The Bloodline System Chapter 1660 1660: The Hidden Star

An unfamiliar sky stretched out above them, unlike anything they had ever seen.

It lacked the usual blue or black hues.

Instead, a swirling vortex of lavender and silver dominated the view, peppered with glowing specks of starlight that drifted with such agonizing slowness they appeared motionless.

They had been brought inside a star.

Yet, this star did not burn.

There was no heat.

It felt as though they were sheltered in a hollowed-out sanctuary deep within a celestial core.

E.E blinked repeatedly, his expression dazed and disoriented.

Aildris let out a low groan.

Falco lost consciousness completely, his body collapsing to the ground.

Angy fought to push herself up, her voice shaking as she spoke:

"Wh–where are we…?"

Before a response could be given—

A purple streak crashed into E.E, sending him reeling backward.

"E.E!"

He looked up, and such intense relief washed over his face that he began to sob uncontrollably.

"Elevora?"

She landed right on top of him, clutching him in an embrace so fierce that E.E winced from the pressure on his fractured ribs. Without a second thought, she pressed her lips against his. The kiss was frantic and messy, filled with a desperate fear and the shock of survival.

"Y-You're alive…?" she breathed.

Tears choked E.E as he struggled for air.

"I thought I lost you—"

"You idiots!"

A different voice shouted out.

Aildris glanced up to see Endric sprinting toward them. He pulled Angy gently into his arms while his hands frantically checked Falco for signs of life.

Behind him, more familiar faces emerged:

Sersi appeared, her eyes bloodshot and weary.

Ria was there, looking more gaunt than he had ever been.

Elevora remained, still holding onto E.E for dear life.

Xanatus stood nearby, his usually perfect hair in disarray and his uniform shredded. The current crisis seemed to have aged him significantly in a short time.

"Hey kids..."

"You're here too?" They were stunned to encounter the figure who had mentored them in their early years.

Every one of them was battered, wounded, and mourning, but they were breathing.

Angy’s breath hitched as she surveyed the group. "Y-you're all here…?"

"It's… it's a miracle," Ria stammered. "We were convinced we were the only survivors."

"The losses are staggering," Xanatus added in a low tone. "Far too many."

For several minutes, the group clung to one another, weeping and collapsing, using physical touch to prove they weren't dreaming.

Aildris embraced Ria.

Sersi held Angy.

Xanatus assisted in lifting the unconscious Falco.

The scene was chaotic and deeply emotional.

Following their harrowing journey, this was the first moment of genuine warmth they had experienced in weeks.

Eventually, Angy stepped back from Sersi, her brow furrowing with sudden concern.

"Wait… where is Gustav?"

A heavy silence fell over the group.

A dark shadow crossed Endric’s features.

Angy’s voice wavered. "Where's Gustav? Why isn't he here?"

E.E went rigid as a terrible realization dawned on him.

"And the ritual…" he whispered. "I—I assumed it would be finished by now… Shouldn't he have reclaimed his full Outworldly power? He was supposed to stop all of this! He should've—"

Every gaze shifted toward Endric.

His silence felt more crushing than gravity itself.

The hidden star seemed to dim in response, the swirling sky slowing its pace.

At last… he spoke, his voice sounding like sandpaper.

"Gustav is dead."

Angy stopped breathing in an instant...

E.E’s mouth fell open in shock.

Aildris stumbled back, reeling.

Falco, drifting in and out of consciousness, jerked as if he had been struck.

Elevora let out a sharp gasp.

But for Angy…

It felt as if the heart was being torn from her chest by the universe itself.

Short, painful gasps escaped her. "N—No. No, no, no… Endric, stop. Don't—don't make jokes like that—"

Her strength failed, and she fell to her knees.

"What happened?" she wailed, tears beginning to pour down her face in a torrent. "What— what happened to him?!"

Endric bowed his head even further.

Sersi and Ria were already sobbing... having witnessed the tragedy firsthand, they had never truly recovered.

"He took them on," Endric whispered, his voice shaking. "He fought the deities… all by himself."

E.E’s fists clenched, his body trembling with rage and grief.

"Then the ritual—?!"

"It failed to complete," Endric explained. "He never shifted back into his Outworldly form. His full power never returned… he was forced to battle them during the process... and he was defeated."

His voice broke.

"…he gave his life to protect the rest of us."

Angy’s sobs were so violent that the very atmosphere seemed to warp under the weight of her sorrow.

She grabbed Endric’s shirt, feebly striking his chest.

"You're lying—! You're lying! He can't be gone—! He promised me— He PROMISED—!"

E.E sank back, hiding his face in his hands as his shoulders shook with heavy sobs.

Falco turned his head away, teeth gritted as silent tears tracked down his cheeks.

Aildris leaned heavily on Ria, his legs barely supporting him, as he whispered, "H-He was always miles ahead of us… How could this…?"

The reality of the loss crushed everyone present.

The pillar who held their world together…

The warrior who led every charge…

The one who always located them

rescued them

shielded them

regardless of the price…

…was gone.

After a long, suffocating period of silence, Endric forced himself to speak once more.

"This place…" he voiced hollowly, gesturing to the surrounding star, "…was his final gift. He forged this hidden star at the very end. It exists beyond the reach of normal space and time. It is hidden from the sight of the deities."

E.E wiped his eyes weakly. "Why…? Why would he do that—?"

"To keep us safe," Endric replied. "Even as he died… his only thought was for us."

Silence reigned for a long time.

They were out of danger.

Rescued.

Alive.

But the victory felt hollow.

Their salvation felt like a cruelty.

And their safety felt empty.

Because the one person who belonged there with them…

…was missing.

Despite their survival…

Despite the sanctuary…

Joy was non-existent.

In what felt like a heartbeat, three months slipped away.

Time moved normally within the hidden star, but emotionally, it felt as though centuries had ground against their hearts.

The lavender and silver skies of this pocket dimension served as a constant reminder of their isolation, while the universe outside was being extinguished.

Each day felt heavy.

Each breath was laced with mourning.

Each hour was a reminder that Gustav... their companion, their brother, their leader... had perished.

This pocket star was his final legacy. A refuge carved out of his fading power. A miracle produced in his final moments. Yet, despite its magnificence... despite the fact that it hid them from divine wrath... their haven felt more like a gilded prison.

Because no matter how secure they were, they remained powerless.

---

Information filtered back from the few who risked looking outside through the hidden dimensional cracks maintained by Endric.

Whole galaxies were being consumed by fire.

Solar systems were being warped and torn apart by the whims of the gods.

Planets let out their final screams of destruction before being obliterated.