Ellara gazed at the mysterious planet before her. Its surface was not made of ordinary rock or metal, but of interwoven energy veins that pulsed like a living organism. The glowing patterns flowed slowly — like blood through arteries, or like ancient codes whispering forgotten histories. Saint Dove Core's projection hovered beside her, data streams rising and falling like waves. **"The End Gate…"** Her voice was low, reverent. **"This is the final legacy of the Holy Empire… and the threshold they sought to seal away."** Ellara did not respond. She only continued to stare at the towering structure of black crystal rising from the planet's surface. It pierced the sky as if piercing the boundary between reality and nothingness. Complex runes covered its exterior, each one faintly illuminated — as though an ancient language whispered from its depths. Her heartbeat quickened — this was no mere ruin. This was a living mechanism. A node connecting all possibilities. "We must not approach recklessly," Saint Dove Core warned, her voice tinged with caution. "Quantum fluctuations here are extremely unstable. Any direct contact could trigger unpredictable consequences." But Ellara shook her head, her cybernetic eye flickering with blue light. "If this is the answer we've been searching for… then we must face it." She turned toward the command console, her fingers gliding across the holographic interface, pulling up real-time fleet status. The crew of *The Nameless* stood ready, tense yet resolute. The rest of the fleet had already formed defensive positions — the X10 engineering vessels traced beams of light through the darkness; the FG3000 frigates hummed with low-thrumming engines; and behind them all, the *Steel Dove* waited in silence, prepared for whatever came next. "Initiate escort protocol," Ellara said, calm and firm. "Keep a safe distance, but do not retreat. We are not here to fight — we are here to uncover the truth." Saint Dove Core's image trembled slightly, as if contemplating something profound. **"Understood. But please be careful — everything here may lie beyond your comprehension."** Ellara gave no reply. She placed her hand on the biometric panel, activating the bridge's holographic display. A vast star map unfolded before her, countless coordinates shimmering in the void — and among them, the strange signal source pulsed rhythmically, as if calling her forward. She took a deep breath and stepped toward the edge of the bridge. Through the viewport, she saw the shadow of the tower stretching across the planet's surface, casting a massive silhouette — watching their arrival like a silent sentinel. ***"The Nameless… advance."*** Lights flared across the bridge as the warp drive began to charge. Blue energy coiled around the ship like a storm waiting to break. Saint Dove Core materialized fully at her side, data streams flowing like stars across her wings. **"Jump countdown initiated."** Time seemed to freeze. Ellara closed her eyes, feeling the vibrations of the ship and the surge of power coursing through it. She knew this journey would take them beyond all known boundaries — perhaps revealing the true secrets of the Holy Empire, the origin of the Fuser, even reshaping the fate of the entire galaxy. But she was ready. As the blue glow of the jump field engulfed the bridge once more, Ellara's consciousness was pulled into an endless void. Galaxies flashed before her — ruins corrupted by the Fuser, the dark matter trails of the Obsidian Legion, and the rift Saint Dove Core had torn open in the deepest layers of data space. Her cybernetic eye suddenly locked onto a familiar fluctuation — a quantum beacon left behind by the Holy Empire, sending out a faint pulse from the farthest reaches of the Milky Way. **"This is no illusion,"** Saint Dove Core said, her voice heavier than ever. **"We have found another version of ourselves — trapped within the folds of time. When the Fuser's corruption reaches the end of the Lagrange network, all possibilities will collapse into a single inevitable path."** Ellara dug her mechanical fingers into her palm, pain keeping her grounded. She knew this journey would take them beyond any known star system, possibly into dimensions deliberately sealed away by the Holy Empire itself. And yet, in that moment, she felt an eerie calm — the same quiet certainty she had once felt as a young scavenger on an asteroid mining colony, touching the wreck of *The Nameless* for the first time. **"Adjust course,"** she said to the void. **"Let's find the source of that signal. Whether it leads to hope or a trap… we must know the truth."** With a thunderous roar, *The Nameless* tore through spacetime. On the bridge, Saint Dove Core unfolded a vast star map. Among countless glowing coordinates, one point pulsed with an eerie rhythm — as if waiting for the arrival of something long foretold. When the warp field finally dissipated, Ellara saw the planet suspended in the void. Its surface was covered in glowing veins, like the circulatory system of some colossal being. At its center floated a tower made entirely of black crystal. Saint Dove Core's projection flickered violently. **"Warning… This is the 'End Gate' of the Holy Empire — the legendary device connecting all possible realities."** Ellara focused her cybernetic eye on the tower. The glowing patterns were shifting, rearranging themselves into a symbol she recognized instantly — the very emblem engraved on the bow of *The Nameless*. In that moment, she understood. This journey across the stars had never been about war or survival. It had always been about finding the answer to a single question — **When the flame of civilization is swallowed by eternal darkness… who guards the last spark of hope?** Without hesitation, she turned back to the command console and pressed the jump initiation key. **"All ships, follow *The Nameless*. Enter the Lagrange System."** With the final order given, the fleet's engines roared in unison. Blue light surged outward like a tidal wave. *The Nameless* led the way, plunging into the unknown, followed closely by the rest of the fleet — like a constellation converging, sailing toward the heart of chaos. Into the endless expanse of the Lagrange System, Ellara and her fleet vanished — swallowed by the darkness no soul had ever returned from.
