The Bloodline System

Author's Note: Unedited Chapter

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The commander's once-pristine quarters were now a wreckage of destruction and despair. Gralix, the 87th Commander of the Gustavo Alliance, was bound tightly by Falco's dark tendrils.

His scaled body was battered and bruised. His yellow eyes, once filled with defiance, now flickered with pain and a growing sense of dread.

Falco stood over him with his dark hair disheveled. "You're not as tough as you thought, are you, Gralix? Let's try this again. Where are the other commanders, and what do you know about the two leaders?"

Gralix spat greenish blood onto the floor, letting out a hoarse growl. "I'll tell you nothing, scum. Kill me if you must, but I will not betray the Alliance."

Falco's tentacles tightened around his chest, causing him to gasp for air. "Oh, I'm not killing you just yet, lizard. First, I'll tear you apart, piece by piece. Starting with your… reproductive organs. That little dingaling you like to play with will be gone..." A dark smirk played on his lips as he leaned closer. "How's that sound? Want to keep your lineage intact, Commander? Or should I leave you an intergalactic eunuch?"

Aildris stood nearby with his multicolored eyes shimmering with faint irritation. Falco had changed greatly... perhaps Darko wasn't really gone after all.

"Falco, as much as I enjoy your creativity, we're short on time. Let's wrap this up."

"Don't rush me, Aildris," Falco retorted with a sharp voice. "This one needs to learn first."

Elevora's third eye glowed faintly as she crossed her arms."He's just stalling. We don't need him intact to get what we need. Let me shrink something he values."

Gralix flinched at her words, his eyes darting toward her. "You… you monsters wouldn't dare—"

"Try us," Elevora responded with a icy tone.

Falco's tendrils began to wrap around Gralix's lower body, tightening ominously. "I'm done asking nicely. Talk. Now. Or we'll see if lizards can regenerate everything they lose... Including down there..."

Gralix finally cracked with a tone of pain and fear. "Alright! Alright, I'll talk! Just… stop. I'll tell you what you want to know."

Falco loosened his grip slightly while stepping back but keeping his tentacles ready. "Good. Now start talking before I change my mind... everything on the other commanders and the two leaders."

Gralix coughed, his body sagging against his restraints. "The commanders… they're scattered across the galaxy, hidden in separate strongholds. Our locations change frequently to avoid detection. But I can give you the current coordinates of at least ten."

Aildris pulled out a holographic device, activating it with a flick of his hand. "Start talking, and make it quick. Where are they?"

Gralix hesitated, but the glare from Elevora's third eye convinced him to comply. He began listing the coordinates, his voice shaky but clear. Aildris recorded every word, his expression impassive.

When the question of the two leaders arose, Gralix's demeanor shifted. "I can't tell you where they are. Their location is always changing. Only when a meeting is imminent are the commanders informed. It's been months since the last one."

"Convenient," Elevora muttered. "So you're saying you don't know where they are? Useless."

Gralix growled low in his throat. "I'm telling you what I know! The leaders don't trust anyone with their location unless absolutely necessary. They operate in the shadows. Even we don't see them unless summoned."

Falco stepped forward as his tentacles writhed. "Then what's the point of keeping you alive? If you're so useless, why not just end you now?"

Gralix's eyes widened in panic. "Wait! I can give you something else! The vessel's central relay—there's data stored there, encrypted messages. It might have something you can use. But I swear, I don't know where the leaders are as of this moment!"

With the information secured, the group exchanged glances. Aildris sighed, deactivating the holographic recorder. "He's told us enough. Let's move. We need to make sure this vessel can't alert anyone else."

Falco gave Gralix a cold glare before retracting his tendrils entirely. "You're lucky. We will keep you alive—for now. Don't push it."

Gralix slumped to the floor, defeated and battered, as the team began disabling the vessel's systems.

"We need to make sure this ship can't send out any communications," Elevora voiced while walking toward the ship's central console. "If they warn the other commanders, we lose our element of surprise."

Aildris nodded. "Inform E.E and Angy."

While Elevora, E.E and and Angy worked on locking down the ship's systems, Falco stood over Gralix, his arms crossed. "Try anything, and I'll finish what I started. Understand?"

Gralix glared but said nothing. His pride was too wounded to respond.

After disabling the ship's communication systems and encrypting the engines, Aildris turned to the others. "That should do it. They won't be calling for backup anytime soon."

Elevora nodded. "Good. But we can't leave them like this. Someone might eventually get this vessel operational again. We need to make sure no one can leave."

"Leave it to me," Falco stated.

His dark tendrils extended, slithering into the machinery. The room dimmed as his power seeped into the ship, creating a barrier of darkness that wrapped around the engines and locked them in place.

"There. No one's flying this thing without me," Falco said before stepping back.

Aildris gave a faint smile. "Efficient. Let's move. We've got what we need."

As they left the commander's quarters, Gralix's voice called after them. "You won't win, you know. The Alliance is stronger than you can imagine. You'll never defeat us."

Falco dark eyes glinted as he turned. "Don't tempt me."

With the ship disabled and Gralix subdued, the team boarded their own vessel. They took off, leaving the Gustavo Alliance ship sealed and stranded.

...

...

Gustav stumbled as the world twisted unnaturally around him.

The dimension he found himself in was like nothing he had ever encountered. The sky was an ever-shifting swirl of black and white, while the ground beneath his feet felt both solid and liquid, bending and rippling with every step he took.

Mountains floated upside down, rivers flowed into the air, and light sources pulsed with an eerie darkness while shadows seemed to glow faintly.

"Where the hell is this?" Gustav muttered to himself, he scanned the surroundings with God Eyes.

But even his enhanced perception struggled to make sense of the bizarre physics of this place.

In the distance, gigantic monoliths with humanoid faces towered into the upside-down sky, their features etched with expressions of solemnity. A deep, resonating voice echoed across the space, sending chills down his spine.

"Outworldly… welcome."

Gustav's eyes narrowed as he moved cautiously toward the monoliths. Their voices were strange yet familiar, vibrating with an ancient authority that seemed to seep into his very being.

"Who are you?" Gustav demanded with a sharp tone. "And where am I? What is this place?"

"This is the Realm of Unbound Dimensions," the monoliths replied in unison, their stone faces shifting slightly as if speaking. "A sanctuary created to exist beyond the reach of time and space in a much higher dimension that lesser beings cannot sense. We have awaited your arrival for many millennia."

Gustav folded his arms as his expression turned skeptical. "Millennia? Awaited me? You'd better start making sense. Why am I here?"

"There is no time to explain everything, Outworldly," the monoliths intoned as their voices resonated like a symphony of bells. "You must listen carefully. You are in great danger. The universe itself is in peril."

"What else is new? You're not answering my questions," Gustav snapped as his patience wore thin. "Who are you?"

The central monolith leaned slightly closer, its stone face etched with a grave expression. "We are the Ehyrian Wards, creations of a being you once knew. Our purpose is to observe and intervene only when the balance of existence is threatened."

Gustav's eyes narrowed further. "Ehyrian…" he murmured as the name tugged at his memories. "The Cosmic Superior who achieved the highest known power. The one who disappeared over a thousand years ago. What does he have to do with this?"

"Ehyrian foresaw your return, Outworldly," the monoliths voices were heavy with significance. "He used the last of his energy to prepare. Before his disappearance, he completed a task of unimaginable importance—to ensure you would have the chance to reclaim your power."

Gustav eyed narrowed. Ehyrian tale was that of myths and legends across the universe. He was popular even on earth so it was quite the surprise that he knew of Gustav's existence.
Experience more on m v|l e'm,p y r

"What kind of task? Where is Ehyrian now?"

"He is no more," the monoliths answered solemnly. "Ehyrian expended his very essence to create this realm, to leave us as his guardians, and to protect the seeds of your return. He believed that you would one day rise again to face the threats that loom over existence."

Gustav face contorted. "What threats? Are you talking about Nocturnis?"

The monoliths' faces darkened as their stone features twisted slightly. "Nocturnis is but one threat. You have more enemies than you realize, Outworldly. Some have worked tirelessly to ensure you would never regain your full strength."