As Jack's mind started to fade, the surge of energy coursing through him became almost too much to bear. The device his parents had left him—something they had clearly designed for a moment like this—was amplifying his connection to the ancient force that had been awakened. His senses were stretched to the breaking point, but he held on, pushing through the pain. He couldn't let go now.The gravitational rift was collapsing. The walls of the chamber quaked with a deafening roar, but the force Jack had unleashed was stronger. The strange energies swirling around the room began to stabilize as he channeled everything he had into the device, using it as a conduit to control the chaotic power that had threatened to destroy everything.Rhea took a step back, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible," she muttered. "How... how are you doing this?"Jack couldn't answer. His body was burning, his muscles straining against the overwhelming weight of the force he was holding. Every instinct told him to let go, to stop, but he refused. This was the only way to stop Hesta, to prevent them from taking control of the force that had been unleashed.The energy in the room began to pulse, a rhythmic beat that matched the pounding of Jack's heart. He could feel the fabric of reality itself trembling around him, as if the universe were holding its breath. Time seemed to slow as he forced the energy to recede, to retract, to return to its dormant state.Then, with a final, powerful surge, the rift collapsed entirely. The chamber went silent, the hum of the gravitational disturbance fading away, replaced by the eerie stillness of the now-stabilized space.Jack collapsed to the ground, his body exhausted and his mind numb. He had done it. He had stopped the force. But at what cost?As he lay there, struggling to catch his breath, he realized that everything had changed. The world he had known, the life he had led, was no longer the same. Hesta had lost, but they would not give up so easily. There were more questions than answers now, and Jack knew that his journey was far from over.He slowly rose to his feet, his legs trembling beneath him. The air felt normal again, but there was a lingering sense of dread, a feeling that something much bigger was still unfolding, just beyond his reach.Rhea was standing near the door, her expression unreadable. She hadn't left. She was waiting."You were right," Jack said, his voice hoarse. "I wasn't ready. But I'm here now."Rhea's lips curled into a faint, sad smile. "It's never about being ready, Jack. It's about making the choice. And you've made yours."Jack nodded, his gaze fixed on the door ahead. "Then let's finish this."