Author's Note: Unedited Chapter
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Endric let out a sigh while shaking his head. "No. They slipped away. But they knew about the sword. They're protecting it—or at least, keeping it from us."
Ria cursed softly. "So we're not just dealing with decoy planets. They're playing a bigger game here."
"Yeah, and we're missing the rules," Endric muttered. "Let's regroup. If they're watching us, we need to be smarter about how we move."
...
In the dimly lit interior of their spacecraft, Sersi sat quietly in one of the rear seats with a dark and pensive expression.
She replayed the encounter in her mind—the two robed figures, the explosion, the way she'd been effortlessly thrown across the air, completely outmatched.
Despite her training, she couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness. If she'd been stronger, maybe she could've stopped them. Maybe she wouldn't be the weak link.
