The Nebu-9 glided silently through THE VOID, its engines humming at a subdued level as the crew processed the magnitude of what had just transpired. The ship was shaken, bruised, but still alive.

  The battle was over—at least for now. But the question that had been gnawing at Elias since the moment THE VEIL had closed, still lingered in his mind. What was beyond The Rift? And more importantly, why had Earth contacted them now?

  Elias stood at the helm, hands csped behind his back as he stared into the emptiness.

  "We made it through," Kieran said quietly, as he approached, standing by Elias’s side. "But we’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s a whole gaxy’s worth of warships and cosmic horrors out there."

  Elias didn’t answer immediately. His mind was too preoccupied with the implications of THE ALIEN VESSELS. The way The Rift had bent around them, the subtle defiance in the warship's final pulse—it wasn’t just about survival. There was a message in that exchange. A call.

  "Commander?" Kieran said again, breaking Elias from his reverie. "I know you're still processing everything. But if Earth’s reached out, we need to know what they want."

  Elias turned to face him. "I know. And I think we’ll have our answer soon."

  The signal from Earth had come in through a private channel—a one-way transmission, encrypted beyond recognition. The message had been short, cryptic, and to the point.

  "Commander Vance. You are not alone. Come home. The situation has changed. Prepare for the next phase."

  A chill ran down Elias’s spine. The message was clear, but the words were too vague. The situation has changed. That could mean anything. Anything at all.

  "Nova," Elias said, his voice firm. "What do we know about the source of the transmission?"

  Nova’s usual calm voice echoed through the bridge. "I am unable to trace the full origin, Commander. However, the signal was sent from a satellite array on Earth’s moon. It was deliberately encrypted using advanced quantum encryption techniques—methods not seen since the st known interaction with The Echo Project."

  Elias's breath caught. The Echo Project. The name alone brought back memories of whispers from the past—a secret program that had been abandoned decades ago. “A mission so secretive, that even the most cssified records were buried beneath yers of red tape.”

  Kieran, standing next to him, didn’t seem to share the same recognition. "Echo Project?" he asked, eyes narrowing. "You’re saying the signal is from Earth’s government? Some secret division?"

  "Not just any government," Elias muttered, mostly to himself. "The Echo Project was humanity’s st real attempt to investigate The Unknown—before we abandoned it, when it became too dangerous. It’s been dormant for years, but if they’re reaching out now… it means they’ve been watching us all along."

  Aria, who had been listening intently from her console, spoke up. "Watching? What do you mean? Watching us—since when?"

  Elias hesitated. "Since we encountered the anomaly. Since we uncovered the ruins of THE FORGOTTEN civilization." His voice became quieter as the weight of the realization settled in. "They’ve known about The Forgotten, the war, and whatever is beyond that rift for a long time. And now… now they want us to return."

  Sienna turned around from her post. "Return where?"

  Elias turned toward her, his face set in determination. "Home. Earth."

  INCOMING TRANSMISSION

  The bridge was deathly silent, save for the quiet hum of the ship’s systems. Then, the transmission came—a second one.

  This one was not as cryptic as the first.

  "Commander Vance," a familiar voice crackled through the comms. "This is Admiral Lyra Devereux. We’ve been monitoring your mission and the events surrounding The Rift. It’s imperative that you come back immediately. The situation on Earth has escated."

  The voice was no-nonsense, authoritative. Elias’s heart skipped a beat. Admiral Lyra Devereux had been the head of The Echo Project back in the day. A figure of legend in the secretive world of interstelr defence. It had been years since he st heard her voice, but the cold edge was unmistakable.

  “Admiral,” Elias said, his voice steady, “What’s going on? What’s changed?”

  Devereux’s response was grave. “The war you just encountered—it’s not an isoted incident. It’s a global threat. The Rift is spreading, Commander. And something… something is coming through.”

  “Something?” Elias repeated, leaning closer to the console.

  “Yes,” she replied, her voice dropping an octave. “And it’s not just some alien fleet. We’ve been tracking an anomaly, a presence in THE VOID that’s not from this universe. It’s beyond anything we’ve encountered before. And we believe… it’s coming after you.”

  Elias felt a cold wave of realization wash over him. They had been the signal. They had triggered something by crossing into The Rift. The war had followed them. And now, something else was coming.

  THE SHADOW BEHIND THE VEIL

  Nova's calm voice filled the silence that followed. "Commander, I am detecting anomalous readings near the edge of The Rift. Something is approaching. Its trajectory suggests it is headed in our direction."

  Elias stiffened. "How long until it reaches us?"

  Nova paused before answering. "Approximately seven hours, Commander. If the ship is moving at the speed we estimate, it will reach the edge of our system in that timeframe."

  "The same entity?" Kieran asked, his voice tense. "Or something worse?"

  "I don’t know," Elias said, his brow furrowing. "But if we don’t make it back to Earth—and fast—there might not be a pce to go back to."

  The tension in the room was palpable. They were running out of time, and the only thing they knew for sure was that THE VEIL was opening again. And this time, whatever was coming through wouldn’t be easily fought off.

  CHOOSE YOUR ALLIES

  Elias turned to the crew. They had been through so much already, faced dangers that none of them were trained for, yet they still stood united.

  "We’re going back," Elias said, his voice unwavering. "We have to face whatever this is, together. But we need more answers. And Earth is the only pce we can get them."

  He turned to Nova. "Set a course for Earth’s moon. We’re going to the heart of The Echo Project."

  Nova confirmed the course, and the Nebu-9 shifted direction, pulling away from the anomaly that had haunted them for so long.

  But Elias couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking straight into a trap.

  CHAPTER’s NOTE:In this chapter, the crew is “forced to confront the consequences of their actions”. The appearance of Earth’s mysterious transmission reveals a deeper conspiracy, tied to The Echo Project and the growing presence in THE VOID. As they head back to Earth, they are left with the unsettling feeling that they’ve triggered something far worse—and that the stakes are much higher than they could ever have imagined.

  Will Earth provide the answers they need, or is something far darker waiting for them on their home-world?