Chapter 1438 Encountering Resistance Author's Note: Unedited Chapter --------- "Oh? So it's over?" He looked forward after noticing that they were cruising through space. Taking note of his surroundings, he spotted familiar orbital bodies that came into view when they left the dead man zone over two weeks ago. From the time and date Gustav could see the spacecraft displaying, it seemed like they had gone back once again. "What do you mean 'oh it's over'... I asked how long will it take us to reach our destination?" Ria questioned with a confused look. Aildris was just as clueless. He felt like something was wrong. "You okay?" He inquired. "Yeah, I'm fine. It looks like you guys don't remember. That's a good sign," Gustav stated with a look of relief. "Remember what?" Ria and Aildris took a glance at each other. They were starting to wonder if Gustav had gone cuckoo. "It's better than y'all don't know. At least Ifeiev won't be able to chase us anymore," Gustav smiled while the ancient hourglass appeared before him. Floating atop the ancient hourglass was the Crimson strand of root-like hair which was bathed in a golden glow. Gustav had made use of the ancient hourglass energy to prevent the hair from being stripped away by the correction in time. Since the loop was shattered, it meant Gustav wouldn't have encountered Ifeiev and successfully stolen the hair. So originally, the hair would have returned to Ifeiev and he would still be capable of hunting them even after shattering the loop. Fortunately, the energy from the ancient hourglass prevented this. Aildris and Ria both stared at Gustav still utterly confused about how they went from talking about their destination to whatever he was referencing. "I still remember though," Endric chimed in from the side. "Time candidate... of course," Gustav voiced in understanding. It wasn't the first time Endric was retaining his memory after a time reconfiguration. "You guys better fill us in," Ria stated in defiance. "Well, it might be better for you two to know about it anyways... just in case," Endric decided to be the one to narrate their endeavors to them. Gustav focused on steering the spacecraft forward and taking unprecedented paths so as not to accidentally bump into Ifeiev again. They had successfully gotten away from him but to make sure things stayed that way, they needed to avoid spots that they had initially traveled through. .... .... .... In another part of space, Ifeiev floated while his hair grew in length. Some parts of it became much thicker than before and spread out like branches. In a few moments, a finger-sized green fruit with a circular top and base grew out of the peak. It exuded a mythical glow as the time surrounding it sped up. The fruit ripened in just a few seconds and Ifeiev reached up to pluck it with his incredibly slender fingers. He placed the fruit at his neck region and a circular hole suddenly opened up to consume it. His neck emitted a glow which followed down into his belly from the shimmer of the fruit. Suddenly Ifeiev's body began to morph. The serene beauty of the hair's crimson branches became more pronounced, their edges sharpening, their movements even more deliberate and ominous. The branches twisted and coiled, transforming into a writhing mass that exuded a sinister aura. The transformation was not just visual but palpable, as a wave of energy burst forth from Ifeiev, rippling through the surrounding space, distorting the very fabric of reality. As Ifeiev underwent a type of metamorphosis, his form grew exponentially, expanding into something far more sinister and immensely powerful. The once serene and beautiful branches now resembled the tendrils of some cosmic horror, each movement synchronized with the pulsing of dark energy that now emanated from his core. The Crimson hue deepened to a blood-like shade, imbuing Ifeiev with an aura of malevolence that chilled the soul. The faceless nature of Ifeiev became even more pronounced as if its lack of features was a void that drew in all hope; all light. Its form, now a monument to dread, loomed in the void of space, a harbinger of an unfathomable darkness. The transformation was completed, and where once floated a creature of mysterious beauty, now stood a being of unparalleled power and sinister intent. { I may not know where you are... but I know where you are going! } Ifeiev's dreadful voice resonated deeply despite being in space as he suddenly vanished. .... .... -Ten Days Later- In an unknown location, Gustav's spacecraft sliced through the vacuum of space. They were already drawing close to their destination but remained on the lookout for any unexpectancies. As the spacecraft further neared its destination, the group noticed a shift in the behavior of space itself. Particles that once drifted lazily now veered away in an unseen current, as if repelled by an invisible force. Stars that should twinkle in the distance seemed to skirt around an unseen boundary, leaving a void that stared back at them like an unblinking eye. The closer the spacecraft got, the more pronounced the repulsion became until it reached a threshold where space itself seemed to fold, creating a barrier that no physical object could penetrate. "Why have we stopped? Are we there already?" Ria questioned. "It's not by choice... the engines are still running but it's having difficulty moving any further," Gustav answered. "We are being repelled," Aildris stood to his feet and noticed that it took a lot of energy to move forward despite being within the spacecraft. "What exactly is going on?" Ria asked with confusion written all over his face. "It means we're almost there... We're almost at the center of the universe," Endric voiced with a tone of certainty. "I suspected something like this might happen," Gustav muttered while pushing his hand forward. A strange force kept contending with his palm movement. "It makes sense why no one has ever been able to tell any tale about reaching the middle of the universe or why there is no mention of the planet there..." He added. "Because whenever spacecraft get to this point, they go around it," Aildris muttered with a tone of realization. "And I'm guessing they can't see it either so no one ever really tried to get past," Gustav stated while squinting his eyes. "See it?" Ria voiced in confusion. Far into the distance was the outline of a planet, darkened and desolate, its surface a testament to ages of desiccation and decay. The planet, hidden from the prying eyes of the universe, existed in isolation, its presence known to none, as it was invisible to all. Instead of responding, Gustav gazed into the void and saw what no other could—the darkened planet, suspended in the heart of repulsion. From their current position, it was as distant as Mars was from Earth but since they were in space, the outline was visible to Gustav. However, it was just him and not the others. "I can see it," Gustav proceeded to describe the planet in vivid detail, his eyes seeing through the cosmic veil that rendered it invisible to others. "Is there a reason why you can see it and we can't?" Ria questioned in confoundment. "Perks of being the outworldly I guess," Aildris voiced from the side. "The Mundane One did mention that it was going to be invisible to the eyes except for specific periods which is also when we will get the chance to get onto the planet because it is also intangible while it is invisible," Endric chimed in from the side. "Did he mention that the repulsion will stop too? Or do we have to get close to the planet first?" Aildris inquired. "He didn't specify but I'd say it's better safe than sorry to be closer to it when the time comes," Endric responded with a grave tone. With the spacecraft unable to breach the invisible repellant force, the group had to come up with ways to infiltrate. Gustav sat down once again before the control panels and pushed the hyperjump button. He decided not to power it fully so it wouldn't take them beyond the specific perimeter. After a few moments, he pushed the throttle. The spacecraft rumbled intensely as it turned into a needle-like streak that pushed forward with unprecedented tenacity. It soon returned to normal, giving them visuals of the surroundings once more. "Did we get past in?" Ria inquired. "Nope, we're still where we were," Endric responded with a disturbed look. "From the looks of things, it is impossible to move in a straight line beyond this point," Gustav shook his head. "Then what do we do?" Ria questioned. "I don't think the spacecraft will be of any use to us in this situation," Gustav stood to his feet. "Come on, let's head out," He added while heading for the exit. Aildris and Ria each grabbed a spacesuit since they couldn't breathe in space while Endric and Gustav headed out without issues. A little after, they were floating before the endless void of space, ready to take on the repelling force before them.