Arin Solas stepped toward the heart of the Veil, alone. His footsteps echoed against the silver platform as his crew begged him to stop.
The voices returned, calm and eternal. "Will you join us, traveler?"
Arin's chest tightened, but he did not hesitate. "If this is the price, then take me."
Light engulfed him, searing, endless. He felt his body dissolve into whispers, his voice scattering into a thousand echoes across the stars.
On the bridge, the crew wept as the Veil opened. The Eclipse Voyager surged through, back into the familiar darkness of their own galaxy. Behind them, the Rift sealed shut with a soundless ripple.
Silence returned.
But when the comms crackled with static, a single voice whispered through:
"Captain Arin Solas… now watches with us."