The dropship touched down with a thud against the cracked landing platform of Site Epsilon.
Nam led the way, stepping into the freezing night air. Around them, the facility loomed like a wounded giant—walls torn apart, lights flickering weakly against the encroaching darkness.
The Shard on Nam's back pulsed faster with every step.
"Minh," Nam said quietly, "jam their scanners. Lan, Bao—watch the flanks. No surprises."
They moved in tight formation across the ruined courtyard. The ground was littered with debris, and occasionally, strange symbols had been scorched into the stone—signs of Voidborn corruption.
Lan glanced at one, frowning.
"That's... not human."
"No," Minh agreed. "It's a message. A warning. Probably for us."
The main entrance to Site Epsilon yawned open ahead of them, twisted and broken. The smell hit them first—burnt metal, ozone, and something far fouler.
Nam drew his weapon, feeling the Shard's energy hum through the gauntlet on his arm.
"Stay sharp. They're close."
They slipped inside.
Inside the facility, it was worse.
The walls writhed subtly, as if reality itself was sick. Machinery sparked and died. Blood stained the floors, but there were no bodies—only smears dragged into the darkness.
Suddenly, a scream echoed down the hallway.
Human.
Alive.
Nam motioned forward without hesitation.
They sprinted through the ruined corridors, weaving past collapsed ceilings and melted doorways. The Shard pulsed faster, warning of danger, but they had no choice.
They burst into a shattered lab.
In the center, three survivors—scientists in shredded uniforms—were huddled against a containment pod. Towering over them were two Voidborn creatures, black and skeletal, their bodies flickering in and out of existence like broken reflections.
The creatures turned as one.
No hesitation.
Nam raised his arm—the gauntlet flared, and a brilliant lance of energy blasted one Voidborn backward into the wall, cracking the concrete.
Lan and Bao opened fire, their rounds shredding into the second creature. It howled, a sound that drilled into their skulls, but collapsed in a heap of black mist.
The first Voidborn wasn't done. It surged forward with inhuman speed.
Nam moved to intercept, energy gathering at his gauntlet, ready to strike—
—but Bao stepped forward, swinging his heavy cannon like a bat.
The impact sent the creature smashing into a bank of servers, which promptly exploded in a rain of sparks.
Silence fell.
The scientists stared at Squad Alpha, wide-eyed and trembling.
Nam knelt.
"You're safe now. Can you move?"
One scientist, a woman with a bleeding head wound, nodded shakily.
"Y-Yes... but they're still inside. Deeper. The... the artifacts—they're trying to awaken something."
Nam's stomach tightened.
Another survivor whispered, barely audible:
"It's not just them. There's something worse. Something that even the Voidborn are afraid of."
Lan and Bao exchanged a quick glance.
Nam stood, determination hardening his features.
"We'll stop them," he promised.
"We have to."
As they secured the survivors and prepared to move deeper into the cursed facility, Minh muttered, half to himself:
"If even the monsters are scared...
what the hell are we about to face?"
Nam looked down the dark, broken hallway ahead, the Shard pulsing in his hand like a heartbeat.
Whatever was waiting for them...
it would not be merciful.
And neither would they.