"We lost one of our thrusters, and the pulling force suddenly increased..." Lyirrs said, her gaze fixed on the monitor displaying real-ti readings of their current situation.
"Pulling force increased?" Drakhairs frowned, his sharp eyes narrowing at the data.
Lyirrs nodded and gestured toward the beam connection between Empires, her expression grave. The once-stable structure had started to bend as the Pyra Empire was steadily dragged downward.
"The acceleration of our Empire is higher than Naiadae Empire,"
Raven exhaled sharply, her brows knitting together. "So... Aether was right all along, huh?" she muttered under her breath, frustration flickering in her eyes.
It wasn't as if Aether had foreseen this exact event—he had simply stated a cold, inevitable truth: anything unpredictable happening out of nowhere always had the potential to screw everyone over.
The people who had initially sighed in relief now found their breath stolen away by sheer terror. Their eyes widened as the beam and rods connecting each Empire visibly warped under the strain, their structures groaning in protest.... The Pyra Empire was sinking—slowly, but undeniably.
"What the hell is going on now?" Sandra snapped, turning toward Delphine, who wore an equally deep frown. But before Sandra could press further, Delphine's body stiffened, her pupils dilating as if sothing unseen had invaded her mind.
Her bloodline had activated.
Then—her entire expression shifted in a heartbeat.
"EVERYONE, LEAVE THIS PLACE!!" she scread, her voice filled with a desperation that sent a chill through the crowd.
People had already begun evacuating, but there were always fools among fools—those who, despite the impending catastrophe, stood frozen, eager to witness the unfolding chaos. And then there were the soldiers and generals, unwilling to abandon their posts.
Hearing the sheer urgency in her voice, many hesitated, confusion flashing across their faces—until,
Crack!
The ground beneath them split with a sickening sound.
And then—
BOOOOMMMMM!!!
One of the massive rods anchoring the Empire suddenly snapped free, its tension unleashing a force like a coiled spring finally breaking loose. It shot out of the ground with devastating montum, shattering everything in its path.
Debris, massive slabs of stone, and chunks of tal rocketed into the sky, their deadly trajectories scattering unpredictably.
Those who had lingered, paralyzed by the unfolding spectacle, finally broke into frantic, panicked sprints—so too late.
anwhile, generals scrambled, their voices rising in alarm as they struggled to contain the massive flying debris that threatened to slam into the so-called safe zone.
"It's not safe anymore!" Delphine shouted.
The ground trembled violently beneath them, the cracks widening, spreading like veins of doom. The countless rods and beams they had relied on for stability were now crumbling, reduced to little more than brittle kindling on the edges of the Empire.
anwhile—
"Where the hell are you, Aether?!" Xara shouted, her breath ragged as she stord through the corridors, scanning desperately for any sign of him. She had been searching for what felt like an eternity, yet there was not a single trace of him anywhere.
Trrrr!!
The ground trembled again, more violently this ti. Xara gasped as her footing slipped, her balance thrown off for a second before she caught herself. Her teeth clenched. "Damn it! Where did that brat disappear to at a ti like this?!" she growled, pushing forward as she swept through the mansion.
anwhile—
"Tsk," Lyirrs clicked her tongue in irritation, her eyes flicking across the collapsing structures on her screen, "The beams are holding... barely. But the rocks? They're crumbling like dried leaves," she muttered, watching as the once-solid supports shattered one by one, triggering disastrous landslides along the Empire's edge.
Raven stood motionless, staring at the destruction unfolding before her eyes. The edges of their Empire—their ho—were disintegrating, breaking apart into an abyss... And yet, her expression remained unreadable.
Then, finally, she spoke.
"It's ti for Phase 2."
Lyirrs blinked. "Phase 2...? But we haven't even received a signal from the Emperor yet. Has he even arrived at the designated location?" she asked, her voice laced with unease.
Raven didn't hesitate. She shook her head.
"If we want to restore our Empire's pride… we can't just show the world his victories. They need to witness his struggles too," she said, her voice cold.
Lyirrs and Drakhairs hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. They both knew the Empress was altering the plan—sothing that directly contradicted the Emperor's explicit orders. Defying his command, especially in a situation as dire as this, was not a decision to be taken lightly.
Raven's gaze darkened, her expression turning ice-cold. "Am I not clear?" as violet flas erupted from her body.
The sheer pressure emanating from her sent a chilling wave through the room, making the air feel thick with tension.
Lyirrs stiffened instantly, straightening as she nodded without hesitation. "Of course," she said swiftly before turning back to the controls. Her fingers moved with precision across the console, her eyes flicking between multiple screens as she announced, "Initializing live footage..."
Raven gave a curt nod before shifting her gaze toward Thalia. The woman took a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm the rapid pounding in her chest. She clenched her fists for a brief mont before stepping forward toward the microphone...
anwhile, across the Pyra Empire, citizens had been watching in helpless horror as the edges of their world crumbled before their eyes. Their holographic projections of the destruction suddenly flickered, the visuals distorting for a brief mont before shifting—revealing Thalia and Lyirrs instead.
Thalia cleared her throat, "Due to unforeseen technical issues and an unprecedented surge in the pulling force... one of our thrusters has broken," she announced, her voice steady despite the overwhelming tension hanging in the air.
Gasps rippled through the gathered masses...
"This is it!! We're all going to die!!"
"AARRRGHH!!"
"Please, Arcane, have rcy on us!!"
Terror spread like wildfire. The people cried out in hysteria, their voices rising to deafening levels as the weight of the situation crashed down upon them.
The sight of Lyirrs furiously working at the controls only made things worse—it was clear that she was doing everything in her power to fix the situation, but was it enough? Could she really stop the inevitable?
However—
"But... he is not going to give up," Thalia declared.
Her voice carried enough weight that it made the people flinch, their frantic shouting faltering for a brief mont as uncertainty crossed their faces.
He?
Their collective panic montarily shifted into confusion. Who was she talking about?
Just then—
"The connection is established..." Lyirrs announced, her voice filled with urgency as the hologram flickered once more, distorting briefly before stabilizing.
The chaotic imagery of destruction vanished, replaced by an expanse of deep, dark space, illuminated only by distant stars that shimred in the void.
A collective hush fell over the crowd.
"What... is that?" soone murmured, their voice barely above a whisper.
For a fleeting mont, the terror that had gripped them so tightly loosened its hold.
The vast, starry expanse of the Milky Universe stretched out before them, endless, srizing, and strangely calming.
Raven, however, narrowed her eyes, "Where is he?" she muttered, scanning the projection with a deep frown. There was movent—she could sense it—but all she could see was the endless void of space stretching endlessly before them.
"Give a second... I'll try to adjust the view," Lyirrs responded swiftly.
The live feed began to shift, moving as though a cara were slowly panning to reveal more of what lay beyond the initial view. At first, only a pair of legs ca into focus, hanging precariously in the space as if their owner were on the verge of plumting. Then ca the outline of a figure's shoulder... and finally, a glimpse of striking white hair, shining under the faint cosmic light.
The mont that ethereal silver-white hair ca into view, the entire Pyra Empire's collective heartbeat seed to stop at once.
They knew that hair.
They had seen it before!
Lyirrs glanced at Thalia, who nodded in understanding before reconnecting the mic. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire
Thalia's voice rang out with unwavering strength and certainty. "The man who single-handedly took down that wretched monster—the one that ruled over us for more than a thousand years... The man who swore, with everything he had, to protect all of us... He will not give up!"
The crowd stiffened, their breath caught in their throats.
"He allowed every single one of you the choice to leave. And yet, you stayed," Thalia continued, her words carrying the weight of undeniable truth. "You stayed because you believed in him. You placed your faith in him, knowing he would never abandon you!"
Silence spread across the people.
"He may just be the one—the right one—for us!" Thalia's voice turned grave.
As she spoke, the hologram shifted once more, revealing a clearer, more detailed image.
A white-haired man.
He wore a mask, his face mostly obscured except for his piercing ice-blue eyes—eyes that held nothing but raw, unshakable determination. His hands were gripping thick, tangled roots, fingers tightening as he climbed inch by inch, his legs dangling over the abyss of space below.
"Our Emperor... Victor... will save us all!"
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