The rear ramp of the ship lowered with a low metallic hiss, revealing an interior that looked both advanced and unnervingly sterile. Kirana, Zephyr, and Aelina stepped inside behind Vega and Lyra. Their footsteps echoed down a narrow corridor washed in faint blue light from panels embedded along the walls.
When they reached the central chamber, all three stopped. A large device dominated the room: a metal capsule with an open top, surrounded by clusters of silver cables branching outward like metallic veins. Several of those cables ended in needle-like connectors. Above the machine, a holographic display flickered with Edenan script.
Zephyr narrowed his eyes. "What exactly is this?"
Vega walked to the device, his expression dark. "This is the Cerebral Nexus Conduit, CNC. The Edena originally built it for advanced psychological therapy… but I've made a few modifications."
Kirana frowned. "Modifications?"
Vega nodded. "It can now access the deepest layer of a person's mind. With it, we can dive into the neural network connected to Aelina's brain. From there, we can search for weaknesses in the Edenan link and cut it off."
He gestured to the capsule. "Aelina, I know this is frightening. But this is the only way to free you completely."
Aelina looked between Kirana and Zephyr. Kirana stepped forward and touched her shoulder gently. "You can do this, sweetheart. We'll be right here."
After a steadying breath, Aelina climbed into the capsule. Vega adjusted the controls along the side panel, then reached for one of the silver cables. Its tip gleamed under the blue lights.
"This needs to connect to the neural port on your back," he said quietly. "You won't feel pain."
Aelina nodded, though her hands trembled slightly. Vega brushed her hair aside and felt along her spine until he found a small, bioengineered port.
"Here." He guided the connector in place. A soft click followed, and a blue glow traveled along the cable.
He attached another cable to the compact computer on his forearm. "I'll join you inside the neural space. I'll guide you through it and locate the core database they implanted."
Turning to Lyra, he pointed at the console. "You'll monitor everything from here. If you see a spike in heart rate or neural overload, hit the red button. It'll trigger an emergency extraction."
Lyra's jaw tightened. "Understood. But Vega… if something happens inside…?"
Vega let out a slow breath. "If it goes wrong, I might not come back. But Aelina comes first. No matter what, get her out."
Kirana stepped closer, her eyes fierce. "Bring her back safe. I'm trusting you with my daughter."
"I will," Vega said. "I promise."
He entered a series of commands into the CNC interface. The lights dimmed until the chamber pulsed with a soft, rhythmic blue, and a low hum filled the air.
Aelina lay back in the capsule, eyes closed. "What happens now, Vega?" she whispered.
"We're entering your mind," he answered. "You may see things that feel real, frightening, or distorted. But I'll be with you. Follow my voice."
"Okay," she breathed.
Vega secured his headgear, connected the final cable, and pressed a command on his forearm device. "Lyra. Countdown. Three… two… one."
Their eyes closed at the same moment.
The CNC monitors flared to life, lines of neural data spiking upward as both Vega and Aelina slipped into the depths of the mindscape.
***
Aelina's eyes opened.
The ship was gone.
She now stood in a vast, empty plain beneath a deep blue sky that rippled like water. Far on the horizon, shadowy shapes drifted slowly, indistinct and silent.
"Where am I…?" she whispered. Her voice echoed strangely, as if the air itself had no weight.
A familiar voice answered from behind her.
"You're inside your own mind, Aelina. This is your subconscious."
She turned to see Vega standing there. He looked the same as always, but something about him felt… brighter, sharper, as if the mindscape granted him a more defined presence.
"What do we do now?" she asked.
Vega glanced toward the wandering shadows. "Somewhere in this realm is the database that links you to the Edenan network. We have to find it and sever the connection before they gain full control."
Aelina swallowed hard, nodding. "I'm ready."
Vega offered a faint, reassuring smile. "You're stronger than you think. And you're not doing this alone. Let's move."
A path materialized beneath their feet—an intricate lattice of silver and cobalt lines glowing faintly, pulsing in a slow rhythm. They walked side by side, the hum of energy echoing like distant whispers.
"This place… it feels alive," Aelina murmured, her eyes tracking the shimmering lines.
"It is," Vega replied, calm and focused. "Your subconscious creates this space to hold memories, knowledge, and everything buried deep inside you. Follow the current, and it will lead us to the core."
As they advanced, a projection flickered into existence ahead of them, like a holographic curtain torn from a forgotten time. A sterile white laboratory appeared, pristine and cold. Edenan scientists surrounded a transparent pod.
Inside the pod floated a young Aelina—no more than a small child—suspended in stasis.
Aelina froze. "What… what is this?"
Vega stopped beside her. "A shadow of a memory. Not one you remember consciously, but it's part of you. This is where you were created."
The projection moved wordlessly, as if even her own mind wanted to keep the memory distant. They continued forward, and more fragments surfaced along the path: her first time seeing the stars… laughing with Kirana… the ache in her chest the day Zephyr vanished.
Then a new vision appeared, one unlike the others.
The sky inside it burned a violent crimson. Ruined cities sprawled across the landscape. Fallen machines smoldered. Human soldiers and Edenan forces clashed in utter chaos.
Aelina went rigid. "I've dreamed about this… so many times. But I never understood why."
Vega's expression hardened. "Because this isn't your memory."
She stared at him. "Then whose?"
Without answering, Vega stepped into the crimson vision. The surface rippled like disturbed water. Aelina hesitated only a heartbeat before following him.
On the other side, the battlefield dissolved, revealing a swirling red portal pulsing with dull light.
Vega turned to her. "What lies beyond this portal may be difficult to face. Prepare yourself."
Her face was pale, but steady. "I'm ready."
Together, they stepped through.
The world beyond glowed in an eerie scarlet haze. A massive beam of crimson energy carved through the sky like a burning spear. Suspended beneath it floated a gigantic black cube etched with intricate geometric symbols—unmistakably Edenan.
Vega's voice was low, grim. "We found it. The core of the connection."
Aelina stared at the cube, her heartbeat thundering. "I'm ready," she repeated, firmer this time.
Vega met her gaze. "Then let's end this."
They moved toward the cube, the ground beneath them pulsing like a living heartbeat, as if the entire mindscape sensed what was about to come.