The deities ruled again just as they had 100,000 years ago... unopposed, unrestrained, and uninterested in the suffering they caused. They enslaved mortals. Imprisoned entire civilizations in divine labyrinths. Wiped out worlds because they "didn't like the color of their skies." Forced the strong to fight each other for entertainment. Ripped souls apart just to see how they worked. There was no Resistance anymore. No Alliance. No Mixedblood Organization. Jack, the strongest Mixedblood in existence had been annihilated so thoroughly that even the energy remnants of his existence had been vaporized. The rest of the MBO followed soon after. Not even their most powerful warriors reached the level of "inconvenience" to the gods. The Overseer, the one existence who could have kept them in check, had abandoned his duty. His daughter was restored, and that was all that mattered to him. Once he reunited with her, he went silent. He ignored the cries of the universe and left the gods free. Nocturnis, Falco's father enjoyed tormenting the remaining humans from Earth. He knew they were Gustav's favorites. And that alone made them his favorite toys. He crushed cities with his fingers. Tossed people into alternate realities as playthings. Hunted survivors for sport. Earth, or what was left of it, existed as a broken crescent of debris scattered through its orbit. The three massive pieces drifted slowly, occasionally colliding and raining meteoric shards upon what remained of the planet's atmosphere. That shattered cradle of humanity was now a playground for the deities. And still, Gustav did not return. Because he couldn't. Because he was gone. The gang held on to hope for months… until hope became a burden too heavy to carry. Meanwhile, their sanctuary was no longer small. At first, only ten survivors lived within. Then twenty. Then 100. Then 300. Humans, aliens, children, elders of different species Gustav had once befriended… and species who had only heard the stories. Some found the star accidentally and were let in. Others were rescued by Endric and Xanatus. A few were dragged in barely alive by E.E and Elevora after sneaking out despite the danger. Now the pocket dimensional star was almost a miniature society. Micro cities had formed from reconstructed materials as a few families lived in clusters. But no matter how many survivors they gathered, their hearts carried the same despair. No one believed any being in the universe could fight the deities. Not anymore. They were surviving, yes. But they were not living. And everyone knew that this sanctuary could only stay hidden for so long. If a deity ever sensed it… it would be over. --- They gathered again in the central chamber which happened to be an enormous crystalline arena with seats. The chamber resonated with comforting warmth, a side-effect of Gustav's original energy infused within it. But today, that warmth offered no comfort. Today, their voices were resigned, tired, hollow. Endric, wearing shadows under his eyes that made him look far older than he was, stood at the center. Xanatus leaned on a cane. Ria's hands shook constantly now. Sersi looked like she cried every night. Elevora wore a permanent frown of worry. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞 E.E was thinner and more serious with no jokes left in him. Aildris stared numbly ahead, barely participating. Falco who was still recovering had dark veins visibly shifting beneath his skin which were consequences of pushing his powers too far to protect them. And Angy was quiet. Too quiet. "We can't keep going like this," Endric said finally. E.E scoffed sharply. "What do you suggest? March out and get slaughtered like everyone else?" "We've tried strategizing," Elevora added bitterly. "We thought maybe if we attacked their source of cosmic energy, or if we gathered every awakened bloodline, or if we tried dimensional compression weapons—but nothing will work. NOTHING has ever worked." "What about approaching the Overseer?" Sersi asked weakly. Ria's laugh was dark. "The Overseer abandoned the universe the moment his daughter returned. He doesn't care. Besides, he gave Nocturnis the opportunity needed to kill Gustav." A hopeless silence reigned. "But shouldn't Gustav have come back? Doesn't he have that... bloodline that helps him come back to life?" Xanatus reminded them of IYSOP. "Yeah but unfortunately, he was killed in the process of the ritual... where every power he already possessed was dissolving and reforming. Nocturnis killed him at the right moment..." Endric shook his head as the pain of recollection ripped through him. Falco's voice cracked as he spoke, "We're delaying the inevitable. The deities will find this place eventually. It's only a matter of—" "Stop." Endric's voice shook. "We can't give up." "Why not?" Aildris whispered. "What else do we have left to fight for?" Endric's mouth hung open... he tried to find words but couldn't. His friends who were always so full of life... of hope... always so determined... he could no longer recognize them. Everyone had changed... and he couldn't blame them. "I'm… going to step out for a bit," Angy said suddenly. They all turned to her, but she offered them a small smile. "I'll be quick." She walked away quietly, and no one stopped her. None of them knew they'd been watching her unravel for months, blaming herself, drowning in guilt, holding something in. She entered one of the sanctuary's private bathroom and the moment she closed the door behind her, the composure drained from her face. Her breathing grew shallow as her eyes glistened. Then she collapsed to her knees, gripped the sides of the sink, and violently threw up. Her entire body trembled with the retching as tears streamed down her cheeks. When she finally stopped, she stayed hunched over, gasping and shuddering as her hair stuck to her damp face. A dull ache tore through her abdomen. She lifted a trembling hand and pressed it gently against her stomach. The small bump pressed back and a sob tore through her throat. Her reflection in the mirror looked like a ghost with hollow eyes, cracked lips and trembling hands. "Why…" she whispered. "Why did you leave us…?" Her fingers curled tighter around her abdomen. "Why did you leave me?" Her knees gave out, and she slid down to the floor, pressing her forehead against the cold tiles as quiet sobs wracked her body.