Author's Note: Unedited Chapter
------------
Endric gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold on. "I... I don't know if I can keep this up. The string—it's starting to disappear. I need to stay awake, but..."
Ria frowned, noticing Endric's condition worsening. "You're running on fumes, man. If you keep pushing like this, you're going to pass out. Maybe we should stop—"
Before he could finish, a green dot flashed on Endric's forehead as Husarius deep voice echoed in Endric's mind. "If you fall unconscious, the thread will dissipate entirely."
Endric nodded weakly, though his body was already betraying him. He fought to keep his eyes open, but his strength was fading fast. With a final shudder, he lost his grip on the string and his vision went dark as he slumped back in his seat, passing out from pure exhaustion.
"Endric!" Sersi gasped, rushing over to him as his body went limp.
"Damn it, he's out cold," Ria muttered, moving to help her lift Endric and lay him back against the seat. "Guess we're on pause until he wakes up."
They settled Endric as comfortably as they could, securing him in place. Sersi's face was drawn with worry as she glanced at Ria.
"He pushed himself too far," she whispered, brushing a stray hair from Endric's forehead. "He's been carrying this entire journey on his shoulders. I wish I could have done more to help."
Ria placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't beat yourself up. We all did what we could, and now we let him rest. He'll bounce back soon."
With Endric now asleep, they set about gathering some food and supplies, preparing for when he finally woke up. It was nearly a day before he stirred.
His eyes fluttered open to see the concerned faces of Sersi and Ria hovering over him.
"No!" he exclaimed, trying to sit up. He looked around wildly in search of the thread. But it was gone.
The faint glow he'd held onto for so long had vanished completely.
"Endric, calm down," Sersi said gently while placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "You're okay. You were exhausted. We had to let you rest."
Endric's face fell in frustration. "But the thread—it's gone. We're stranded here, in the middle of nowhere, and we've lost our only lead."
Ria gave him a crooked smile. "Hey, look on the bright side. At least you didn't completely collapse on top of the control panel and send us spinning into an asteroid field. Small mercies, right?"
Endric's scowl softened tightened in defeated. "I thought I could hold on just a little longer... Now we're stuck. And it's my fault."
Ria, despite his outward cheer, began to feel the uncertain, and even Sersi's optimism wavered.
"Endric, how are you holding up?" Sersi asked one day as they sat in the cockpit together.
Endric looked up with weary eyes. "I'm fine, just... frustrated. It's like we're floating in a void, hoping for something to appear out of nowhere. I know it wasn't my idea to follow the direction, but... it's starting to feel like a mistake."
"We made the best choice we could with the information we had," Sersi said reassuringly. "Besides, if we give up now, we'll never know how close we might have been."
Ria swung his chair around with a look of encouragement. "Let's not stop here. We don't know how close we are."
"Let's hope you're right..."
---
Meanwhile, in a distant part of the universe, Gustav was nearing his next vestige, navigating through a dense region of space filled with cosmic debris and small asteroid fields.
The faint, pulsing energy of the vestige drew him forward, and he could feel its power growing stronger with each passing hour. He knew he was close, but something in the surrounding space felt... different. Off.
As he closed in, a low groan echoed through his spacecraft, and a red warning light flashed on the dashboard.
Gustav raised a brow, leaning forward to study the message that appeared on the screen:
[ RESTRICTED SPACE—LIVING MATTER WILL BE AFFECTED]
"Great, just what I needed," Gustav muttered, tapping the screen. "And I suppose 'living matter' includes me."
He brought the ship to a halt, staring out into the dark void ahead. The area beyond seemed calm, almost eerily still, as if held in place by some invisible force. But he could sense the vestige on the other side, faint but distinct, calling to him.
Just then, the system manifested before him in its familiar girl-like form, dressed in a crimson gown with a mischievous grin.
"Trouble?" she taunted, gliding closer.
"You could say that," Gustav replied dryly. "I need to get past this point to reach the vestige, but apparently, it's a zone where living tissue is affected... Any ideas?"
The system tilted her head thoughtfully. "Oh, surely a big, bad Outworldly like you can figure this out. Or maybe the answer is closer than you think."
Gustav's brow furrowed. "I don't have time for riddles, system. You either speak or keep shut do I can take care of it myself."
The system laughed, circling him like a specter. "What you need is a workaround. What is it about this restriction that's keeping you out? Is it your body, your energy, or... something else?"