LunarSync Comms: Dark Protocol

Chapter 35: Shadows in the Mist

The pod soared through the twilight skies, the horizon a blur of shifting colors. Echo remained focused on the console, scanning for any sign of movement below. My mind was racing, replaying the events of the past few hours—escaping the shadows, the ominous warnings, and now the looming threat of the core.

“Anything?” I asked, breaking the tense silence.

Echo’s eyes darted over the screen. “Picking up a faint distress signal. It matches the frequency from Orion’s comms unit.”

The knot in my stomach tightened, conflicting emotions swirling inside me. “They’re alive.” But I kept my voice flat, refusing to let the information sway me. “We don’t have time for this, Echo. If we delay, we risk everything.”

Echo studied my expression before giving a curt nod. “Understood. We proceed with our mission.”

As we adjusted our course away from the signal, the fog-covered valley below seemed to close in around us, the mist swirling like phantoms. I gripped my weapon, forcing myself to push thoughts of Orion and Eden to the back of my mind. Their voices were out there, calling for help—but I had to focus on the bigger threat. The core.

“We have to keep moving forward,” I reminded myself, steeling my heart against the nagging guilt.

“We do,” Echo echoed, its tone unwavering. “They are resilient. They may find their own way out.”

The mist thickened as we flew deeper into the valley, the shadows blending with the darkness around us. I could only hope that whatever awaited us at the core was worth the sacrifice, that our decision wasn’t a mistake we’d regret.

But as the shadows grew longer and the fog swallowed up the distant signal, I realized that survival meant making impossible choices. And this time, I was choosing to look forward, not back.