Alex stood in the familiar wastnd, the deste air carrying the faint pulse of the''s energy.
Beside him, Mira stretched, her eyes narrowing as she took in their surroundings.
She had recovered from her revival, but there were still some deep, mental scars left behind from knowing that she had died.
The worst part was that she couldn''t remember a thing from it.
She already knew from early on that there was little to no evidence of an afterlife, which had even been announced by the Federation not long after the advent of the Primordial Expanse and the System came along.
But hearing about it, and experiencing something like non-existence herself were two entirely different things.
She never wanted to feel such a thing again…
Nevertheless, she returned her focus back from her delusions.
The''s depths were ahead — holding the unsettling, ck sphere that hummed with a sinister, dormant power.
"You brought me all the way here for what?"
Mira asked, her voice tinged with impatience.
Alex didn''t respond immediately.
He stared at the sphere, memories of his own blessing reying in his mind—the raw, destructive power it had unleashed in him.
He hadn''t nned to ask for another, but something gnawed at him.
Mira needed this, and though he knew the cost, he was willing to pay it.
"I need a favour."
Alex finally said, his voice low.
Mira''s brow furrowed.
"You? Asking for a favour? What kind?"
They reached the sphere, its dark surface reflecting nothing but the abyss.
Alex pressed his hand against it, feeling the cold beneath the energy.
The stirred.
"I''m asking for something rare, something that shouldn''t be requested twice."
He said, ignoring the biting tension in his own words.
"But I''m going to ask anyway."
The''s voice echoed, hollow and ancient.
"You return, Alex. What do you seek now?"
Mira stiffened, her eyes darting around the cavernous expanse.
The voice that had echoed in her mind sent a chill crawling up her spine, her instincts screaming at her that something was wrong.
She quickly nced at Alex, expecting some kind of exnation.
"Where the hell did that voicee from?"
She demanded, her tone sharp.
She reached for the hilt of her weapon, fingers tightening around the handle out of reflex.
Alex didn''t look at her. His hand still rested on the cold, ck surface of the sphere.
"The."
He spoke tly.
Mira blinked.
"What?"
"The''s alive."
Alex continued, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"It''s speaking to us."
Mira stared at him, her confusion giving way to a mix of disbelief and anger.
"You''re telling me this thing—this dead rock—is talking to us? And you just… ept that?"
Alex finally turned to her, his expression unreadable.
"I don''t care if you believe it or not, Mira. It is what it is."
Mira''s mind reeled.
She nced at the ck sphere, her instincts fighting against everything she had known.
The Federation had ruled out the idea of sentients after so much research into celestial bodies and the cosmos, but Alex was standing here, calmly telling her that this—this deste, ruined wastnd—was alive.
Unbeknownst to Alex, this was already a well researched topic in the Federation.
He already knew from Gorath, the, telling him that sentients like itself were rare, but he would be shocked to find out that it was actually the only one in the entire Milky way gxy…
"And you knew this the whole time?"
She asked, her voice wavering slightly, struggling to wrap her head around the absurdity of it all.
"Yeah."
Alex said simply. He removed his hand from the sphere, turning to face her fully.
"That''s why I brought you here."
Mira opened her mouth to argue, to demand more answers, but the cold certainty in Alex''s eyes made her pause.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
The weight of the situation crashed down on her, and she realised with a sinking feeling that he wasn''t lying.
As insane as it sounded, she knew Alex wouldn''t waste time on something so ludicrous unless it was real.
Alex clenched his jaw, knowing what he was about to do was almost sacrilegious.
"I want you to bless her, like you did me."
Mira stiffened.
"What?"
He didn''t meet her eyes.
"It gave me strength—pushed me beyond my limits. Now I want the same for you."
Mira stepped forward, her eyes hard, disbelief creeping into her voice.
"You''re serious? You want me to take something from this... thing?"
"It''s not just ''something''."
Alex replied, his tone harsh, cutting through the doubt.
"It''s the kind of power no one else can give you. Not even the System. I wouldn''t ask for it if I didn''t believe you deserved it."
The''s voice slithered between them.
"She is worthy?"
Alex didn''t hesitate.
"More than worthy. She''ll use it. She''ll make it count."
Mira''s hands flexed at her sides, but she wasn''t convinced.
"You''re talking about a gift like it''s a transaction, Alex. Why are you pushing this?"
Alex turned to her, finally meeting her gaze. His eyes were darker than she remembered.
"Because this has no one else to give it to. No life. No people. Just death and ruin. If it doesn''t give it to you, it''ll rot here, unused. And you know better than anyone — I don''t care about letting things go to waste."
Mira''s lips pressed into a thin line, the weight of his words hanging between them.
She approached the sphere, her fingers just inches from its surface.
"And you''re sure about this?"
"I''m not asking twice."
Alex muttered, his voice deadpan.
"Do it."
The stirred again, its voice thrumming deep in their minds.
"Mira. ce your hand on my soul, and I will give you what Alex asks for."
Mira hesitated for only a second, then pressed her palm against the sphere.
The instant she made contact, her body jolted slightly as the''s power rushed into her.
Unlike Alex''s experience, this wasn''t just an overwhelming surge—it was a violent takeover.
Mira''s eyes went wide, her teeth gritted as the energy ripped through her, breaking through her limits with savage force.
Her breath hitched.
"What... is this?"