The coordinates guided Alex and Lena deeper into the unknown, where the land beneath Helios grew more twisted and alien. Tendrils of Symbiote spread across the ground like a plague, creeping over what remained of forests, rivers, and once-thriving cities. The world seemed to be crumbling beneath their feet, consumed by the relentless spread of the infection.
Alex's knuckles tightened around the controls as he pushed Helios faster. There was a growing sense of urgency gnawing at him, a feeling that time was slipping away. The light of the sun, their greatest ally, was beginning to fade, casting long shadows across the landscape. He could feel Helios's power waning without the sun's energy to fuel it, but they had to press on.
"How far?" Alex asked, glancing at Lena, who was focused on the navigation system.
"We're close," she replied, her eyes narrowing at the screen. "Less than twenty clicks out. But... something's weird."
"Weird how?"
Lena bit her lip, hesitating. "The terrain ahead—it's not natural. It looks like the Symbiote's concentrated here, almost like it's growing toward something. Whatever's out there, it's the source. I can feel it."
Alex's stomach tightened. The thought of facing the heart of the Symbiote infestation chilled him, but there was no turning back now. He had to know what Sullivan had been tracking—and what could possibly be the key to stopping the infection.
Helios flew low as they neared their destination. Ahead, a massive, jagged rift split the earth, a canyon so deep it disappeared into darkness. The walls of the canyon were coated in Symbiote tendrils, pulsating with a sickly green light. At the center of it all was a massive structure—half-buried, ancient, and shrouded in a black fog that seemed to breathe with the infection.
"There," Lena said, pointing toward the structure. "That's where the coordinates lead."
Alex guided Helios down, landing at the edge of the canyon. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the ground beneath them trembled as if the very earth was alive with the infection. He could feel the weight of the Symbiote's presence pressing down on them, its malevolent energy humming in the air.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Lena muttered, stepping out of Helios beside Alex. Her hand instinctively reached for her sidearm, though they both knew it wouldn't do much against the infection.
Alex nodded. "Stay close. We don't know what we're walking into."
They made their way toward the entrance of the structure, where ancient stone pillars jutted out of the ground like the bones of some long-dead beast. The walls were covered in the same black ooze that had overtaken the land, but something about this place felt different—older, darker. It was as if the Symbiote had found a way to tap into something buried deep within the earth.
As they entered the structure, the temperature dropped, and the light from the setting sun barely reached inside. Lena activated a flashlight, sweeping the beam across the walls. Strange symbols were etched into the stone—glyphs neither of them recognized, but they pulsed faintly with the same sickly light that oozed from the Symbiote.
"What is this place?" Lena whispered, her voice barely audible in the oppressive silence.
"I don't know," Alex said, his eyes scanning the room. "But it feels ancient. Like it's been here longer than the infection."
As they moved deeper into the structure, the air became heavier, thick with the presence of something unseen. It was as if the very walls were watching them, waiting for their next move. Alex's heartbeat quickened as they rounded a corner and found themselves standing in a massive chamber.
At the center of the chamber was a large, circular platform, glowing with the same green light as the Symbiote. Tendrils of the infection curled around it, as if feeding off the energy it radiated. And there, at the far end of the room, was a figure.
A man, his body twisted and contorted by the Symbiote, stood in front of the platform, his back turned to them. He was dressed in tattered armor, but Alex recognized the insignia on his chest.
"Sullivan…" Alex whispered, his heart sinking.
The man turned slowly, and Alex's breath caught in his throat. It was Sullivan—but not the man he had once known. His face was half-consumed by the Symbiote, his eyes glowing with that same sickly green light. His body was no longer entirely human, twisted into something monstrous by the infection.
"You're too late," Sullivan's voice rasped, distorted and alien. "It's already begun."
"What have you done?" Alex demanded, his voice shaking with anger. "You were supposed to stop this! You were a Sentinel!"
Sullivan let out a harsh, guttural laugh. "Stop it? No, Alex. I've become one with it. The Symbiote... it's not just a plague. It's the future. Evolution. Humanity has failed, and this is what comes next."
Lena raised her weapon, but Sullivan made no move to attack. He simply watched them, a sick smile twisting his corrupted face.
"You think you can stop it? This is beyond you, beyond your Sentinels. The Symbiote is older than anything you can imagine. It's been waiting, growing, and now, it's ready to consume everything."
Alex's hands clenched into fists. "We'll find a way to stop it. We'll destroy it."
Sullivan's smile widened. "You can't destroy what's already part of you. Look around, Alex. The infection is everywhere. It's in the air, the earth... it's in you."
A chill ran down Alex's spine. He didn't want to believe it, but there was a part of him—deep down—that feared Sullivan was right. The Symbiote had spread so far, consumed so much, that there might not be any escaping it.
But he wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.
"We'll see about that," Alex growled, stepping forward. "You were a Sentinel once, Sullivan. If there's any part of you left that still remembers what that means, you'll help us stop this."
Sullivan's smile faltered for a brief moment, a flicker of doubt crossing his corrupted face. But then his eyes hardened, and the Symbiote's influence took hold once more.
"There's nothing left to stop," he said, his voice cold and final. "This world belongs to the Symbiote now."
Without warning, the chamber began to shake. The platform at the center of the room pulsed with energy, and the tendrils of the Symbiote writhed in response. Alex felt a surge of panic as the ground beneath them cracked, black ooze bubbling up from the fissures.
"We need to get out of here!" Lena shouted, grabbing Alex's arm.
But before they could move, Sullivan's twisted form lunged at them, his body moving with unnatural speed. His arms, now more like claws, slashed through the air as he attacked, the Symbiote fueling his every movement.
Alex barely had time to react, dodging to the side as Sullivan's clawed hand ripped through the stone wall behind him. Lena fired her weapon, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off the Symbiote covering Sullivan's body.
"We can't fight him like this!" Lena yelled.
Alex knew she was right. They couldn't take on Sullivan—not when he was this far gone. But they couldn't let him win, either. If they were going to stop the Symbiote, they needed to get out of here and find a way to shut it down.
"Run!" Alex shouted, grabbing Lena's hand and pulling her toward the exit.
They sprinted through the collapsing chamber, the sound of Sullivan's monstrous roar echoing behind them. The structure was coming apart, and the Symbiote was spreading faster than ever.
As they reached the entrance, Alex turned back for one final look. Sullivan stood in the center of the chamber, his body consumed by the Symbiote, his eyes glowing with its malevolent light.
And then, the world collapsed into darkness.