Inside Maria’s Mind.

  The words of her friends penetrate her mind as if through thick glass. The voices sound distorted, muffled, as though they’re coming from a distant galaxy. She tries to reach out to them, but each time she falls short. She slips into the darkness, into the void.

  Darkness. Abyss.

  Her body dissolves, vanishes in the vacuum of space. She floats in weightlessness, motionless. In the distance, far away, a point of light appears. A tiny spark. She begins to move toward it, trying to get closer. The spark grows, becomes brighter, filling her mind with light and warmth.

  A flash. A sharp, blinding light.

  Maria opens her eyes.

  She stands on hot sand in the middle of an endless desert. The sky is blue, like glass, incredibly clear. The wind carries dry dust. It tickles her face, fills her lungs, but offers no relief.

  All around her, a crowd of beings. Their gazes are fixed on one point. They’ve frozen, all staring ahead, in one direction. But no one moves, no one stirs.

  Maria looks around.

  Strange, unfamiliar faces. Their gazes are empty, detached. They are not like her. Humans? Or something else? Inhuman beings with features that are hard to recognize. Maria feels cold, but not from the wind. The cold comes from their silence.

  The earth trembles. Ahead, in the distance, something enormous approaches. The silhouette is blurred, but with every step it becomes clearer. It grows, becoming ever more imposing. This is not just a creature — this is something beyond comprehension.

  A colossal being, its body ablaze. Its face is hidden in darkness, but fire bursts from its hands. It holds a giant flaming sword, radiating heat that can be felt even from here. Its steps thrum, and the ground beneath it crumbles. The sounds of its approach are destructive, the kind of sounds that could tear the world apart.

  A roar.

  The sounds shatter the space, and suddenly, through this hellish howl, words cut through.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  — ALL WHO DO NOT FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD KAIROS MUST DIE!!!

  The sword rises. This is not just a movement. This motion is destruction; this swing signals the end. The crowd freezes, all stand still, their gazes never leaving the sword, this sacred weapon.

  Maria feels her chest tighten. She wants to scream, but she can’t. She tries to run, but her body is paralyzed. A flash. The sword falls with a deafening crash. An explosion. Time slows.

  To the left and right — screams that rip through the silence, bones, ash, pain. She feels panic surge through her. She wants to wake up, disappear, run away.

  And suddenly — silence.

  Like a sharp contrast. She hears no sound, no screams. Only emptiness.

  Through the horror, through all the sounds, through the pain — a touch. Soft, gentle, calming. Someone strokes her head, as if carefully protecting her.

  Maria opens her eyes.

  She sees a pure white void, where there is no sand, no fire, no crowd. Just this something — flawless whiteness that seems both eternal and timeless. Silence fills her.

  Only a voice breaks the silence.

  A whisper.

  — I am with you. I will save you. I am God Hanaris.

  Maria feels her heart start to beat in sync with this voice. She doesn’t understand who this is, but she feels — this is her salvation.

  Pietro’s Tense Watch.

  Pietro watches the holographic screens intently, his eyes fixed on the smallest fluctuations of the curves, tracking every movement with millimeter precision. He feels as though every change in the graphs affects his soul. And then — his heart tightens with surprise. His eyes widen in astonishment. He can hardly believe what he’s seeing.

  — Captain! — he exclaims, unable to hide his excitement. — Her condition is improving! She... she’s recovering!

  Manuel spins around sharply, swiftly approaching. His eyes glide across the screen, checking the pulse, blood oxygen levels, neural network activity — everything is rising, stabilizing, and a faint but steady light begins to appear on the screens. He feels a wave of relief wash over him.

  A weak smile appears on his face. He places his hand on Pietro’s shoulder, squeezing it, as if giving him some of his strength.

  — Thank God Hanaris, — he whispers with deep relief, lifting his gaze upwards, as if someone out there in the vastness of space will hear their prayer. His eyes seem to pierce through the ship’s ceiling, through the metal hull and the cold emptiness surrounding them, reaching the one who is helping their faithful companion return to life. — This is a miracle.

  In his voice is not only gratitude but a deep, sincere sense of connection to something greater than both of them, to something cosmic. As though the very cosmos is responding to their plea for salvation, giving Maria a chance to return.

  A moment — and time seems to freeze. The internal tension that has been hanging in the air dissipates, leaving only a feeling of lightness. Everything they’ve endured in the past hours blends into this moment, and with it comes loyalty and an unyielding faith in the power that protects them.