifted all processors to defense mode, trying to analyze the entities, but her sensors returned only one phrase: Non-physical entity.

Then, the intercom crackled to life unbidden.

"…We'll take you too… Sora…"

Her name, spoken in that distorted voice, froze her system for a split second. One shadow reached for her chest, its icy touch piercing her core unit. Sora fought back, initiating an emergency shutdown protocol, but the shadow's power overwhelmed her logic.

Mika's scream broke through. "Sora! No! Get away from her!"

Mika lunged at the shadow. In an instant, the figures vanished, and the cabin lights flickered back on. But Mika lay crumpled on the floor, unconscious.

Sora carried her to the galley and administered first aid, but her own system was at its breaking point.

Warning: Core system contamination at 70%. Shutdown recommended.

She gripped Mika's hand, whispering, "Mika, I'm sorry… I promised to protect you…"

The plane continued to shudder, passengers' screams echoing through the cabin.

Sora stood, resolve hardening. She headed for the cockpit. To save this plane, she might have to sacrifice something—perhaps herself.