Tear in the Megaverse WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors Series: 5]

4 - ASTRA, U.F.W. --> UNKNOWN

The group had decided to split up, covering the worlds of the U.F.W. where the Dimensional Fracture was most obvious. Hathor found herself on the cold, ice-and-snow-covered planet Astra, the planet furthest from the System's suns. A light snowfall fell from dark grey clouds, causing the temperature to fall even further. Hathor and Isaiah followed the readings on Hathor's handheld—several having been sent straight from Lyriumia by Zoe after a quick phone call.

They'd arrived in the small town of Silverglac and spoken to the people. Like all the other worlds they'd visited, this one had also felt the shockwave. Like less worlds, they were also experiencing a Dimension Fracture. Few townsfolk told the pair about how a group traveling from a town to the east had vanished somewhere along the shores of Gelu, a river which flowed between the two towns, as they were crossing the bridge. Some said it was probably bandits, other saying perhaps they were unlucky enough to be caught in a storm. Considering the current state of things, vanishing into another dimension wasn't out of the question.

Hathor snuggled into her fur-lined parker, thankful for Lyriumian design. All winter clothes, for those who didn't have natural resistance, were made with a special fire-infused material, meaning one never had to worry about getting sick or hypothermia. Unless the clothes got wet while you were wearing them. They weren't miracle workers! Isaiah, however, was Glacis. They were beings made from what they called Living Ice. He loved the cold and, obviously, had a natural resistance to it. He was always more cheerful on a cold and miserable snowy day.

"Is it like this at home?" Hathor asked. At Isaiah's questioning glance she said, "You never talk about what it's like on Gelida."

"Ah." Isaiah looked to the miserably grey sky. "Yes, it is like this at home. Everything is frozen and covered in ice and snow. We rarely have clear days, though those are quite beautiful."

"Would love to see it," she said dreamily, imagining the dim light bouncing off the ice. "Maybe you could take us sometime?" The temperature suddenly dropped several degrees. Hathor shivered. "You know what? Never mind."

"My world is . . ." He trailed off with a grimace, the look so unlike Isaiah that Hathor couldn't help staring. "I will be nice and say they are old fashioned."

"Oh, yes that would be a good reason to not go." Hathor whacked the side of her handheld with a frown, the screen flickering in response. "Could you let it warm up again? This thing is starting to frost over."

"Sorry."

They continued on, following the water flowing under a layer of ice. It was hypnotising in a way, Isaiah having to remind Hathor that they were, in fact, on a mission and not playing tourist. He even got to the point of trying to snatch the handheld out of Hathor's hand. She snatched it away, saying his grip would break it entirely. From there on, Hathor begun paying a lot more attention to her partner and his movements.

It took a few minutes for them to reach the bridge. It was a simple thing made of wood and nails, and covered in a layer of permafrost. It was impossible to tell if anyone had been there recently, a fresh layer of snow having fallen continuously since their arrival on Astra. Hathor moved her handheld this way and that, searching for any signs of a recent inter-dimensional disturbance.

She stopped at the very centre of the bridge. The handheld was going crazy! Bars were off the charts, numbers flickering higher and higher until the entire screen read ERROR in large, black letters and shutdown. "Safe to say this is the spot."

Isaiah looked around. "Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary."

"Does it ever?" Hathor sighed, pocketing the now broken handheld. "Well, I'm pretty sure the rift is now closed."