The Bloodline System Chapter 1682: There Is Nothing Left To Restore

Wiping the perspiration from his forehead, Gustav gave a slight nod.

"The task is complete."

All around him, the refugees gasped, wept, and laughed in disbelief. Above their heads, stars began to twinkle with renewed vigor, planets glowed in the distance, and the cosmos expanded once more, vast and mended.

E.E. slumped down onto a patch of freshly manifested stone.

"You’re out of your mind, man... Bringing back a whole universe? Who even does something like that!?"

Gustav responded with a low mutter.

"The person who ruined it... I suppose."

Stepping forward, Endric seized Gustav’s arm, his grip firm and desperate.

"Thank you, big brother," he said in a hushed tone.

Gustav nodded, though he shifted away slightly, his eyes scanning the horizon as if searching for any lingering instabilities.

After a moment, he stood in isolation, gazing into the far reaches of space.

Brand new stars glittered like freshly cut diamonds. Vivid spirals of glowing galaxies emerged. Planets rotated in perfect harmony, their atmospheres replenished and their vast oceans reflecting the light of distant suns.

Across the cosmos, civilizations stirred, breathing and speaking as if the total annihilation of their worlds had been nothing more than a nightmare.

On the small, reconstructed moon Gustav had built for his companions, the sounds of joy began to echo.

E.E. was twirling around with his arms stretched wide.

Falco wore a grin so wide that his facial muscles were twitching.

Overcome by the moment, Sersi wept without restraint.

Aildris took a seat and drew in a long, deep breath, finally tasting air as if for the first time in months.

Elevora pulled a child into a tight embrace, while Xanatus shared jokes with two crystalline beings who remained in shock at their own survival.

The hundreds of refugees were celebrating with equal fervor.

Some leaped into the air in triumph.

Others held their families close.

Some sang the traditional hymns of their home worlds.

A few simply collapsed onto the ground, sobbing with the sheer relief of being alive.

It was pure, unadulterated happiness.

It was the kind of ecstasy that only follows total destruction and a miraculous salvation.

Yet, in the heart of this celebration...

Gustav remained alone.

Though he was physically present, he was emotionally adrift. His head hung low, and his half-closed eyes held a quiet, lingering sorrow.

Initially, no one saw it.

The roar of the festivities drowned out everything else.

Throwing an arm around Falco, E.E. shouted, "BRO, we’re heading HOME! Like, for real home! The Earth, the beaches, the food—OH GOD, my bed! I’ve missed my bed so much!"

Falco let out a laugh. "I just want to see if my sound system survived so I can fix it."

Aildris gave a small, weary smile. "It is finally over..."

Endric, however, was the first to realize that his brother’s presence felt far dimmer than it should.

"Hey..." Endric whispered, drawing the attention of the others. "Gus hasn't moved an inch."

They all shifted their gaze.

Gustav was standing at the very edge of the moon’s surface, looking out at the restored universe with a hollow expression. There wasn't a hint of triumph in his eyes.

E.E. blinked in confusion.

"Yo—why does he have that look on his face?"

"He ought to be overjoyed," Sersi whispered. "He succeeded... the universe has been reborn."

Falco’s brow furrowed. "Let’s go talk to him."

The group approached him with puzzled looks. E.E. led the way and, without thinking, hopped onto Gustav’s back.

"BROOOO!" E.E. shouted happily, shaking his friend's shoulders. "I bet you’re dying to see Angy!"

He waited for Gustav to break into a laugh.

Or at least a smile.

Or even an annoyed eye-roll.

But Gustav remained motionless.

There was no reaction.

Not even a flinch.

E.E. went still as the rest of the group gathered behind them.

"Don't look so miserable," Sersi said in a gentle voice.

"Everything turned out fine," Elevora added, smiling. "The world is back to the way it was. Angy is likely looking for you this very second."

Aildris placed a comforting hand on Gustav’s shoulder.

"You can finally set down the weight of the universe," he said.

Gustav’s fists tightened.

Then, he spoke in a whisper.

"...Angy is not coming back."

The celebration behind them didn't just fade—it shattered.

The laughter vanished.

The refugees went quiet.

Even the light of the stars seemed to lose its luster.

E.E. blinked, letting out a forced, nervous chuckle.

"Huh? What are you saying, man? You already fixed everything. I’m positive she’s back on Earth waiting. Bro, you better marry her FAST—I'm ready to be the godfather..."

Gustav slowly shook his head.

He repeated his words in a dead, hollow tone.

"Angy is never coming back."

This time... they truly felt the weight of it.

There was a quality in his voice...

A deep, etched sorrow unlike anything they had ever encountered.

Falco stepped forward, looking bewildered. "Gustav... that isn't funny."

"Seriously," Sersi added, her voice trembling with rising fear. "Stop joking like that."

Elevora reached out for his hand. "We just got you back. Please don't scare us."

Finally, Gustav turned to face them.

And when they saw him—

The agony in his expression

The void in his eyes

The sheer devastation

The cold, brittle grief that seemed to coat him like ice—

It made their hearts stop.

Aildris instinctively recoiled.

Endric pressed a hand over his mouth.

E.E. felt a wave of nausea hit him so hard he nearly got sick.

Gustav spoke softly, but each word landed with the force of an impact.

"She was aware of the sacrifice she was making... when she brought me back to life."

The group collectively held their breath.

"She knew what it would cost," Gustav continued, his hands shaking. "Her and... our unborn child."

Several sharp gasps filled the air.

Sersi’s legs gave way.

Elevora’s hand flew to her face in shock.

Even the nearby refugees stood frozen, absorbing the revelation.

Falco whispered, "Un... unborn...? She was actually pregnant..."

"She kept it a secret from everyone," Gustav said quietly.

Endric bowed his head, consumed by guilt.

Gustav turned away once more, staring out at the magnificent universe he had just resurrected.

"She is gone for eternity," he whispered. "I have no way to bring her back."

They couldn't wrap their minds around it.

Gustav had reconstructed entire worlds.

He had restored galaxies.

He had brought back whole civilizations.

He possessed the power to warp reality,

To rewrite the threads of time,

To raise the dead,

To reverse extinction,

And to undo the end of all things.

So why was Angy the exception?

Falco choked out, "Gus... why? Why can't you save her? If you fixed everything else, then—then she has to be out there! Her soul, or her consciousness—"

"She no longer exists," Gustav whispered. "Not her body. Not her essence. Not her soul. Not her spirit. There isn't even a shadow of her left in the cosmic memory."

A single tear rolled down his face...

"My return to life required every part of her. she traded her entire existence to pull me back. There is nothing left for me to restore."