Chapter 20: Shadows Stir

The warmth from the glowing core faded slowly, leaving the chamber colder than before. Elias and Maeve stood close together, the silence stretching between them like a fragile thread.

Maeve's mind buzzed with questions, but her voice was barely a whisper. "What if I can't do it? What if I'm not strong enough to finish this… whatever it is?"

Elias looked at her, his eyes soft but firm. "You're stronger than you know. And you don't have to do it alone."

She swallowed hard, fighting the weight pressing on her chest. "It feels like the station is alive—like it's watching every step we take."

Elias nodded. "I feel it too. Like something's waiting, just beyond reach."

Suddenly, the station shuddered again. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the vines along the walls tightened and twisted like they were alive, wrapping slowly around pipes and cables.

A cold voice whispered in their minds — colder, darker than before.

"You cannot hide. You cannot run. The time has come."

Elias raised his weapon, scanning the shadows. "Show yourself."

But there was only silence. The shadows seemed to pulse, as if breathing.

Maeve gripped Elias's arm. "This place is more dangerous than we thought."

He pulled her closer. "We'll face it—whatever it is. Together."

As they moved toward the exit, the corridor ahead flickered with strange, shifting lights. Shapes moved in the corner of Elias's eye, disappearing before he could focus.

He swallowed hard, heart pounding. "We're not alone."

Maeve's voice was steady. "Then we keep moving. No matter what."

Together, they stepped forward into the unknown, shadows stirring all around them.