The Forgotten Paladin

Chapter 60: Razor's Edge

I steer us carefully towards the endless cycle of the quantum abyss, watching the planets orbit and stretch. 

KEITH: "I think we're here." 

KROLIA: "Y/N, bring us in. Stay alert." I pull in closer to the spinning madness, colours stretching out like magnets are pulling them in all directions. Keith stands behind me, watching the thousands of lights and shades of colours melt together. 

KEITH: "Are you sure we should go in there?"

KROLIA: "Ranveig sent probes trying to track the quintessence. The probes picked up a path that was relatively unaffected by space time."

KEITH: "Where does the path go?"

KROLIA: "We never found out. The probes were all destroyed."

Y/N: "By what?"

KROLIA: "I'm not sure, keep sharp." I guide the ship round floating asteroids, all forming a spiral towards a planet at the centre of a large beam of light. Unease settles deep in my stomach, vivid images of gaunt faces, hollow screams echoing around as I fight to push out the visions. I keep us on course, my hand shaking with the pressure. Out of the corner of my eye, a small creature appears outside the ship, flying straight ahead. 

Y/N: "Huh? What is that?" Suddenly, it's huge eye turns, staring at me, then large spider like, white legs, as sharp as a knife point outwards as it snarls. I hear multiple of them land heavily on the edges of the ship, their pointed legs digging into the ship. Alarms blare as they begin destroying the outsides. It starts smashing the glass in front of me, the only protection we have against the ruthlessness of space. "Krolia, we got trouble." 

KROLIA: "We need to shake them before they breach the hull!" The ship shakes as they continue to batter it. 

Y/N: "Hang on." I hit the thrusters, sending us flying forwards, shaking off the menacing creatures. 

KROLIA: "Y/N, what's our status?"

Y/N: "The ship's damaged." The creature continues piercing the glass, "The thrusters are gone. I can't hold her!"

KEITH: "We're being pulled in! We need to ditch!" We quickly jump out of the ship, flying backwards as the ship is being pulled apart until it's nothing. We land softly on a nearby asteroid, watching the madness unfold ahead. 

Y/N: "What were those things?"

KROLIA: "I don't know, but they're gone now." 

KEITH: "So is our ship. It had the coordinates to guide us through the quantum abyss." 

KROLIA: "We'll have to make do. Come on you two." She blasts off the asteroid, flying towards the next. "As long as we stay within the borders of the space-time drop offs, we should be safe." Keith and I follow her across the asteroids.

KEITH: "Basically, stay close so we won't be drawn in."

Y/N: "And stretched into nothingness like those creatures." I finished his sentence as I jump to the next asteroid.

KEITH: "got it." As we land on another asteroid, everything starts to shake. 

Y/N: "What's going on?" I look ahead, as the huge planet surrounded by light begins to glow even brighter, suddenly, the planet turns dark, then light radiates outwards like a sun. I run to Keith, wrapping my arms around him to protect him from whatever danger has found us, Krolia hurries in front of us both, her arms pulling us together as everything illuminates in a ferocious light. 

I open my eyes to find myself in a bright room, everything around me empty, I yell falling backwards, taking in my new surroundings. Am I dead?