Author's Note: Unedited Chapter ----------------- Endric let out a sigh while shaking his head. "No. They slipped away. But they knew about the sword. They're protecting it—or at least, keeping it from us." Ria cursed softly. "So we're not just dealing with decoy planets. They're playing a bigger game here." "Yeah, and we're missing the rules," Endric muttered. "Let's regroup. If they're watching us, we need to be smarter about how we move." ... In the dimly lit interior of their spacecraft, Sersi sat quietly in one of the rear seats with a dark and pensive expression. She replayed the encounter in her mind—the two robed figures, the explosion, the way she'd been effortlessly thrown across the air, completely outmatched. Despite her training, she couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness. If she'd been stronger, maybe she could've stopped them. Maybe she wouldn't be the weak link. "You okay, Sersi?" Endric broke the silence with a question as he glanced at her from the pilot's seat. Sersi forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, just… frustrated. I feel like I messed things up back there. Those robed figures got away, and we're no closer to finding the sword. Maybe if I'd been faster or stronger, we could have—" Endric cut her off with a gentle but firm tone. "Sersi, listen to me. This isn't on you. Those two were something else entirely. If anything, I'm amazed you stood your ground as well as you did. Even if all three of us had been there, they'd have slipped away still. They weren't ordinary enemies." Sersi looked down as her fingers fidgeted. "But I don't want to be the one holding you guys back. I don't want to be the reason we fail." Ria, leaning back in his seat with his usual casual grin, jumped in with a tone of playfulness and encouragement. "Look, Sersi, you're not a weak link. You're the only one who's been smart enough to keep her head on straight this whole mission. You're doing fine." He leaned over and tapped her shoulder playfully. "Come on, I know you don't want to miss out on seeing the weird wonders of the universe with us. Stick around—you might end up being the one who saves our lives, you know?" Sersi managed a laugh, rolling her eyes. "Fine, fine. But I still feel like I need to get stronger. I'll keep pushing myself, and I'm not going to stop until I'm on your level." Endric smiled and gave her an encouraging nod. "Good. But right now you need to stay focus, not locked up in your head. We're all in this together, and no one's carrying more weight than they can handle." Turning his gaze back to the monitor, Endric studied the data from the previous scans with a look of curiosity. The two robed figures haunted his thoughts, and he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to their appearance than just guarding the sword. They had seemed purposeful, almost protective, but there was no evidence they worked for Nocturnis. Who were they? And why did they seem so intent on keeping the sword away from them? Ria, on the other hand, leaned back as his fingers tapped idly on his thigh. "You know, maybe we're thinking too hard about this. This place feels off, sure, but we haven't given it a proper sweep yet. I say we go back out there, give it one more look, and see if there's anything we missed." Endric nodded, appreciating the suggestion. "You're right. We'll need to cover the area thoroughly this time. Every rock, every shadow, we search it all. Sersi, you stay here and keep an eye on things in case anything happens. Ria and I will take a closer look." "Got it," Sersi replied, watching them as they prepared to head out once more. She wasn't thrilled to be left behind, but she understood the need to be cautious. With a resolute expression, she gave them a nod. "Stay safe out there. And if you find anything… well, let's hope it's a clue and not more trouble." Endric and Ria stepped out of the spacecraft, descending once again onto the strange teal-colored landscape. The mist was thick, swirling around their feet like a living thing, and the jagged rocks cast long shadows, creating a surreal and haunting atmosphere. The entire world seemed to hold its breath, silent and watchful, as if it were aware of their presence. "Alright, let's split up,**" Endric said, scanning the landscape with narrowed eyes. "I'll take the east and you take the west. Keep your comms open, and if you see anything—anything at all—call me." "Copy that," Ria replied with a grin, giving him a mock salute. He turned and began making his way toward the western part of the ridge. As they scoured the terrain, their search seemed as fruitless as before. Endric blinked across the area, moving swiftly and scanning every nook and cranny, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. The ground was bare, the rocks undisturbed, and there was no sign of the two robed figures who had attacked Sersi. Minutes stretched into hours, and still, they found nothing. "Nothing here, either," Ria's voice crackled over the comm. "This place is like a bad dream, just one empty patch after another." Endric let out a frustrated sigh, but then an idea sparked in his mind. The figures had vanished without leaving any trace of spatial energy behind—something that should have been impossible. Even a spatial expert like E.E. would leave a signature, however faint. But what if he could bridge the gap between their temporal and spatial presence to trace them? Endric sat on the ground in a crossed legged format and closed his eyes to focus. He felt his Time Candidatepower within him and channeled it. At that moment, a faint green dot glowed on his forehead, an indication that Husarius, the ancient being residing within him, was ready to assist. "Husarius, are you there? I have an idea, but I'm going to need your guidance." The deep, rumbling voice of Husarius echoed in his mind. "I am here, Zedrick. Speak your plan, and let us see if it is worthy of pursuit." Endric took a deep breath, explaining, "I want to use a form of temporal rewind, but not on myself. I want to trace their last presence on this world and bind it with my Ambience of Space and Will. I think if I combine these powers, I could create a tether to their past location." Husarius considered the idea and spoke with a calm yet contemplative tone. "A risky endeavor, but one that could bear fruit. Focus on their essence—the faint trace of their existence that still lingers in this space. Let your powers intertwine, and reach back through the threads of time." Endric closed his eyes as his brows furrowed in concentration. He extended his time candidate power, letting it merge with the ambience of space around him, feeling the energy coil and pulse through the surroundings. His Time Candidate abilities began to reach back, combing through the invisible layers of temporal echoes, seeking a trace of the robed figures. The process was slow and delicate. He held his breath as the combined powers danced, weaving together in a fragile balance. And then, finally, something shifted—a faint glow materialized before him, forming a thin, shimmering string that stretched from the ground where the robed figures had last stood, reaching up into the sky, extending deep into the vast reaches of space. Opening his eyes, Endric saw the ethereal string, a thin line visible only to him, extending far beyond the planet. "There it is," he murmured with a sense of awe. "A link… a thread of their presence. We can follow it." "Ayou seeing this, Ria?" Endric questioned. "Seeing what?" Ria asked back with a look of confusion. Endric could already tell that it was invisible to everyone else based on Ria's reaction but he still answered; "The thread... I guess you can't see it." Ria appeared by Endric's side gazing in the direction of the shimmering string but he still couldn't see anything. "I'll take your word for it, Endric, but to me, you're just standing there pointing at thin air." Endric rolled his eyes, gesturing toward the ship. "It's a trace of their past presence. Get to the ship—we're following this thread. If we're lucky, it'll lead us right to wherever they went." Back inside the ship, Sersi met them at the controls with a look of excitement. "Did you really manage to create a link to them? That's incredible, Unc!" "That's Endric to you and yes It'll lead us somewhere, though I can't say for certain where. But if those figures left this trace, they can't be far from whatever they're protecting. Let's hope it's the sword," Endric responded with a look of slight reassurance. As he set the course to follow the shimmering thread into the stars, the spacecraft buzzed smoothly. A quiet resolve settled over each of them as they prepared to chase down the mysterious figures once and for all. "Here we go," Ria voiced while bracing himself in his seat as the ship surged forward. "Following ghost trails across the galaxy. Just a typical day, right?" "Exactly," Sersi said with a laugh while her eyes were glued to the screen.