The violet sky of the planet began to darken, but on Astra Helion night never meant stopping. Dorian knew that the true nature of a world revealed itself when the sun went down, and this one would not be the exception. Omega floated behind him, projecting a tactical map over his visual interface.
—"Omega, environment report," Dorian ordered, adjusting his right glove.
—"Biological activity increasing. Irregular thermal shifts. Moving signals descending from elevated coordinates. Recommendation: relocate toward rocky structure to the northeast."
The terrain of the planet looked even stranger now that the light was disappearing. The bark of the trees glowed with a faint red, as if they had blood inside, and the air grew thicker, filled with the smell of iron. With every step, the ground seemed to exhale steam.
Dorian advanced without hesitation. His senses were sharp; the training in Astra Helion had been clear: "A warrior does not allow the environment to dominate him. He adapts and dominates it."
As he approached the canyon Omega had detected earlier, he noticed something new: large organic structures embedded in the rocks, almost as if massive shells were attached to the cliff walls. As he got closer, a crack on one of those structures began to vibrate.
—"Internal activity. Unclassified species. Slow movement…" —Omega began, but didn't finish.
A loud crack echoed throughout the canyon and a creature crawled out from inside the shell, breaking it into viscous fragments. It was different from the previous ones: four legs, glowing dorsal spines, and a layered jaw covered in dark fluid.
The creature roared, and the sound felt like metal scraping against glass. Dorian activated his sensory field: small electrical micro-impulses ran through his nerves, amplifying his vision and movement perception.
—"Hostility confirmed," Omega stated. "Temporary classification: Predator."
The creature lunged toward him with surprising speed. Dorian dodged sideways, letting the monster slam into the rock where he had been a second before. The wall exploded into fragments, shaking the entire canyon.
This Predator was stronger than the previous ones.
Dorian struck the ground with his foot, generating impulse, and leaped onto an elevated rock. The monster followed, climbing with ferocity and piercing its claws like blades. Dorian reached for the metallic cylinder on his back —his compressed sword— and activated it.
With a snap, the energy blade extended with a pale blue flash.
—"Combat mode: melee weapon. Energy level stable," Omega announced.
The Predator roared again and jumped at Dorian. This time, there was no evasion. Dorian brought the sword down at a precise angle. The blade sliced through one of the front legs mid-jump, cutting flesh and bone with a metallic sound. The creature tumbled down, lifting dust and stone.
It didn't die from the fall.
It rose on three legs, exhaling dark vapor from its fractured jaw. Then it charged again, even faster, despite missing a limb. Dorian blocked with his forearm and felt the impact like a steel bar smashing into titanium. His muscles tensed automatically to absorb the blow, but his arm trembled from the force.
(Stronger… its musculature is generating internal kinetic energy.) —Dorian thought.
Without losing rhythm, he pivoted, slid under the creature's body, and cut it from abdomen to neck. This time it fell. Its black blood evaporated upon contact with the air, leaving a chemical stench that burned the eyes.
Omega approached with the scanner.
—"Predator eliminated. Internal structure unknown. Recommending biological data extraction for analysis."
Dorian cut a fragment of its exoskeleton and stored it. It wasn't the first time he gathered samples from strange beings on the different planets he visited, but it was indeed the first time he had seen such a creature.
He continued forward. The canyon opened into a wider zone where giant stone pillars formed natural columns. At the center of that rocky valley, Dorian found something he did not expect:
A giant crater. And at the bottom of the crater, a destroyed metallic object.
Omega scanned it from above with light.
—"Material: Helion nano-alloy… ancient. Estimation: centuries of deterioration. Conclusion: remains of a Helion ship."
Dorian descended quickly toward the crater. His eyes widened with surprise and something deeper: respect.
—"What was… a Helion ship doing here?" —he muttered through his teeth.
Astra Helion did not send random missions. If a ship had been here, it had a purpose. Omega floated by his side, projecting data in real time.
—"Approximate identification: Unit Sigma-12. Registered as 'Missing' 147 Helion cycles ago."
147 cycles… for a human it would be more than a hundred years.
Dorian opened the cockpit of the fallen ship. Inside he found remains of technology and signs of a fierce battle. There were acid marks, punctures, and biological layers fused to metal.
A broken audio log began to play, distorted:
"—This is Sigma-12… attack… creatures… no— [static] —core failure— [static] —DON'T TOUCH THE—"
The file corrupted and ended.
Dorian clenched his teeth. He realized he was not the first Helion to set foot on this hostile planet. Not the first at all.
Omega dimmed the light.
—"Recommendation: immediate withdrawal. Multiple biological signatures approaching the crater. Predators detected."
Dorian raised his guard. This time it wasn't one or two. Signals moved quickly across all the crater walls, descending like spiders.
—"Sword mode full. Preparing Helion pulse."
The sword resonated, its core shifting pitch. Dorian inhaled, squared his stance, and waited for the first predator to leap.
And when it did, he closed the distance with a single perfect movement:
A horizontal cut, fast as lightning, illuminating the crater with a trail of blue energy.
Bodies began to fall from the darkness.
The real night had just begun.