Leena didn't report in. Her biosignal vanished from the comm-grid, but Rhys found a secondary ping—inside the NULL sector.
"How?" Reyes barked. "It's sealed."
An old analog shaft, sealed behind rusted maintenance plating, showed signs of recent use. Reyes and Brecht forced it open and descended.
Inside, they discovered a room lit in dim red. The air was humid, metallic. Names covered the walls, etched by hand or machine. Each name was followed by a date.
Each date was a death.
Elen. Talia. Brecht. Reyes. Leena.
Only Rhys's name was missing.
Elen reached out toward her name. The walls vibrated. The station whispered through every active speaker, even those long disconnected:
> "This cycle completes with you."
> "Welcome back."
They weren't just here to investigate.
They were here to finish what had begun.