Astrais drifted through the cosmos, a silent predator in the endless expanse of space. Over the past year, Axel had dedicated himself to the art of survival and domination—scouring derelict wrecks, abandoned military stations, and forgotten outposts for the remnants of lost civilizations. Each piece of technology, each component he salvaged, only served to strengthen Astrais into a true warship.
The ship was no longer just a means of travel—it was his fortress, his kingdom. Its defenses had been refined, its weapons evolved, and its capacity for destruction heightened. He had even integrated new energy shielding, scavenged from the wrecks of fallen fleets, allowing Astrais to absorb impact that would have once shattered its hull.
But something wasn't right.
Axel sat in the command chair, reviewing system logs when an alarm blared across the control panel. The ship trembled slightly, as if some unknown force had brushed against its hull.
"Chamber, report."
"Warning: anomaly detected. Distortion signature matches the event recorded during previous universe transition."
Axel's breath hitched. The anomaly. The same unknown disturbance that had pulled him from his original universe into this one had reappeared—and worse, it was following him.
His fingers moved swiftly across the control panel, bringing up a holographic visualization of the disturbance. It was erratic, shifting, almost like it was… searching.
"Chamber, confirm tracking trajectory. Is the anomaly actively pursuing Astrais?"
A brief pause. Then—
"Affirmative. The anomaly is adjusting course to match Astrais' movement. Estimated time to contact: 72 hours at current speed."
Axel clenched his jaw. How? How had it followed him here? And why now, after three years?
It made no sense. The anomaly had seemed like a random event before, a cosmic accident. But if it was actively chasing him… then it was something far more sinister.
Was it after him? Or was it after something inside Astrais?
Axel activated a deep scan, pushing Astrais' sensors to their limits. If this thing wanted him, he needed to know what he was dealing with.
"Scan results?"
"Unable to determine composition or origin. Anomaly is composed of an unknown energy signature outside current database parameters."
That wasn't good. Astrais had assimilated data from hundreds of wrecks, covering multiple species and civilizations—and nothing matched this anomaly.
He leaned forward, running his fingers through his hair. He had fought machines, men, and the unknown, but this was different. A force beyond his understanding was hunting him through the stars.
Axel gritted his teeth. He wasn't about to let some cosmic force dictate his fate.
"Chamber, prepare for evasive maneuvers. Set a course away from populated regions. I want to see how persistent this thing really is."
"Acknowledged. Engaging evasive protocol. Calculating optimal trajectory."
The engines of Astrais roared to life, the ship surging forward into deep space. The anomaly twisted behind it, shifting its course to match.
Axel watched with narrowed eyes. It really was following him.
But why?
If this thing had tracked him across universes, then conventional escape tactics wouldn't work. He needed a new plan.
His mind raced through possibilities. He had one year of technological advances under his belt, meaning he had tricks he didn't have the last time. Energy distortions, stealth fields, gravitational manipulation—they were all options.
But he needed data.
"Chamber, prepare a decoy probe. Equip it with Astrais' energy signature and launch it at full speed in the opposite direction."
"Executing now."
A small drone detached from Astrais, accelerating at maximum velocity. Axel watched the anomaly closely, but it did not waver. Instead, it continued its slow, relentless pursuit of Astrais, closing the distance little by little. His fingers tightened around the armrest as he realized—there was no escape, only confrontation.
For a moment, the anomaly hesitated. Then—it pulsed stronger than before, as if confirming something. But it did not split.
Axel exhaled sharply. That was confirmation.
It wasn't chasing Astrais. It was chasing him.
Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide
His mind whirred with possibilities. What was it about him that attracted this force? Something within his body? His ship? Or… something else?
He didn't have enough information. And without more knowledge, he couldn't form a plan to destroy it.
His best option now was temporary evasion.
"Chamber, alter trajectory toward a dense asteroid field. We'll use the gravitational distortions to mask our presence."
"Executing evasive maneuver."
Astrais veered sharply, pushing its engines to the limit as it approached a cluster of shattered planetary debris. The asteroid field was chaotic, filled with massive rock formations and scattered wrecks of long-dead ships.
Perfect cover.
As Astrais entered the field, the anomaly hesitated. It hovered at the edge, as if observing.
Axel held his breath. Would it follow? Would it lose him?
Seconds stretched into eternity. Then—
The anomaly began to pulse.
Axel's heart pounded. It was searching for him.
"Chamber, activate all stealth protocols. Power down non-essential systems. Let's see if we can disappear."
"Acknowledged. Entering low-power mode."
Astrais went dark, blending into the lifeless wreckage and drifting asteroids.
For a moment, the anomaly stood still. It hovered, pulsed—then, without warning—moved.
A sudden spike in energy readings flashed across the control panel.
Axel barely had time to react.
The anomaly lunged forward, bypassing Astrais' stealth fields completely, and slammed into the ship.
Astrais shuddered violently, alarms blaring as Axel was nearly thrown from his seat. The moment of false safety was over. The anomaly hadn't been fooled.
It had found him.
And now, it was inside.
Axel's breath hitched as the lights flickered, a cold, unnatural presence creeping through the ship's systems.
A voice—deep, distant, and inhuman—whispered through the comms.
"You cannot run, Axel. You never could."
For the first time in a long time, Axel felt something he had nearly forgotten.
Fear.