Volume 2, Chapter 5: Into the Void


    The derelict battleship loomed ahead, an obsidian monolith adrift in a sea of forgotten war. Its ruined hull bore the scars of an incomprehensible battle, fractures that ran deep into its bones. No insignia remained, no markings to speak of its origins. It was ancient, beyond even the reckoning of the Celestial Empire. A remnant of something that should not have been.


    Leona stood rigid at the viewport, arms crossed, her expression locked in a rare display of open defiance. "This is a mistake."


    Garett exhaled, watching the drifting wreck. "Maybe. But I’ve seen glimpses of something before—visions. When I first bonded with Galatine, I saw more than I should have. An ancient war, beyond time, beyond the Empire itself. Heroes rising and falling like waves upon the shore, their knowledge fading into oblivion. Magic and quantum physics intertwined, forming something… incomprehensible." He clenched his fist. "That signal, that voice—it feels connected to all of it."


    Leona’s grip on the railing tightened. "And you think walking into a derelict death trap will answer your questions?"


    "Maybe not," Garett admitted. "But ignoring it won’t, either."


    Leona hesitated, a muscle in her jaw twitching. She wasn’t afraid of battle, but this—this was different. This was something unnatural, something beyond the reach of steel and discipline. She had sworn her blade to Garett, not to dead men whispering from the abyss.


    Anya, ever the pragmatist, leaned against the console, her gaze flicking to the wreckage. "If you’re going, I’m coming with you."


    Leona sighed. "Damn it… If you insist on getting yourself killed, I might as well be there to make sure you don’t."


    Veydran, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. "I don’t like this. And I don’t like you taking Ravella with you."


    Ravella gasped, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense. "Oh no! A dangerous expedition into the heart of an ancient mystery, and I can’t come along? How will I go on?"


    Veydran’s glare was unwavering. "This isn’t a joke, Ravella."


    She dropped the act, her expression softening. "I know it’s not. But you also know that I might be the only one who understands what we’re walking into. If there’s something out there that can get into our minds, something that remembers, I need to see it."


    Garett stepped forward. "She’ll be under my protection. You have my word."


    Veydran held his gaze for a long moment before sighing. "Damn you, Fenralis. Fine. But if anything happens to her, I will hold you responsible."


    Ravella beamed. "That’s the spirit!"


    The landing craft broke away from The Steadfast, gliding through the wreckage with a practiced grace. The closer they came, the deader the void felt—as though the space around the battleship had been drained of warmth, of movement, of time itself.


    Ravella pressed a gloved hand to the cold metal wall beside her. "You ever walk into a room and immediately feel like someone was there before you? Like you’re stepping into someone’s shadow?"


    Anya adjusted the strap on her luminite rifle. "I prefer not to think about things like that."


    Leona, hands resting on the pommel of her sword, exhaled through her nose. "Superstition."


    Ravella smirked. "Spoken like someone who’s never met a ghost."


    Anya gave her a sidelong glance. "You’ve met a ghost?"


    "Not officially. But I’ve received letters." Ravella grinned at the blank stares before waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, never mind."


    Garett was silent, staring at the approaching wreck. His pulse quickened—not from fear, but from recognition.


    The closer they came, the more familiar it felt.


    And that terrified him.


    A shriek split the silence.


    Not mechanical, not the groan of a ship settling in the vacuum of space—something alive, something wrong. The air inside the lander grew thick, oppressive, as the shadows within the wreckage shifted.


    Then they came.


    Wraiths—half-seen figures, their forms twisting like ink spilled in water, their eyes burning with spectral light. They emerged from the bulkheads, slipping from the walls as if they had been waiting there all along.


    Leona reacted first. "Shields up!"


    She slammed her gauntlet into the deck, a golden barrier erupting around them just as the first wraith lunged. The creature collided with the shield, its clawed hands screeching against the magical ward, but it did not relent.


    "We need a plan!" Anya shouted, firing a burst from her luminite rifle. The shot passed through one of the wraiths, dispersing its form momentarily, but it recoalesced almost instantly.


    Garett’s hand went to the Azeroth Drive at his chest. "Fine. Let’s see if they like fire."


    With a flick of his wrist, he wove the ancient words together. "Ignis Tempestus."


    Flames erupted around him, spiraling into a cyclone of burning wrath. The wraiths recoiled, their shrieks warping into something deeper, angrier.


    "Not enough!" Veydran barked, drawing his twin starflare pistols and unleashing rapid shots. Bright white plasma bolts seared into the creatures, forcing them back but not destroying them.


    Leona gritted her teeth. "Then we hold the line."


    She drew her sword, its silver edge gleaming with enchanted runes, and charged. With each strike, a pulse of energy rippled outward, forcing the wraiths to retreat—but more were coming, crawling from the walls, the floors, the darkness itself.


    Ravella pressed her hands together, golden light flickering between her fingers. "Hold still!" she called, casting a barrier over Garett as another wraith lunged.


    "Much appreciated!" he shouted, spinning his polearm in a tight arc. "Ventus Secare!"


    A gale-force slash tore through one of the wraiths, dispersing its form like mist in the wind.


    Anya growled. "Screw this. Time for something stronger."


    She switched to her secondary weapons, twin luminite daggers crackling with electric fury, and leapt into the fray. Lightning surged through her strikes, stunning one of the wraiths long enough for Leona to cleave it in half.


    The wraiths howled—not in pain, but in something deeper. Recognition. Rage.


    Garett’s grip tightened on his weapon. "They’re testing us."


    one of the wraiths let out a piercing shriek, its form twisting violently as if resisting its demise. Garett pivoted, driving his polearm through its core, the Azeroth Drive flaring with energy.  Fire erupted from the tip, consuming the wraith from within.


    Leona stepped beside him, slamming her shield forward, the golden barrier around it bursting outward in a concussive blast. The wraith screeched, its form splintering like shattered glass.


    Anya, breathing hard, flipped her daggers in her grip. "Stubborn bastards, aren''t they?" With a quick motion, she holstered one and leveled her rifle.


    She pulled the trigger, and a bolt of luminite energy surged forward, crackling with lightning. The wraith convulsed as the charge arced through its body, forcing it backward, its screams growing fainter.


    Veydran aimed his twin pistols, starflare rounds burning through the darkness. "Don’t give it a chance to come back!"


    Ravella, standing just behind them, pressed her hands together. Golden sigils flared in the air before her, and with a whispered incantation, a radiant wave washed over them, severing the wraith’s last desperate grasp on the physical world.


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    The creature let out one final, echoing wail before collapsing into mist, its essence scattering like dust in the dim light of the derelict. its essence scattering like mist in the dim light of the derelict. For a long moment, no one spoke, their breaths heavy, the only sound the faint hum of their weapons cooling down.


    Anya exhaled, shaking stray embers off her daggers. "Well, that was thoroughly unpleasant."


    Ravella, who had been gripping the edge of her robes, let out a breathy laugh. "I mean, that was slightly less terrifying than I expected, so there''s that."


    Leona wiped spectral residue off her shield, frowning. "These wraiths… they don’t look like the usual undead from House Draconis."


    Garett, still gripping his polearm, scanned the surroundings. "No, they don’t. But something about them felt… deliberate. Like they were more than just mindless husks."


    Leona nodded but kept her guard up. "Then again… Lyrius did say something about the house dabbling in soul transfer magic."


    Garett’s expression darkened at the memory. Wulfric. He had once called the man a friend, but House Draconis had twisted him into something unnatural, forcing Garett to end his suffering with his own hands.


    Anya noticed the look in his eyes and without hesitation, reached for his hand. Her fingers curled around his, a firm, steadying presence in the cold, haunted air. The ghosts they carried were different, but the weight was the same. Garett had lost Wulfric. Anya had lost her entire squad. She knew what it was to stand among the living while feeling like a part of you had been buried with the dead.


    "Hey," she murmured, her voice softer than usual. "You''re not the only one carrying ghosts, you know."


    Garett exhaled slowly, his grip tightening slightly. "I know. That’s what makes it harder."


    Anya’s lips quirked into something that was almost smug, an attempt to maintain her usual cool detachment. "You dwell too much, Captain. Get over it already."


    She paused, biting the inside of her cheek, before her fingers curled just slightly around his. Her voice softened. "But… you’re not alone in this. Just so you know."


    She gave his hand a small squeeze before letting go, her warmth lingering even as the cold of the void pressed in again. Leona turned to the  the group. "So, did anyone else feel like they were being judged by those things? Because I gotta say, I prefer my monsters without personal opinions on whether I deserve to live."


    Veydran holstered his pistols, his smirk weary, touched with the resignation of a man who had seen too much. "You get used to it."


    Ravella wrinkled her nose, her childlike innocence cutting through the grim atmosphere like a shaft of sunlight through storm clouds. "That’s not reassuring, Papa." She puffed out her cheeks. "You''re supposed to say something heroic, like ''Not while I''m here'' or ''Fear not, for I am with you.'' Something cool!"


    Veydran sighed, shaking his head. "You want a legend, Ravella? Find yourself a bard."


    She grinned, nudging him playfully. "Maybe I will."


    Garett straightened, exhaling. "Either way, we’re not done yet. If this was a test, we passed. Now we find out what’s waiting for us ahead."


    Leona’s eyes flicked to Anya and Garett, watching the exchange with a cool, unreadable expression. They were close. Closer than before. She could almost hear Nyx’s voice curling through her mind - if she were here that is. That familiar, teasing lilt.


    "Well, look who’s jealous."


    Leona stiffened, turning sharply—only to see Nyx materializing from nothing, stepping from the void like she had always been there. Her feline form stretched languidly, her sleek body rippling like liquid shadow, as if reality itself bent to accommodate her presence. Her ears, feathered and radiant, unfolded like angelic wings, twitching ever so slightly as if catching unseen whispers.


    "Well look what the cosmic cat dragged in." Leona muttered.


    Nyx’s smirk widened, her celestial eyes gleaming with mirth. "Please. Keep the jokes coming. I missed them so much."


    Garett exhaled, shaking his head. "Glad to know sarcasm transcends dimensions."


    Nyx flicked her tail, stretching as if she had just awoken from a nap. "Oh, please. You need me here. This whole ‘staring into the abyss’ act was getting a little too serious. You’re all brooding like tragic heroes in some overwrought epic." She tilted her head toward Anya and Leona. "And look—new developments! Am I sensing some tension here?"


    Leona’s jaw tightened. "We don’t have time for your games, Nyx."


    Nyx purred, circling them slowly. "Oh, but games make everything so much more fun. I’m just here to observe. Maybe offer some delightful commentary. Maybe laugh at your mortal problems. Depends on my mood."


    Ravella, eyes wide with fascination, leaned toward Veydran and whispered, "Who-what is she?"


    Veydran did not answer immediately. His body had tensed, fingers twitching toward his holsters. His eyes, sharp and battle-worn, flickered over Nyx''s shifting form with the wariness of a man who had spent a lifetime learning that unknown things were often dangerous things. In a single motion, he drew his pistols, the barrels glowing faintly with charged energy. "What in the void are you?"


    Nyx sighed dramatically, flicking her tail. "Oh, here we go. Another trigger-happy mortal who sees something beyond his understanding and immediately reaches for a gun. Really, it''s exhausting."


    Garett stepped forward, raising a hand. "Stand down, Veydran. She''s a friend."


    Veydran did not lower his weapons. "You a friend to creepy ghost cats now?"


    Garett exhaled. "Nyx is… complicated. But she’s not an enemy. If she wanted us dead, we’d already be corpses."


    Nyx grinned. "See? He gets it."


    Ravella, still staring in open wonder, leaned forward. "You’re fascinating. Can I touch your ears?"


    Nyx blinked, momentarily thrown off. "I—what?"


    Veydran groaned, finally holstering his pistols. "Ravella, for the love of—" Garett crossed his arms, eyeing Nyx with an exasperated look. "Alright, Nyx. How the hell did you get here? And more importantly, what are you doing here?"


    Nyx yawned, stretching her feline body before settling into a comfortable seated position, her tail flicking lazily. "Calm yourself, Resonator. One question at a time. I swear, you mortals are always so impatient."


    Garett gave her a flat look. "Nyx."


    She huffed, rolling her cosmic eyes. "Fine, fine. How did I get here? The same way I always do—through the spaces between spaces. You see, when two points in reality share a connection, a sufficiently attuned being—like myself—can simply step from one to the other, provided the right conditions. It’s all quite simple, really.


    Garett scoffed, shaking his head. "That’s a gross oversimplification. Quantum entanglement isn’t just about connected points—it’s about states. When two particles are entangled, their properties become dependent on each other, no matter how far apart they are. It defies classical physics, challenging the very notion of locality. You measure one, and the other changes instantly. Not because of some hidden variable, but because their existences are fundamentally intertwined."


    Nyx stretched lazily, her celestial eyes gleaming with amusement. "And what do you think magic is, my dear Resonator? The same principles apply, only with fewer equations and more flair."


    Ravella gasped. "Oh! Like a thread in a loom! One pull on the fabric, and the whole tapestry shifts!"


    Nyx blinked. "Yes, exactly! Finally, someone with a shred of imagination."


    Veydran rubbed his temples. "Void take me, I regret putting my gun away."


    Garett pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, moving on. How’s Lyra?"


    Nyx’s expression softened, just slightly. "She sends her regards, but she’s… preoccupied. The training at the Grove is consuming all of her focus. She has little time for anything else."


    Garett nodded slowly, trying to ignore the tightening in his chest. "Figures. And what about you? Why now?"


    Nyx smirked. "Because, dear Resonator, I sensed that you are nearing a Divine Trial. And I simply had to drop by to see how my chosen champion is holding up. Wouldn’t want you breaking before the fun truly begins."


    “Awwww so you DO care for us.” Leona’s expression was smug.


    Nyx let out a dramatic sigh, rolling onto her back mid-air, as if lounging on an invisible cushion. "Worried? Oh please. I''m merely... invested. There''s a difference."


    Anya arched a brow, arms crossed. "Uh-huh. And next, you’re going to tell us you don’t care at all."


    Nyx waved a paw lazily. "Exactly! I have no emotional attachment to any of you fragile little mortals. None whatsoever."


    Anya just kept staring. Her fingers twitched, like she was fighting the overwhelming urge to reach out and pet her.


    Ravella noticed instantly. Without hesitation, she stepped in front of Anya, cutting off her line of sight before reaching out and scratching behind Nyx’s feathered ears. "Too slow," she sang.


    Nyx froze, ears twitching, eyes wide. "Excuse you—!"


    Ravella beamed. "Oh, wow. You’re softer than I expected. Like silk."


    Nyx hissed, swatting at her hand. "I am an eldritch being of unimaginable power, not a housecat!"


    Ravella just kept scratching, completely ignoring her protests. "Sure, sure. You keep telling yourself that."


    Garett shot Leona a glare before turning back to Nyx. "And what exactly do you mean by a Divine Trial?"


    Nyx''s eyes gleamed with cosmic light as she righted herself. "Oh, it''s simple, really. Every so often, fate throws something at you to test your mettle. A proving ground, if you will. If you pass, you step closer to true power. If you fail... well, let’s not dwell on that." She gave a toothy grin, sharp and knowing. "But this? This is the beginning of something much bigger. And you, dear Resonator, are right in the thick of it."


    Garett frowned. "That sounds a lot like what you hinted at when we faced Drakon’s fleet. The Divine Armaments. You never explained what they actually were."


    Nyx flicked her tail, her expression turning momentarily thoughtful. "Ah, so you were paying attention. Good. When a Resonator reaches the peak of their power and eventually falls, they don’t truly disappear. They leave behind echoes—imprints of their existence on the physical plane. These echoes manifest as Divine Armaments, weapons infused with their former strength and essence."


    Leona narrowed her eyes. "And let me guess, they don’t just let anyone wield them."


    Nyx smirked. "Of course not. Power is never so easily handed over. The Divine Armaments choose their bearers. Only those deemed worthy may claim them." She glanced at Garett meaningfully. "And some, my dear Resonator, are waiting for you."


    Leona exhaled sharply. "Of course he is. Because nothing can ever be simple with you."


    Ravella, still fascinated, tilted her head. "So, this trial... does it involve the wraiths? Or something even worse?"


    Nyx purred, curling her tail. "Mmm. Now that would be telling. But let’s just say, you haven’t seen the worst this ship has to offer yet. Not even close."


    Anya tensed. "Great. More horrors. Just what I wanted."


    Garett took a steadying breath and turned toward the bulkhead leading deeper into the ship. "Then we don’t waste any more time. If something’s waiting for us, I’d rather meet it head-on than wait for it to corner us."


    Veydran grunted in reluctant agreement, checking his pistols. "Fine. But no unnecessary risks. We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet."


    Nyx stretched languidly. "Oh, I think you’ll find out soon enough."


    With wary glances and weapons at the ready, the group pressed forward into the heart of the derelict battleship, the oppressive silence thickening around them. Shadows stretched unnaturally, and the air carried whispers—not words, but echoes of something ancient, waiting, watching.


    The group occasionally encountered wraiths along the way, but they dispatched them in no time at all, their growing efficiency making the encounters little more than fleeting disturbances in the eerie silence.


    The deeper they went, the more Garett felt it—the pull, the recognition, the knowing dread. This wasn’t just any ruin.


    He had been here before.


    Somewhere in the past, in another life, in another time—


    The void remembered him.


    And soon, he would remember it.