The urgency in Tala's voice was unmistakable. "The Federation fleet is en route, and they're deploying specialized forces. We won't be able to outrun them forever."
Li Yan, still shaken but resolute, glanced at Bai Ling. Her expression mirrored his own—fueled by determination but clouded with the gravity of the situation. The Skymother's influence had not fully released its grip on him. The power of the Starcore was still there, simmering beneath the surface, and every breath he took felt like a battle to maintain control.
"How much time do we have?" Li Yan asked, gripping the Starcore tighter as if it could steady his racing thoughts.
"Five minutes, give or take," Tala responded. "I suggest we make those minutes count."
Bai Ling moved swiftly toward the ship's controls, her fingers flying across the console as she prepared the Echo's Flame, their stolen ship. It wasn't a luxury cruiser, but it was fast—far faster than the Federation's warships—and equipped with enough firepower to hold off most threats long enough to escape.
"We need to get to the Edge of the Rift, as planned," Bai Ling said, her tone firm. "It's our only shot at losing them. We can't face the Federation head-on—not with the Starcore in play."
Li Yan nodded, feeling the weight of their plan settling over him. The Edge of the Rift was a perilous region of space, a chaotic zone filled with asteroid fields, black holes, and forgotten ancient technology. Few ships ventured into it, and even fewer returned. It was dangerous, but it was also their best hope of evading the Federation's pursuit.
Bai Ling keyed in the coordinates, and the ship's engines hummed to life as they surged forward into the blackness of space. Outside the viewport, the stars blurred into streaks of light, a cosmic river that seemed to flow forever. Li Yan could feel the pull of the Starcore again, an echo of the Skymother's power, but he pushed it down, focusing on the task at hand.
"You're sure about this, right?" Bai Ling asked, casting him a glance. "I mean, once we go into the Rift, there's no turning back."
Li Yan met her gaze. "I don't have a choice. The Federation is closing in. The Skymother is awakening. If I don't find a way to control this power, we're all doomed."
There was no time for further discussion. Tala's voice cut through the air once more, cold and factual. "Li Yan, prepare yourself. The Federation fleet has entered the sector. They'll be upon us within minutes."
Li Yan took a deep breath, his hand still resting on the Starcore. The weight of the galaxy, of destiny itself, pressed upon him. He couldn't let the Skymother take control. He couldn't let her bring about the end. Not while there was still a chance to fight back.
"Activate the warp drive," he ordered, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.
Bai Ling glanced at him one last time before pulling the lever that engaged the warp. The ship's engines flared with power, and in the blink of an eye, they shot into the unknown, vanishing from the Federation's radar.
The Edge of the Rift loomed ahead—a vast, swirling mass of dark matter, where the laws of physics were distorted and time itself seemed to bend. Li Yan's breath caught in his chest as they entered the boundary. The stars vanished, replaced by a field of blackness and light that flickered like broken glass. The Starcore in his hand pulsed with a strange energy, responding to the anomalies of the Rift.
For a moment, everything was still. But then, the ship lurched, shaking violently as the gravity wells of the Rift pulled them in.
"Hold on!" Bai Ling shouted, her hands steady on the controls as she fought to maintain their course. "This is going to get rough!"
Li Yan could feel the very fabric of space warping around them, as if the universe itself were bending to an ancient will. The Starcore vibrated in his hand, and in that moment, he knew that they were not alone. Something ancient, something far beyond the Skymother's influence, lingered in the Rift. Something that had been waiting for the Starcore to arrive.
Suddenly, a deep voice resonated in his mind, more powerful than the whispers of the Skymother. It was not the voice of a god, but of something far older. Something from before the Celestials.
You have come, Vessel. But are you truly worthy of the power you seek?
Li Yan's body froze, his thoughts grinding to a halt. He tried to respond, but the words wouldn't come. The voice was inside his mind, filling his every thought, his every nerve.
Bai Ling turned to him, her face pale. "What's happening? Li Yan?"
The ship jerked again, and the interface screens flickered with strange, incomprehensible symbols. The power of the Rift was beginning to break through, but it wasn't the Federation's ships they had to worry about anymore.
Something else was coming.