The Ruham alien, stoic and calm, observed the intense stares that bore into him. Finally, he broke the silence, his voice measured. "We will soon arrive at one of thes where we hope to find the weapon," he announced. "However, on this, we''re looking for what I would call a control box."


    "A control box?" Loki''s eyes narrowed, curiosity evident in his voice. "What exactly does it do?"


    "The control box," the Ruham exined patiently, "is used to track the machine''s current location and any pieces that may have been moved. It allows us to locate the weapon in case it has been shifted from its original position."


    The alien''s confidence was clear—he had been thoroughly briefed on his mission and faced the crew''s barrage of questions with unshakeableposure. But Josh, after a thoughtful pause, raised his hand, his question slicing through the room''s silence.


    "One question…why create only two weapons?" His voice was calm, though the weight of his question was heavy.


    The Ruham paused, a flicker of difort passing across his usually impassive face. "The weapons," he began, his voice almost reverent, "were crafted using energy from a mystical artifact—the God of War''s Axe. When we siphoned energy from it, the resulting power was so immense that our power banks shattered. We could only store enough energy to create two batteries, just enough to fuel the weapons.


    Beyond that, even the axe itself was lost to us…a casualty of our desperation to harness its power." He paused, the gravity of his words settling over the room. "We, too, seek this weapon now."


    "The God of War''s weapon…" Loki murmured, his eyes widening as he absorbed the news. This was more than just a mission for a weapon—it was a search for a relic of unimaginable power, one that connected directly to their own quests. Loki''s mind raced as he pieced together the implications. The gods'' candidates had a target. And now, it was linked to them.


    He cast a nce toward Troy, who stood nearby, eyes unfocused and distant. Like Axel, Troy was alive, but his consciousness seemed adrift, lost somewhere beyond reach. They were left with more questions than answers, and every revtion seemed to deepen the mystery.


    "Do you know about the sword, too?" Haze asked, her voice unsteady, an anxious look crossing her face.


    Josh spoke up, quickly filling in the details before the conversation could veer off course. "We received information from someone we encountered on Rika," he exined, his voice low. Then he turned back to the Ruham, nodding respectfully. "Sorry, I don''t think we caught your name…"


    "In yournguage," the Ruham replied with a bow, "you may call me Rudeus."


    "Rudeus." Josh nodded thoughtfully before drawing himself up. "All right, we''ll have time for more questionster, but for now, we need to focus. We have to get ahead of the Void Walkers before they reach Earth. Let''s organize teams to scout the."


    He scanned the room, his gaze steady and assessing. "So, who''s with me for the descent?" His question lingered in the air, and for a moment, silence hung over them like a shroud. Then, with a sharp nod, Thor and Andre raised their hands.


    Josh''s approval was immediate. "Good," he said, his tone firm. Then he turned to Haze, a hint of appreciation in his gaze. "I need you on the team as well. You have the skills we''ll need if things go south."


    Haze met his eyes, giving a determined nod. "If wee across anything that might help Axel and Troy…we''ll take it." Her voice held a fierce edge, a reminder of the risks they''d faced together. "He''s one of our strongest assets—we need him back."


    The group nodded in silent agreement, sharing a mutual understanding of the stakes. Each member of the crew moved with purpose, gathering their gear, preparing for whaty ahead on the uncharted world below.


    Soon, Rudeus exited the pilot''s chamber and addressed the team, his expression unreadable. "Prepare yourselves," he announced. "We havended."


    They gathered near the exit ramp, the hum of the ship''s engines winding down, a haunting sound in the newfound stillness. Thor nced at Rudeus, his stance tense, ready for whatevery outside. "Anything we should know about this?"


    "The air is breathable," Rudeus replied, his voice steady. "But thendscape is a barren wastnd—deste and red."


    "Red?" Haze repeated, frowning at the unfamiliar term. Read exclusive content at empire


    Rudeus nodded gravely. "A red harbors only danger. There are no native civilizations, no safe zones, only creatures that are hostile and relentless."


    Thor let out a low growl, a smirk ying at the corner of his mouth as he cast a sidelong nce at Haze. "That''s what happens when you snooze through themander''s briefings. You''d know about reds if you paid attention, little girl."


    Ignoring Thor''s jab, Josh''s mind was already racing with the implications. A red meant danger on a scale they hadn''t faced before—beasts bred solely to hunt, strong enough to thrive on a world that offered nothing but death.


    He clenched his fists, his mind shing back to past battles, to moments where he had been careless, to memories of Axel putting himself in harm''s way to protect the group.


    This time, he would be ready.


    "It''s a red," Josh said, his voice calm but resolute. "That means we move carefully, stay hidden, and only engage if absolutely necessary. We can''t risk attracting attention."


    He took a breath, his gaze hard as he looked each of his team members in the eye. "We''re alone out here—no backup, no Commander Asher. If we fail, Earth stands no chance."


    A quiet determination settled over the team. This was a mission with no room for error.


    **Author''s note***


    Thank you for reading this far. Please I need your supports in gift, even Magic castle would be appreciated at this point. I''ll mass release if done, thank you.