The reactor chamber pulsed with crimson light, its glow painting grotesque shadows across the walls. Heat pressed down like a smothering hand, filling the air with an oppressive weight. Ninja stepped inside, katana at the ready. The acrid scent of burning metal and ozone filled his nostrils, a testament to the ship's failing systems.
At the far end of the chamber, Kenneth stood motionless, bathed in the core's blood-red radiance. Tendrils of darkness writhed around him, coiling and uncoiling like serpents. His armor, once pristine, was cracked and scorched, exposing patches of pale, veined flesh beneath. The faint glow of the reactor silhouetted his form, making him appear less man and more monster.
"KENNETH!" Ninja's voice sliced through the oppressive silence, reverberating off the chamber walls.
Kenneth turned slowly, deliberately. His cracked visor revealed bloodshot eyes and a manic grin stretched across his face. "Ah, Ninja," he drawled, his voice oozing with mockery. "Perfect timing."
"You betrayed us!" Ninja shouted, his voice raw with fury and disbelief. "You killed your own crew!"
"Betrayed?" Kenneth chuckled, the sound cold and hollow, as if it came from the abyss itself. "No, Ninja. I've transcended. I've touched the infinite, the purest form of existence. And soon, so will you."
Kenneth extended a hand, and the shadows around him surged with anticipation. "Join me. Together, we can reshape everything. We can rise above this pathetic existence."
Ninja tightened his grip on his katana, his knuckles whitening. "I'd rather die."
Kenneth's grin widened, a sinister gleam in his eyes. "So be it."
The shadows exploded toward Ninja, tendrils moving with blinding speed. He rolled to the side, his katana flashing in the crimson light as it sliced through one of the appendages. The severed shadow recoiled with a hiss, writhing like a wounded snake.
Kenneth lunged forward, the darkness surging to his aid. Ninja met him head-on, their clash sending sparks flying through the air. Kenneth's strength was inhuman, each blow forcing Ninja to dig deep into his reserves of skill and resolve.
"You're weak, Ninja," Kenneth taunted as their blades locked. "Always clinging to your precious morals, your pathetic attachments. They make you vulnerable."
Ninja gritted his teeth, pushing back with all his might. "And they make me human. Something you'll never understand."
With a roar, Ninja broke the lock, spinning away and striking at Kenneth's exposed flank. His blade bit deep, drawing a spray of black ichor that sizzled as it hit the floor. Kenneth snarled, the shadows around him thickening in response.
The battle raged across the reactor chamber, each strike and counterstrike reverberating like thunder. Ninja's movements were precise and deliberate, honed through years of training, but Kenneth fought with unrelenting savagery, his attacks powered by the malevolent force that consumed him.
"You can't win!" Kenneth roared, slamming Ninja against a console. The impact jarred him, sending pain shooting through his ribs. "This power… it's beyond anything you can comprehend!"
Ninja struggled to his feet, blood dripping from a gash on his temple. "Power doesn't make you invincible. It makes you reckless."
With a sudden burst of speed, Ninja surged forward, his katana slicing through another tendril and landing a glancing blow on Kenneth's chest. Kenneth staggered, but the shadows around him coiled protectively, healing the wound almost instantly.
"You're a fool to resist!" Kenneth bellowed, his voice warped and distorted. The shadows surged outward, a massive wave of darkness that swallowed the chamber in an instant.
—-
When the wave receded, Ninja found himself on his knees, his katana trembling in his grasp. Kenneth stood above him, his form now grotesquely twisted. The shadows had merged with his body, turning him into a nightmarish amalgamation of man and void.
"You see?" Kenneth sneered. "Resistance is futile. You're nothing compared to me."
But as Kenneth raised his hand to deliver the final blow, the reactor pulsed violently, its light flaring brighter than ever before. Kenneth hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face.
Ninja seized the moment. He lunged upward, driving his katana straight into Kenneth's chest.
Kenneth screamed, a sound of pure agony that shook the chamber. The shadows around him recoiled, writhing and thrashing as the blade's energy coursed through his body.
"You're done, Kenneth," Ninja growled, twisting the blade. "This ends now."
Kenneth's eyes widened in shock and fury. "You think… this changes anything? I'll… always… be…" His words dissolved into a guttural roar as the shadows consumed him, dragging him into their depths.
For a moment, there was silence. Then the darkness churned, reshaping itself into a humanoid form. Ninja froze, his breath catching as he recognized the figure before him.
"Aiden," he whispered, his voice trembling.
The figure tilted its head, its hollow eyes staring back at him. The shadows clung to it like a second skin, distorting its features, but there was no mistaking the face beneath.
"You did this to me," the creature hissed, its voice a warped echo of Aiden's. "You left me behind. You let me die."
Ninja shook his head, his chest tightening. "No… I tried to save you. I—"
"Liar!" the Dark One roared, its voice reverberating through the chamber. Shadows lashed out, and Ninja barely managed to dodge the attack.
—-
The fight was relentless. The Dark One moved with terrifying speed, its tendrils striking with deadly precision. Ninja countered with everything he had, his katana a blur of motion as it cut through the darkness.
"You think you can save him?" the Dark One sneered, its voice dripping with malice.
"I know he's still in there!" Ninja shouted, his blade slicing through another tendril.
For a fleeting moment, Aiden's face surfaced within the shadows—a flicker of pain and recognition before it vanished again.
Ninja lunged, driving his katana deep into the creature's core.
The Dark One let out a deafening scream, its form convulsing violently. Waves of darkness surged outward, threatening to engulf everything. Ninja gritted his teeth, holding on to the hilt of his katana with all his strength.
"Aiden!" he shouted, his voice raw. "Fight it! You're stronger than this!"
The creature stilled, its writhing mass faltering. Within the swirling shadows, Aiden's face began to form again, clearer this time. His eyes met Ninja's, filled with pain and confusion.
"Ninja…" the voice was faint, like a whisper carried on the wind.
Tears blurred Ninja's vision. "Aiden, it's me. You can fight this. I won't let you go!"
The shadows rippled violently, and Aiden's visage flickered, replaced by the monstrous features of the Dark One.
"He belongs to me now," it snarled.
"No!" Ninja roared, twisting the blade deeper. The reactor's hum grew louder, its glow intensifying. The chamber was bathed in a blinding light as the Dark One screamed, its form disintegrating under the combined assault of the katana and the reactor's energy.
Aiden's face softened, a sad smile playing on his lips. "This may be the only time that I may have control again… Please David… You must… Stop-
Aiden's visage went pale and cold… He had passed on…
With that, the light from the reactor surged, engulfing the room in a blinding explosion. Ninja was thrown backward, his body hitting the ground hard as the force of the blast rattled the ship.
Ninja stumbled forward, dropping to his knees beside his fallen friend. He reached out, his hands trembling as he turned Aiden's face toward him. It was peaceful now, free of the torment that had consumed him.
"I'm sorry, Aiden," Ninja whispered, his voice breaking. "I should've been there for you."
Tears blurred his vision as he sat there, cradling his friend's body as it disintegrated. The weight of his failure pressed down on him, but so too did the faint flicker of hope. Aiden had fought back, even in the end. He had proved that even in the face of overwhelming darkness, there was still light.
Ninja closed his eyes, his resolve hardening. He would carry Aiden's memory with him, and he would honor it by finishing what they had started.
The fight wasn't over, but now, Ninja knew what he was fighting for…