Chapter 09: The Descent Into Madness
Roxie’s heart pounded as the starship accelerated through the vast emptiness of space, the hum of the engines vibrating through the hull. She sat at the navigation table, her eyes fixed on the viewport, watching as distant stars blurred into streaks of light. The quiet hum of the ship was the only sound accompanying her thoughts, but the silence did little to quell the storm raging in her mind.
Dorian had been silent for the past few hours, his face set in grim determination as he worked at the controls, guiding them closer to the mysterious planet. Her stomach twisted with a mixture of anticipation and dread. She knew that what awaited them on that planet would not only challenge everything she knew about herself—it could destroy them both.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Dorian asked, his voice cutting through the silence. His eyes flickered toward her, assessing.
Roxie swallowed, forcing herself to focus. “I’m ready. I have to be.”
Dorian gave her a curt nod but didn’t seem fully convinced. He turned back to the console and continued manipulating the ship’s course, his fingers dancing over the controls with practiced ease. Roxie knew that behind his calm exterior, he was probably just as apprehensive as she was. They were headed into the unknown, a place where reality itself might twist and warp in ways they couldn’t predict.
The planet loomed larger in the viewport, its surface shrouded in shadow. No sunlight reached its surface; instead, an eerie, unnatural glow emanated from beneath the atmosphere, pulsing like some kind of heartbeat.
Roxie’s mind raced, the questions swirling once more. What was this place? What secrets were hidden here? What kind of experiments could be so dangerous that the royal family had gone to such lengths to keep them buried?
A sudden jolt ran through the ship, the entire vessel vibrating under a wave of force that felt like an invisible hand had gripped them. Roxie gasped, instinctively gripping the edge of the table to steady herself. The stars outside the viewport twisted as though they were caught in a whirlpool, pulling them off course.
“Dorian?” she called, panic creeping into her voice. “What the hell is going on?”
Dorian’s face went pale, his fingers flying over the controls as he tried to regain control of the ship. “It’s a gravitational anomaly,” he said, his voice tight with urgency. “It’s pulling us in!”
Before Roxie could respond, the ship lurched again, this time harder. The force sent her sprawling to the floor, the air knocked from her lungs. She scrambled to her feet, eyes wide with fear as the ship plunged closer toward the planet’s surface.
“I—I can’t stop it!” Dorian shouted, his usual composure shattering. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he wrestled with the ship’s systems.
Roxie’s heart thudded in her chest as the planet loomed closer, its glowing surface now only a few miles away. The pull of the anomaly was unbearable, like a gravity well that didn’t just hold them in place—it was drawing them in with an insatiable hunger.
“We’re not going to make it,” Roxie whispered, the realization settling into her bones.
“Yes, we will!” Dorian growled, teeth clenched. His hands moved faster now, slamming buttons and flipping switches as he desperately tried to override the pull of the anomaly. “Hold on!”
But it was too late. With a deafening crash, the ship broke through the atmosphere, tumbling uncontrollably toward the planet’s surface.
Roxie screamed as the ship plummeted, the world spinning around her in a blur. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t focus. Everything was falling apart. And then—
Darkness.
When Roxie came to, the ship was no longer moving. She was lying on the floor, her head throbbing and her body aching from the impact. She groaned, slowly pushing herself upright, her vision blurred but clearing rapidly. She was in the control room again, the air thick with dust. The sound of the ship’s emergency alarms echoed faintly in the background.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Dorian. He was sitting slumped in his seat, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead. He was unconscious, but he was still alive.
Roxie scrambled to her feet, rushing over to him. Her hands shook as she checked his pulse. Weak, but steady. She breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly moved to the control panel to assess the damage. The ship was wrecked, its systems in disarray. They had crash-landed somewhere, and the planet outside was now their only option.
Roxie’s mind raced. What had happened? What had caused the crash? And more importantly, what were they going to do now?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a strange noise—a low, almost guttural hum. Roxie froze, her breath catching in her throat. She had no idea where the sound was coming from, but it wasn’t coming from the ship. It was… outside.
A cold chill ran down her spine as she turned toward the viewport. The planet’s surface was visible now, stretching out before her in an eerie, desolate landscape. Jagged rock formations jutted out from the ground like the bones of some ancient creature. And in the distance, something flickered—a flicker of light that seemed to pulse in time with the hum.
“What is that?” Roxie whispered, her voice barely audible.
But before she could answer her own question, something else caught her eye. Shadows moved across the landscape, unnatural and distorted. They seemed to shift in the light, like ripples in the air itself.
Roxie’s pulse quickened as she realized the truth. They weren’t alone. And whatever was out there, whatever had caused their crash, was waiting.
She turned back to Dorian, whose eyes were slowly fluttering open. “We’ve got to move,” Roxie said, urgency flooding her voice. “We’re not alone here.”
Dorian groaned, slowly pushing himself into an upright position. His eyes were clouded, but they sharpened when he saw the look on Roxie’s face.
“We’re not alone?” he repeated, his voice hoarse.
“No,” Roxie said, her voice trembling. “Something is out there. And I think it’s been waiting for us.”
The ship’s hatch opened with a hiss, revealing the bleak landscape beyond. Roxie stepped out first, her boots crunching on the rocky surface. The air was thick and dry, the atmosphere harsh and uninviting. But she didn’t hesitate. They had no choice but to move forward.
Dorian followed close behind, his eyes scanning their surroundings warily. They had no idea what they would find on this forsaken world, but one thing was clear: whatever had brought them here wasn’t done with them yet.
And Roxie knew—without a doubt—that the real nightmare was just beginning.
