Chapter 26: The Void's Whisper
The light from the Blade of Eterna slowly dimmed, leaving Yuuji standing in the middle of the chamber, breathless. The last of the void-born creatures had dissolved into nothing, their twisted forms scattered like ashes in the air. His heart still pounded in his chest, the rush of battle lingering in his veins. But the oppressive weight that had surrounded them hadn’t disappeared.
If anything, it felt stronger.
His companions gathered around him, equally exhausted but alert. The knight’s armor was scuffed from the battle, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of more threats. The archer slung her bow over her shoulder, her gaze fixed on the spot where the creatures had vanished. The mage stood by the glowing orb, her face pale and grim.
“That wasn’t just chaos,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Those creatures were something else. Something worse.”
Yuuji nodded. “The void. It’s more than just a force—it’s sentient, and it’s using the chaos to break through.”
The knight cursed under his breath. “And it’s coming for us.”
Yuuji sheathed the Blade of Eterna, though its presence still thrummed in his hand. “We need to move. The longer we stay here, the more we attract those things. They won’t stop until they pull us into the void.”
The archer glanced at the mage. “Did you find anything else in that orb? Any answers about how we’re supposed to fight this?”
The mage hesitated, her brow furrowed in concentration. “The knowledge in the orb is vast, but fragmented. There are hints, clues about the nature of the void and how it interacts with chaos. But nothing concrete. It’s like the scholars were still trying to understand it themselves when the city fell.”
“So we’re back to square one,” the knight grumbled. “Fighting an enemy we can barely comprehend.”
Yuuji shook his head. “Not exactly. We know the void is using the Heart fragments to widen the cracks between chaos and order. If we can find the rest of the fragments and restore balance, we might be able to stop the void from fully breaking through.”
The mage looked thoughtful. “But how do we know where the next fragment is? The scholar’s message didn’t mention specific locations.”
Yuuji frowned, his mind racing. The Blade of Eterna had been drawn to the first fragment, almost like it had a connection to the Heart itself. If there was a way to tap into that connection…
Suddenly, a soft voice echoed in the back of his mind. It was faint, barely more than a whisper, but it was unmistakable. Yuuji froze, his breath catching in his throat.
Yuuji…
It wasn’t the first time he’d heard the voice. He had first encountered it when he’d picked up the Blade of Eterna back in his homeworld. But this time, it was different. It felt closer, more real.
Yuuji… you cannot escape it…
The voice sent a chill down his spine, and he gripped the hilt of the Blade tightly. The void wasn’t just coming for the world—it was coming for him. The thought of that vast emptiness watching him, waiting for him, made his stomach churn.
The mage stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she noticed his reaction. “Yuuji, what is it? You look pale.”
Yuuji forced himself to speak, his voice low. “The void… it’s reaching out to me. I can hear it.”
The knight stiffened. “What do you mean, you can hear it?”
“It’s in my head,” Yuuji said, his voice trembling slightly. “It’s like it’s calling to me, trying to pull me in.”
The room fell silent, the weight of his words settling over them like a thick fog. His companions exchanged uneasy glances, but Yuuji could see the same fear reflected in their eyes. The void wasn’t just a distant threat anymore—it had become personal.
The mage’s eyes widened. “That’s how it works. The void isn’t just a force—it’s aware. It seeks out those connected to the balance, to the Heart. And you, Yuuji… you’re its target.”
Yuuji swallowed hard, his grip on the Blade tightening. He had always known he was tied to the balance between chaos and order, but this… this was something else. The void was watching him, waiting for him to falter. And if it succeeded in claiming him…
“We can’t let that happen,” the archer said, her voice firm. “If the void gets Yuuji, it’s over.”
The knight nodded. “Agreed. But we need a plan. We can’t just keep running from this thing forever.”
Yuuji closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus. The void’s presence loomed over him like a dark cloud, but deep within, he could still feel the connection to the Blade of Eterna—the same connection that had guided him to the Heart fragment.
“We need to find the other fragments,” Yuuji said, his voice steady. “The Blade of Eterna can guide us. It’s tied to the Heart, just like the void is. If we follow its pull, it’ll lead us to where we need to go.”
The mage looked skeptical but nodded slowly. “It’s a risk, but it’s our best shot. If we can restore the balance, we might be able to close the void’s cracks before it fully manifests.”
The knight sheathed his sword with a grunt. “Then let’s get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps.”
As they made their way out of the ancient vault, Yuuji couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The silence of the Lost City pressed in on them as they retraced their steps, but every now and then, he could swear he felt a presence lurking just beyond his sight, like shadows stretching from the corners of his vision.
Finally, as they reached the edge of the city, the oppressive feeling began to ease, though Yuuji knew it hadn’t disappeared entirely. The void was still out there, watching and waiting.
Yuuji stopped at the top of a hill, turning to look back at the Lost City of Kyr. Its ruins stood silently against the horizon, a reminder of a once-great civilization brought low by forces beyond their understanding.
“It’s only going to get worse from here,” Yuuji said quietly, his gaze fixed on the distant city. “The void won’t stop until it gets what it wants.”
The mage stepped up beside him, her expression somber. “Then we have to stay ahead of it.”
Yuuji nodded, his resolve hardening. The void might be vast and relentless, but he wasn’t going to let it consume everything he cared about. Not without a fight.
As they turned and began their journey once more, Yuuji felt a familiar pull in the Blade of Eterna—a soft tug, guiding him forward. It was faint but unmistakable. The next Heart fragment was out there, waiting to be found.
But so was the void.
And Yuuji knew it wouldn’t rest until it had claimed him.
YOU ARE READING
Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World
FantasiYuuji was an ordinary college student obsessed with his favorite mobile gacha game-until one fateful summon pulled *him* into a world of magic and danger. Transported to the fantasy kingdom of Eldoria, Yuuji discovers that his gacha game has followe...
