All Chapters of Eternal Malediction: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Do you want to know what the true meaning of life really is? Fine, I’ll tell you.Here is the truth that nobody wants to say out loud:Life isn’t some radiant journey towards a predestined place, some fairy tale where your choices magically all matter. It's a simple loop. Wake up, pretend you're happy, sleep, and dream. Repeating this until you rot. People nowadays cling to words such as 'dreams', 'aspiration' and 'purpose' as if chanting them will keep the darkness away, but deep down within us we all know that’s what is waiting at the end. Absolute Nothingness. Just simple silence.But please don't mistake me for some pessimist who enjoys wallowing in misery. Honestly, it irritates me as well. No, this isn’t about pessimism; it’s all about simple honesty. Look around you for a moment. Everyone is playing pretend. They laugh too loud, they smile too wide, and they whisper to themselves that they’re special, that their lives mean something, and that they have value, but it’s a lie.Me

His vision blurred, swimming in and out of focus like a broken reel of a film, as he tried to make sense of the disorienting situation. For a moment, he was sure he was still dying. Bleeding out, choking on his own screams that weren’t leaving his throat. Slowly, the world around him sharpened into focus. He wasn’t dead anymore. He could feel the hum of the station around him, the clanking of machinery and the soft whir of electronics.His surroundings came into view: smooth, sterile metallic walls; overhead lights casting pure white light; and consoles blinking with familiar displays. The faint vibration beneath his feet told him he was somewhere in motion.Roy blinked, his hand flying to his chest, then arms, then legs. He was whole. Not torn apart. There was no blood or pain. “... What?” The word slipped out before he could stop it.He staggered back a step, staring at the blinking monitors and the sterile lights overhead. On the main display, a black hole loomed in orbit – ESO 24

“Impact on the outer hull! Sectors 5 and 6 are gone!” Elara’s voice came through the comms, strained and urgent. “Meteorite debris. Structural integrity has been compromised in multiple sectors.”Roy scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding in his ear. Through the wind, he could see a small but rapidly glowing crack spiderwebbing across the exterior, and when he looked for sectors 5 and 6, the sector where he and Kieran came from, it was gone.Ripped off.As Roy was taking in the situation, the window he was viewing from started to crack, and it grew exponentially. “We need to seal this area now!” Ivan exclaimed, his tone unyielding. “Mason, override the safety protocol. We are detaching this sector. Roy, get back to the airlock!”Roy hesitated, his mind racing. “What about you?”“I’ll follow once the sector is secure. NOW MOVE IT!” Ivan's command left no room for argument.Roy retreated; a third impact struck, this one more violent than the last. The lights flickered, and a deep g