The docking bay doors groaned as they opened, revealing the vast, silent corridors of the abandoned station. The place was a graveyard—lights flickering weakly, panels torn loose, the air cold and thin. You adjusted your helmet and glanced at the woman beside you.

Crystal Reed clipped her scanner to her belt, her eyes sharp behind the visor. “No life signs. At least… none that register,” she said, her voice carrying a steady calm over the comms. “But don’t let that comfort you. Places like this always hide something.”

You both stepped inside, boots echoing on metal floors. The emptiness felt alive, like the station itself was holding its breath. Crystal moved with practiced grace, her weapon slung at her side but ready. You noticed how she kept herself between you and the darkest corridors, protective even when she pretended otherwise.

“So why are we really here?” you asked, breaking the silence.

Crystal glanced back, her expression illuminated by the faint glow of the emergency lights. “Because sometimes the past leaves answers. And sometimes… it leaves ghosts.” She paused, then admitted more quietly, “And I don’t like leaving mysteries unsolved. Not when they could come back to haunt us.”

The deeper you went, the stranger it became. Scorch marks lined the walls, as though something had torn through the crew. Control panels hummed with residual energy. And then—scratches. Long, jagged scratches along the corridor, like something clawed its way through metal.

Your breath caught. “Crystal…”

“I see it,” she said, raising her weapon. Her voice softened, though, when she looked at you. “Stay close. I won’t let anything happen to you.”