The Ex Voidborn

The ship had finally exited the nebula, the once violent swirl of energy behind them now a distant blur. The crew let out a collective breath of relief, the tension in the air slowly dissipating. The danger they had just narrowly escaped hung in the back of their minds, but for now, they had a moment to breathe.

Lyra leaned back in her seat, her body still buzzing with the residual energy of the Void. It had taken every ounce of her focus to stabilize the ship, and even now, her mind felt like it was teetering on the edge of exhaustion. But more than the physical strain, it was the growing fear inside her that gnawed at her thoughts. She was getting more powerful, more in tune with the Void, and with each passing day, the line between herself and the Core blurred. How long before she could no longer distinguish between the two?

Thalor stood beside her, watching her closely. His eyes, always so sharp and discerning, had softened in recent days. He knew what she was going through—he had experienced the pull of the Void firsthand, after all—but even he couldn’t fully understand the weight of what she carried.

“You did well back there,” Thalor said quietly, his voice breaking the silence. He leaned against the console, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her.

Lyra nodded, though her expression remained distant. “I almost lost control again.”

“But you didn’t,” Thalor countered, his voice firm but not unkind. “That’s what matters.”

The ship hummed softly around them, the low mechanical sounds oddly soothing after the chaos of the nebula. Soraya was at the helm, her eyes fixed on the controls, occasionally glancing at the navigational readouts. The ship was on course, but there was an unspoken tension between the crew, as if they were waiting for the next storm to hit.

Suddenly, the ship’s sensors beeped, and Soraya’s hands flew over the console. “We’ve got an incoming transmission,” she announced, her tone wary. “It’s encrypted, but it’s coming from a known channel.”

Lyra and Thalor exchanged a look. After the encounter with Idris and the mysterious ships, anything could be a threat. “Patch it through,” Thalor said, moving to stand behind Soraya.

A moment later, the viewscreen flickered to life, revealing the image of a man—someone Lyra didn’t recognize. He was tall and imposing, his features sharp, with cold, calculating eyes that sent a chill down her spine. His uniform was black, adorned with the emblem of an unfamiliar faction. His presence exuded authority, and something else… something darker.

“Thalor,” the man said, his voice smooth but laced with malice. “It’s been a long time.”

Thalor’s jaw tightened. His stance shifted, his posture tense. “Alekos.”

Lyra’s heart skipped a beat at the venom in Thalor’s voice. Whoever this man was, he wasn’t just an old acquaintance. There was history here—bad history.

“You’ve been hard to find,” Alekos continued, his tone mocking. “I’ve been tracking your movements for weeks, but it seems you’ve picked up some new tricks.”

Thalor said nothing, his eyes locked on Alekos. The silence was thick with unspoken words, tension crackling between them like static electricity.

“I must say, I’m impressed,” Alekos went on, his gaze shifting to Lyra. His eyes lingered on her for a moment too long, and a sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. “You’ve found yourself a little pet. And from the looks of it, she’s quite the talented one.”

Lyra bristled at his words, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. She could feel the Void stirring within her, reacting to her anger, but she forced it down, refusing to let it surface.

“She’s none of your concern,” Thalor said, his voice low and dangerous.

Alekos chuckled darkly, the sound grating against Lyra’s nerves. “Oh, but she is, Thalor. You see, she’s the key, isn’t she? The Void responds to her. And where there’s power, there’s opportunity.”

Lyra’s breath caught in her throat. How did he know about her connection to the Void? And what did he mean by ‘opportunity’?

“I don’t care what you think you know,” Thalor said, stepping forward, his body tense like a coiled spring. “You won’t get anywhere near her.”

Alekos’s smile widened, a predatory gleam in his eyes. “Is that a threat? You know how those end between us, Thalor.”

For a brief moment, Thalor’s expression wavered, a flicker of something—regret, perhaps—crossing his face. It was gone in an instant, replaced by the hardened resolve Lyra had come to recognize. “I don’t make threats, Alekos. But I will warn you one last time: stay away.”

The tension in the room was suffocating. Lyra could feel it, the electric crackle of impending conflict. Thalor’s past was catching up with him, and it was about to drag her into its murky depths.

Alekos’s expression darkened, the playful glint in his eyes replaced by something far more sinister. “You’ve forgotten your place, Thalor. You may have once been part of the Voidborn, but you’re nothing now. A rogue element. A traitor.”

Lyra’s heart raced. Voidborn? She had heard the term before, but Thalor had never spoken of it directly. What was his connection to them? And why was he branded a traitor?

“You left the Order,” Alekos continued, his tone dripping with contempt. “You turned your back on everything we stood for, and now… now you’re nothing more than a coward, running from your own shadow.”

Thalor’s fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles white. His silence spoke volumes.

Alekos leaned closer to the screen, his cold eyes locking onto Lyra once more. “You think you can protect her from us? From the Void itself? You’re deluding yourself. She’s already marked. The Void will consume her—just like it did you.”

Thalor took a step forward, his voice a low growl. “You don’t know anything about her.”

“Oh, but I do,” Alekos said, his smile returning, more sinister than ever. “I know that she’s dangerous. And that’s why she must be controlled.”

Lyra’s blood ran cold. The Void inside her stirred again, a deep, pulsating force that seemed to respond to Alekos’s words. She could feel it creeping up her spine, whispering to her, tempting her to unleash it.

“I will not be controlled,” Lyra said, her voice steady, though her hands trembled. She stepped forward, standing beside Thalor. “Not by you, not by anyone.”

Alekos’s eyes glinted with amusement. “Brave words, little human. But bravery won’t save you when the Void comes for you. When it’s hungry, it devours everything in its path.”

“We’ll see about that,” Lyra said, her gaze unwavering. “Because I’m not afraid of the Void. And I’m not afraid of you.”

For a moment, Alekos’s expression faltered, a flicker of something—surprise, perhaps—crossing his face. Then he laughed, the sound cold and empty. “You should be. But no matter. We’ll meet soon enough.”

With that, the transmission cut out, the screen going dark. The room fell into an uneasy silence, the echo of Alekos’s words lingering in the air.

Lyra turned to Thalor, her heart pounding. “Who is he? What did he mean about the Voidborn?”

Thalor exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “Alekos and I… we have history. Bad history. We were once part of the same Order—the Voidborn. We were trained to harness the Void, to use its power for the good of the galaxy. But Alekos… he became obsessed. He wanted more power, more control. When I refused to follow him down that path, he branded me a traitor.”

Lyra’s eyes widened. “And now he’s after me?”

Thalor nodded, his expression grim. “You’re powerful, Lyra. The Void responds to you in a way it never has with anyone else. That makes you a threat to Alekos—and to the Voidborn. They’ll come for you. But I won’t let them.”

Lyra swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling over her like a heavy cloak. The danger was far greater than she had imagined. But she wasn’t going to back down. Not now.

“Let them come,” she said, her voice filled with determination. “I’ll be ready.”

Thalor looked at her, his eyes filled with something she hadn’t seen before—pride. “I know you will.”