*The Mission*

rew battered but triumphant. Sophia's team pored

shining with excitement. "The artifact's location. It's on

's a treacherous region. W

d by turbulent energies. The crew struggled to m

terialized before them, its center

ogy," Sophia warned. "It's the artifact's guar

en let's give them a fig

ng. The energy field pulsed, its power surgin

ssal entity materialized, its eye

ce of the artifact?" it thundered. "

striking the Aurora with incredible force.

everything. He made a split-second decision,

entity's attack by mere meters. The shi

e entity. Something strange was happening.

e energy signature," Sophia ex

wasn't a guardian – it was a protector. And it w