When the office building erupted into chaos, Hannah's shove of Alan being the spark that set it going, Ray took Dot and got her out of there and to a safe location. That was somewhat of a comfort as Luke struggled to get his emotions under control. Hannah and Curtis's status was more of an unknown, and there was no way for him to find out more, not when he was stuck in some alternate version of Earth. Worry nagged at the corners of his concentration, but after several failed attempts, Luke had found a semblance of serenity and was now clinging on to it for dear life. Wanting to keep a cool head, he went over the status screen in his interface, hanging on to every skill description as he searched for a way out within himself.

  Skills (3 points not allocated)

  Needle of Life (Rank 3) [Active - Mana Cost: ?]: Part the weave as you see fit.

  Threads of Mana (Rank 4) [Passive]: Mana is the weaver's primary tool. Your threads are the weave.

  The Healer's Moment (Rank 2) [Active. Mana Cost: Moderate]: Your choices in the moment shape the future.

  Weaver's Grasp [Passive]: The Weaver's control extends beyond their touch.

  Weaver’s Mercy (Rank 2) [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: Allow your target another few moments in their current condition.

  Weaver’s Renewal (Rank 2) [Active - Mana Cost: High]: The core of a being remembers.

  The Healer's Staff [Active. Mana Cost: Low]: Turn your weapon indestructible for a brief moment.

  Weavestep (Rank 2) [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: The weave is yours to traverse.

  Weaver's Perception (Rank 2) [Passive]: Many are the senses, but all you need is one. Best you use it.

  Weaver’s Rupture (Rank 2) [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: Create a controlled blast of mana to disrupt any who would threaten you.

  Bountiful Recovery [Passive]: Any healing power claimed may stay within the core of your being.

  Guardian Weave [Active - Mana Cost: Low-High]: Shield structures within yourself or another.

  Lifeweaver's Sacrifice [Toggleable - Mana Cost: Low]: Absorb damage from anyone touched by your threads.

  Cascading Threads [Active - Mana Cost: High]: The threads weave from one to another, and to another.

  Manipulate Thread [Passive]: Reach out a trembling finger and touch the thread.

  Loom's Reminder [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: For a brief moment, each touch produces a thread.

  Bleed The Weave [Active - Mana Cost: High]: Rupture a weave to make your target weep mana.

  Draft Insight [Passive]: Read the intent in the weaves of others.

  Destabilize Spellweave [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: Destroy spellweaves with Threads of Mana.

  Available skills:

  Wounded Symmetry [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: Mirror a tear in the weave and create it anew.

  Strengthen Thread [Active - Mana Cost: High]: Use mana to strengthen the weave.

  Heartthread [Active - Mana Cost: High]: Bind your weave to another.

  Weaver’s Boon [Active - Mana Cost: High]: Mana not only restores, but empowers.

  Corrupt Thread [Active - Mana Cost: High]: Force threads together in a harming weave.

  Weaver's Whip [Active - Mana Cost: Low]: Turn a thread of mana into a weapon.

  Weaveguard [Toggleable - Mana Cost: Low]: Shield the core of your being from outside influence.

  Rank up skills available:

  The Healer's Staff [Active. Mana Cost: Low]: Turn your weapon indestructible for a brief moment.

  Most skills would do nothing to help with the current situation, at least in Luke's estimation. The few that might were Weavestep, of course, Threads of Mana with Weaver's Grasp, and Weaver's Perception, of course. Then there was the one standout that might help: Manipulate Thread. The skill allowed direct access to the weave of the system, but the one time Luke had used it had not ended well. That was all he had at his disposal. The available skills he had not chosen yet were useless for what he needed to solve this problem.

  So, with little else available to him and not wanting to try Manipulate Thread before exhausting other alternatives first, Luke sank himself into meditation. Feeding healing mana to his meta-heart while activating every other skill, Luke forced his mana pool to plummet toward zero. It was only on the brink of collapse that the threads of The Greater System, and the void beyond, made themselves known. Like all other times, the threads that made up the weave came into focus. He didn't see them, not precisely. It was more of a sensation, except Weaver's Perception had nothing to do with it, Luke realized. Head throbbing and his consciousness doing everything in its power to slip away, he held on with an iron will, utilizing every ounce of Willpower and Focus.

  It was there. Luke didn't have to open his eyes to see. The void being regarded him from beyond The Greater System, watching with interest, as if wanting to see what he would do next. That attention was almost welcome, alone as Luke was. Well, not alone. Smudge thrummed inside the Stable. Excited by the appearance of the void, perhaps. A breath later, Luke's companion forced his way out to place himself between Luke and the void. Rather than push it away, however, like Smudge had done when he hatched from the egg, the creature seemed to call on the being, drawing the void closer.

  Confused, Luke muttered a few words. "What are you doing?"

  His concentration almost slipped, but Luke grabbed it with his mind, as if catching a thread in the wind, and held on for dear life. Falling unconscious now would not end well, he felt. Smudge replied in the only way he could, communication through feeling, rather than words. Home. That was the meaning Luke caught. Home, as in Smudge's home, the void? Or perhaps it was a way back to Earth? The pet seemed to pick up on Luke's confusion, but did not clarify. Instead, he repeated himself. Home.

  "Home where?" Luke croaked.

  Come. Home.

  Smudge pulled on Luke's mind, urging him to follow as he approached the void being waiting beyond The Greater System. No, it wasn't just waiting. It was reaching out, moving the threads aside, as if welcoming Smudge to join it. And perhaps Luke, too? That being had seen Luke many times in the past and was clear in its interest. Was this an invitation? What would that mean? What would it entail? He found himself wanting to reach out and follow. Anything was better than staying in the isolated prison of a dead world, wasn't it? Finding a way forward from in there would be simpler than what he was facing in the barren wasteland Alan imprisoned him in.

  Rather than extend a hand or walk toward the void, Luke found himself reaching out with his mind. Smudge froze and seemed to narrow eyes the voidling didn't have, an aura of suspicion radiating off the pet's back. When Luke's consciousness drifted past the threads of The Greater System, reaching for Smudge, the pet rebuffed him, pushing him back. Astonishment rocked through Luke, who didn't understand. Why would his pet keep him away?

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  The void being was not so unwelcoming. Its consciousness felt closer than ever, and it reached out for Luke, as if wanting to pull him in, to pull him home, over the edge and past the boundary of The Greater System. Smudge radiated an anxious worry that Luke still couldn't understand. The two of them would go home together. While the pet was strong-willed, he couldn't hold a candle to Luke's force of will and was no match for the void being's. Soon, the three would join together. Soon, Luke would be free of The Greater System and all its constraints.

  "No."

  All turned black. At first, Luke thought he'd gone beyond the edge, but no, that wasn't it. What the hell had he been thinking, trying to cross over? That would have been a massive mistake. There was no way he would've been able to get back again. Luke shuddered in that darkness, realizing how close he'd come to being annihilated. Calming himself, he took stock of his surroundings and found that he recognized this particular flavor of nothingness. He'd been here before.

  "Guide?" Luke asked. Or wanted to ask. In there, he had no mouth and could speak no words. Last time, he'd been transported to another place. An office, where he'd sat opposite Guide, who, at first, had taken the appearance of one of Luke's old teachers. As Luke remembered, the nothingness shifted around him.

  "Luke," Guide said. They were in the very same room, or one that looked like it, down to the specks of dust in the corner.

  Luke nodded to him, shuddering again. "Guide. You saw that? The void?"

  "I see everything that happens in your system and every Integrated human, inside it and out. Wherever they might find themselves."

  "So, you intervened?"

  Guide's placid, pleasant expression changed, and he looked like he'd tasted something sour. "Please do not use that word."

  "What?" Luke asked. "Intervene?"

  "My role prohibits me from reaching in and taking an active hand in what unfolds after a new system integration."

  Luke frowned. "But you did. Why?"

  "To answer that question, I believe it is time to provide a measure of insight into what just happened to you. In most cases, this is a conversation for much, much later, but you almost blundered past the bounds of your system. It is time I told you a little more about the void."

  Luke leaned forward in his chair to rest his elbows on the table between himself and Guide. "You're really going to tell me? To provide useful information?"

  "Sarcasm aside, yes," Guide said, a not-so-amused expression on his face.

  The man, or being, or whatever you wanted to call him, had not shown much in the way of emotion the last, brief, time Luke met him. He chose to take that as a good sign, and gave an encouraging wave, urging Guide to go on.

  "In simple terms, the void is not a place, like Earth, for example."

  "It's another dimension?" Luke asked. "It was like it pulled me in. Like it wanted me to join it."

  Guide shook his head. "Not quite. Different systems can exist in other dimensions, but the void is present in all of them, looking in from outside of reality. One such way is through Integrated, like you just experienced."

  "What does it want?"

  "The void is not a single being. It is a concept of nothingness populated by creatures that do not belong. They yearn to step into the light and escape their existence, but The Greater System was created, in part, to keep them out."

  "Seems kind of not-so-nice to keep them out." Guide was about to speak again, but Luke jumped in first. "But they will destroy everything if they get in, right? That's the feeling I'm getting here."

  "Something to that effect, yes," Guide said with a nod. "Whatever the void touches belongs to the void. Once a system is claimed, there is no bringing it back. The void consumes all and is ever-encroaching. Much has been lost already. This is also the reason we have been forced to integrate new systems at an increased rate."

  Luke raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Like the one with the tall humanoids that wouldn't stay dead?"

  Guide looked tired all of a sudden, even a hint of frustration showing through. "A debacle. Never before have I seen such a disastrous outcome from an Axis Gateway."

  "What are you talking about? There was nothing special about the portal, other than that we found other Integrated that didn't belong in that dungeon. We've found more Integrated since then. Oh, and Smudge."

  "That is not the Gateway I am referring to."

  "No?" Luke asked. Considering the meaningful look from Guide, he got an inkling of understanding and followed that to its logical conclusion. "The pink portal. Relian. He had something to do with Smudge? The other Integrated?"

  "That is correct. His intention, we believe, was to return for the egg once a deal had been struck. Earth did not yet hold the necessary materials to attempt to bring something like that to life.”

  “And the pink portals are special somehow?”

  “Axis Gateways are of special significance. They herald change in one way or another. One appearing so soon was worrisome, but how Earth handled it made for what could have been an unparalleled disaster."

  Luke leaned back in his chair, his mind going in several directions at once. "You mean how I handled it? And the others? That The Fallen Shepherd escaped from the dungeon?"

  "There is no blame at your feet, Lifeweaver. Crafty, that one. You were outmatched. A threat like The Fallen Shepherd should not have been introduced so soon. No doubt, an investigation into the matter is taking place. I am surprised you managed to end him, even in his weakened state."

  "Weakened?"

  "Rending The Greater System open to allow for communication with a void being, then holding the barrier in place to stop said creature from breaking through is a massive undertaking. In his death, he also made sure the barrier closed in such a way that ensured Earth's continued existence."

  "Oh," Luke said. "I thought I beat him fair and square, and that I, well, Smudge, chased that thing in the void off."

  "Afraid not. It was still a solid achievement. Surviving, I mean. No one knows what would have happened had you not intervened."

  "If he made that deal?"

  "Yes," Guide said. "Nothing like it has been attempted before."

  "But why the pink portal? If we didn't have a chance of winning, what was the point in you bringing it?"

  Guide gave him a long look, then clasped his hands on top of the table. "The gateways are not part of my reason for being your system's chaperone. Integration meant they would come, yes, but they are not part of a design. Not my design, at least."

  "They're random?"

  "No," Guide shook his head. "Not random. Just not my purview."

  "I don't understand."

  "At this point, you do not need to understand. You need to close the gateways and keep your system from being overrun. It is a way to grow stronger. Do not squander it."

  "Fine, I guess... Let's go back to where we found the egg. What was he going to do with it? The system couldn't even identify it."

  "Relian created the creature. It was part of his skill set. It is a joining of The Greater System and the void."

  Luke swallowed hard. "Why?"

  "That, I do not know. The Fallen Shepherd's origin is unknown. That is rare indeed, our missing a piece of knowledge. As for the reason for his introducing the egg, there can be only one."

  "One reason?"

  Guide nodded again. "Relian was in contact with the creature in the void that you have pulled in close. He was attempting to bridge the gap and barter for protection."

  "Protection from what?" Luke asked, then furrowed his brow. "Wait. You said I pulled that thing in?"

  "A void being's protection would let a system survive the cataclysm of The Greater System's collapse," Guide said, "And yes."

  "Yes, what?"

  "You are responsible for that being taking an interest in Earth. Which is the reason Relian was able to communicate with it in the first place. His machinations created the egg and the potential of the creature within. Part system, part void. It also lessened the barrier between new systems that is always put in place, leading to you facing other Integrated before it was time."

  "This," Luke began, trailing off. "...This is a lot to take in."

  Once the pieces stopped spinning and fit into the puzzle of recent events, Luke gathered himself and asked, "You said I brought that thing closer to us. Does that mean it's going to destroy Earth?"

  "No. Not unless you reach out to it and allow it entry into your system."

  A cold sense of dread reached in and grabbed Luke's heart. He'd been so close. Smudge must've realized. That's why the little voidling put a stop to it. "I almost ended everything."

  "I felt the situation warranted my stepping in," Guide said.

  Luke nodded. "I'd say you made the right call with that one. What about Smudge?"

  "Gone into the void."

  "The creature is an unknown, but my guess would be that it has ceased to exist, taken into the more powerful being to fuel its growth."

  Rather than cold insides, Luke's face flushed. "He's gone?"

  "Afraid so."

  They sat in silence for a little while. Digesting all this information was difficult, and processing the loss of the little voidling equally so. They hadn't known each other long, but Luke had taken a real liking to the little thing. It was a heavy feeling, but he shouldered it and steeled himself. This was not the time for grieving, not with his friends still in jeopardy.

  A multitude of questions raced through his mind, but one stood out. "Who and what are you? A human?"

  "I am not human, no. As for your broader question, an answer would be premature. Let me tell you this: Your system is in flux. In most cases, the Integrated and those who choose to abstain come together and work together. With you, not so."

  Luke shook his head. "That can't be right."

  "You would be surprised," Guide said, pursing his lips. "But perhaps there is time yet for your kind. The external threats are usually what bring everyone together, after all."

  "External?"

  "The time is soon upon you, so your system better not slack, you least of all. Your sole reason for becoming Integrated is to grow stronger to help The Greater System stand against the void. Place more emphasis on those pursuits rather than petty squabbles with guild masters and other organizations."

  "Easy for you to say," Luke grumbled. "How are we supposed to fight against the void, anyway? How do you fight against infinite nothingness?"

  "It is too soon for you to learn about that, far too soon."

  "Fair enough."

  "I believe that is all the time we have," Guide said, standing.

  Luke shot up and out of his chair. "Wait! One more question! Can all Lifeweavers bring about the end of our system? Why do we even have the skills to do that?"

  A thin and perhaps worried smile crept onto Guide's face. "No, that is not a facet of the Lifeweaver class. It has nothing to do with classes at all, but individuals. You are not the sole individual with the potential, though, but you are by far the most... shall we say, spirited?"

  "I don't get it."

  Guide shook his hand. "There is no need for you to 'get it'. Not yet. We shall meet again, Lifeweaver."

  "Hold on," Luke said. "You're taking me back to my friends, right?"

  "That would be far too much involvement on my end. It would not stand."

  "So I'm going back to that dead world?"

  "Far from dead, just different," Guide said. "And you possess all the tools you need to return to your own system."

  "Well, crap," Luke said as darkness took him.