The deeper we moved into the Crimson Zone, the more the surrounding void stopped resembling space altogether and began feeling like something alive.
The crimson mist thickened continuously around us until it no longer drifted gently but moved in slow currents like enormous rivers flowing through darkness, pressing against the senses with a suffocating heaviness that even my restored perception struggled to properly push through.
The asteroid base and the Blue Spiral behind us had long vanished from sight, swallowed entirely beneath endless red haze while the silence around us became increasingly unnatural.
Then suddenly Vivi raised her hand.
Violet essence surged outward from her body in spinning layers before wrapping around both of us in the shape of a rotating shield. The moment the barrier stabilized, I immediately felt the pressure around us lessen slightly.
