Author's Note: Unedited Chapter ------------------- Endric, Sersi, and Ria stood before the massive stone carvings as the cold vibrations of ancient energy pulsed under Endric's fingertips. He could feel it—a distinct, almost electric resonance that was eerily similar to the energy he'd tapped into when creating the karmic temporal string. It was as if the very stones held the memory of those dark-robed figures who had tried to mislead them. "This is it," he murmured, eyes narrowing as he pressed his hand against the carvings. "They've been here before… I can feel it. This place… it's connected to them somehow. I can finally recreate the string." Ria's eyes lit up with excitement. "So we're finally on track again? About time! Let's get this thing going!" Sersi smiled in relief. "I was beginning to think we'd be wandering aimlessly forever. Let's do it, Unc." Endric closed his eyes, focusing all his energy into his core. His forehead emitted a greenish glow as he let his mind draw on the familiar patterns of the karmic string. Time energy mixed with space to pull back a layer from the past and use it to create a link. He felt the ancient energy align with his own. A faint shimmer appeared before him, like a silvery thread hanging in midair, slowly weaving into existence. The others watched in awe as the string solidified, glowing faintly, stretching outward as if pointing the way to their next destination. But before the string could fully manifest, a deep rumble shook the ground beneath them, and the sound of heavy, echoing footsteps filled the air. "Uh, guys? We've got company," Ria said as the shadows around them shifted. From between the trees and dense foliage, massive creatures emerged, their eyes glowing with a fierce intelligence. Each creature stood at least twenty feet tall, with bodies covered in coarse, blackened fur and scales. They had elongated limbs, tipped with razor-sharp claws that scraped against the stones as they moved. Their heads were a bizarre fusion of feline and reptilian features, with wide jaws full of serrated teeth and nostrils that flared with each heavy breath. Their tails lashed behind them like whips, creating gusts of wind that shook the trees and plants. "What the hell are these things?" Sersi voice tinged with both fear and awe. "I don't know, but they don't look friendly," Ria replied while taking a step forward. "Endric, you focus on creating that string. We'll handle these guys." Endric nodded, closing his eyes and deepening his concentration. The creatures seemed to sense his power. Their eyes narrowed as they fixated on him, drawn to the energy he was channeling. With a guttural roar, the creatures lunged forward, their footsteps shaking the ground. Sersi stepped in front of Endric, her eyes narrowing as she raised her hand. A wave of frost shot from her palm, expanding into a thick sheet of ice that raced across the ground, intending to freeze the approaching beasts. But as the frost neared them, it faded, barely reaching a fraction of its usual potency. Sersi gasped as her frost only managed to cover a small patch of ground. "My frost… it's not working like it should!" she exclaimed while gritting her teeth. "These things are sapping my strength somehow." Ria clenched his fists while his eyes narrowed in on them. "They have a presence that weakens everything around them. It's like they're pulling the life right out of the air." With a determined yell, Ria raised his arms, focusing his power to reshape the rocky terrain around him. Normally, he could manipulate the earth with ease, forming rocks into weapons or completely disintegrating the ground ahead but now his ability felt sluggish, as if the very ground resisted his touch. Gritting his teeth, he managed to form a handful of pointy stone spears and hurled them toward the creatures. One of the beasts swatted the spears aside, roaring as it charged toward them, its eyes fixed on Endric. Sersi stepped in its path, channeling every ounce of her frost power, creating a wall of ice that crackled as it rose. The beast collided with the wall, smashing through it with a thunderous crash, sending shards of ice scattering across the ground. "Damn it! They're too strong!" Sersi shouted while dodging a swipe from the creature's claws. Ria leaped in, swinging a massive stone hammer he'd just managed to form. "Let's see how you like this!" he yelled while slamming the hammer down onto one of the beast's heads with a resounding crash. The creature staggered, shaking its head as if dazed, but quickly recovered, lunging at Ria with a furious roar. While Sersi and Ria battled the beasts, Endric's focus remained unbroken. The string was nearly complete. It's shimmering thread stretched out into the distance, pointing the way. He could feel the energy of the ancient carvings merging with his own, the connection between him and the string growing stronger. "Almost there… just a bit more," he whispered as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. But the beasts weren't letting up. One of them clawed through the ground, sending a shockwave that caused Sersi to stumble back. She narrowly avoided a swipe from another creature's tail, retaliating with a shard of ice she managed to form in her hand, thrusting it into the creature's flank. The beast let out a pained screech but retaliated, its claws slashing toward her. "Endric, hurry up!" she yelled before dodging another attack. The string glowed brighter as Endric channeled his last reserves of energy into it. "Just… a few more seconds!" he called, feeling the string solidify with its direction now fully established. With a final pulse of energy, the karmic temporal string was complete, stretching forward like a beacon in the darkness. "Got it! The string is set! Let's move!" Endric shouted while opening his eyes. Ria grinned, ducking under a claw swipe from one of the beasts. "About time! Let's get out of here!" They immediately turned around and sprinted through the jungle, dodging the creatures as best they could. The beasts pursued them, roaring in frustration, but the group managed to stay just ahead, doing their best to avoid another clash with these insane creatures. --- Meanwhile, light-years away, Gustav was nearing the edge of the restricted zone. The undead version of himself carried the vestige in statue form back to his location. But as the undead Gustav approached, the radar on his spacecraft pinged, and Gustav's eyes narrowed as a swarm of small, agile ships surrounded him. "Space pirates," he muttered, watching as the ships closed in. These were ragged vessels, mismatched metal plating and haphazardly modified engines giving them a rough, almost cobbled-together appearance. The pirates themselves appeared on his monitor—a mix of various species with sneers and grins, each with a glint of greed in their eyes as they stared at the vestige. A gruff voice crackled over the comms, distorted by static. "That's quite a pretty piece you've got there, friend. Why don't you hand it over, and maybe we won't blast you to bits?" Gustav smirked, unphased. "I think you're biting off more than you can chew, friend." Another pirate, a lizard-like being with scales that shimmered dark blue, hissed, "Big talk for someone surrounded. Surrender the statue, and we might consider letting you live." Apparently these pirates had gotten wind of treasure hiding deep within that restricted zone for a long time but couldn't retrieve it. So they placed a beacon that would alert them if someone was to ever breach that part of space. Gustav rolled his shoulders as a faint smile appeared on his face. "Well, since you put it that way…" He raised his hand, and in a burst of light, merged with his undead form, his power surging as the vestige statue returned to his grasp. The pirates paused as their expressions changed from smug confidence to worry, watching Gustav's aura intensify. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚 One of the pirate leaders, a massive, horned brute with red skin, barked an order. "Take him down! We'll pry that treasure from his corpse if we have to!" In unison, the pirate ships opened fire, beams of energy and projectiles filling the space around him. Gustav moved with blinding speed, evading the attacks with ease. His movements were almost casual as he dodged their assaults. With a flick of his wrist, he sent out a pulse of energy that rippled through space, pushing the ships back with sheer force. One of the smaller ships spiraled out of control, crashing into a nearby vessel. The explosion cast a fiery glow across the darkness. Gustav chuckled, watching the panic spread among the pirates. "You were warned you. Do not blame me for what is about to happen…" Gustav voiced with a chilly and unyielding tone. In the next instant, he extended his hand, forming a sphere of energy that glowed with intense heat. He hurled it toward the nearest cluster of pirate ships causing the sphere to explode on impact and sending shrapnel and fire across the battlefield. ########## Do not forget to check out my Audio series on Pocket FM. The Sin System: https://pocketfm.onelink.me/2IE7/e5dihjho