Kaelen's heart pounded as he turned to leave the med bay, the walls of the ship closing in on him. The halls seemed to stretch endlessly in front of him, a maze that had no end. The ship was in ruins. The Vigilant was dying, and with it, the faint hope of survival. But he couldn't stop now. He couldn't give up.
Mira stirred behind him, her voice barely a whisper, but it was enough to stop him in his tracks.
"Kaelen…"
He turned, half-expecting to see the entity's influence in her eyes again. But this time, there was something different in her gaze—a flicker of recognition, a spark of humanity.
"Mira…?" Kaelen breathed, his heart leaping in his chest.
She blinked, her eyes heavy but focused. "Kaelen, I… I can feel it too. The ship. The entity. It's not gone."
Kaelen closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady himself. It wasn't gone. Not completely. But there was still a part of Mira left, still something human in her. He couldn't lose that.
"We need to find a way to stop it," Kaelen said, his voice firm. "Once and for all."
Mira nodded weakly, her body still recovering from the ordeal. But there was strength in her eyes now, a flicker of the person she had been before the entity had twisted her mind.
Together, they moved through the ship, their steps heavy, but resolute. The walls seemed to pulse with the presence of the entity, the ship itself warping under its influence. It wasn't just a matter of survival anymore. It was about reclaiming control.
"Where do we go?" Mira asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.
Kaelen looked around. The only place left with any hope of a solution was the ship's main control center. It was the heart of the Vigilant, and if the entity could be defeated, it would have to be done there.
"It's time to end this," Kaelen said, determination creeping into his voice.