114: Chapter 114 The Journey to the Mother Planet

The artificial dawn of the Interstellar Academy spread slowly from above the dome, with pale golden light piercing through layers of energy shields. This should have brought new life and hope to the inter-stellar academy, but at this moment, it was completely crushed by the destruction equation hanging overhead.

Above the central plaza, the golden light web, manually drawn by eighty Light Sphere Race students, was still running crazily. Each flicker of the lines shortened the countdown of Earth's life. The giant red number projected by Franklin in mid-air kept jumping—69 hours, 37 minutes, 12 seconds. Every reduction of the number was like a heavy hammer smashing into everyone's chest, making the air thick and oppressive.

The temporary command pod was located on the top floor of the academy's main tower, surrounded by panoramic bulletproof glass on three sides, offering a view of the entire academy. At this moment, there was not a single extra sound in the pod. Everyone remained silent, the atmosphere so heavy it felt like it could drip water.

Franklin concentrated all computing power on route planning and spaceship debugging. The pale blue virtual projection flashed rapidly above the console, and the data stream poured down like a waterfall. The electronic voice, originally lively and noisy, had now become calm and serious.

After an all-night preparation, the most advanced interstellar expedition ship that the Interstellar Academy could mobilize—the light feather—had completed all maintenance and charging.

This ship, nearly two hundred meters long, with a streamlined hull glowing with a warm white luster, was equipped with third-generation space jump engines, full-spectrum emotion barriers, dark matter automatic detection systems, and energy supply devices exclusive to the Light Sphere Race. It was the interstellar exploration flagship built by the academy at a huge cost and was the only hope they had at this moment to rush to the Mother Star.

Kate stood in front of the holographic star map, her fingertips carrying the cool energy of the Light Sphere Race, gently sliding across the route that had been sealed for a hundred years.

From the Solar System where the Interstellar Academy was located to the Cradle of Light star region where the Light Sphere Mother Star was located, it spanned three galaxies. Normal travel would take three full days, while starting a space jump could compress the time to seven hours.

She had seen this route countless times in the ancient books and inherited memories of the Light Sphere Race. It was the place of origin of their race, the Cradle that nurtured all Light Orb life, but it was swallowed by unknown dark matter in the interstellar catastrophe a hundred years ago, becoming a dead land floating with star remains and ruins.

Every time she thought of the Mother Star, an unspeakable pain would surge in Kate's heart. It was the homesickness carved into their genes, the regret that the clansmen could never let go of. And now, Shadow had used this homesickness to set a deadly trap, forcing them to step into this long-dead land.

"Teacher Kate, the route is finally confirmed, the space jump coordinates are locked, all systems of the light feather are normal, and energy reserves are at 100%. We can depart at any time." Franklin's voice broke the silence in the cabin. The red countdown was temporarily hidden, replaced by the ship's various parameter panels.

Kate retracted her gaze, the softness in her eyes replaced by firmness. She turned around and scanned everyone in the cabin: "Time is tight, we can't wait any longer. Start the departure procedure immediately. The sooner we arrive at the Mother Star, the more chance we have to crack the destruction equation and save all the students."

Little Kate stood beside Kate, her custom-made deep space combat suit outlining the girl's upright yet still thin figure. After last night's breakup and growth, the cowardice and confusion in her eyes had completely dissipated, replaced by a calmness and sharpness that did not match her age.

She was no longer the little girl who needed to be protected behind others at all times, but the successor of the Light Sphere Race, a leader who would fight side by side with Kate. Even if the road ahead was a trap with nine deaths and one life, she would not shrink back in the slightest.

AKai held the elegy anchor that was glowing with a faint blue halo, standing quietly in the corner. Last night, Little Kate's words, "Your method will only cause more pain," completely shattered the paranoid philosophy he had stuck to for half his life.

This scientist who had studied emotional energy all his life finally understood that protection was never about sacrifice and control, but about cherishing the weight of every life. At this moment, he no longer talked about efficiency and cost, just silently checking the energy frequency of the elegy anchor, his eyes filled with a bit more tenderness and determination. This time, he would use his own power to protect everyone around him.

And Lin Fan stood alone in the shadows at the very edge of the command pod, keeping his distance from everyone. The condition he brought back last night, "Hand over Kate," had completely shattered the trust between him and Kate, and an invisible chasm lay between them.

He did not step forward to explain, did not try to get close, just stood quietly, his eyes firmly locked on Kate's back, hiding guilt, struggle, and a paranoid desire to protect that no one could understand. He knew he was not forgiven, knew he was the most out-of-place existence in the team, but he could not leave. As long as Shadow still coveted Kate, he would do everything to block in front of her, even if it meant sacrificing his life, even if he would be misunderstood forever.

Kate never looked at Lin Fan from beginning to end, as if he were just a mass of irrelevant air. After trust collapsed, even the meeting of gazes became a torment. She had no energy to deal with romantic entanglements now, no time to dwell on those concealments and betrayals. Saving the students, saving the Earth, and cracking Shadow's conspiracy were her only goals.

"Everyone board the ship, check your equipment. In three minutes, the light feather departs." Kate's voice was cold and firm, without a trace of hesitation.

"Received!"

"Understood!"

"Executing immediately!"

Everyone responded in unison and turned to walk toward the boarding passage. Little Kate followed behind Kate, her steps light and firm; AKai held the elegy anchor tightly, his pace steady; Franklin's projection directly accessed the ship's main system, entering the command interface in advance; Lin Fan walked at the end silently, like a silent Guardian, following the team's footsteps.

The boarding process was smooth and rapid. Three minutes later, the boarding hatch of the light feather slowly closed. The engine emitted a low and powerful roar, the whole ship vibrated slightly, detached from the Interstellar Academy's docking port, and its tail sprayed pale blue ion flames, like a stream of light cutting through the darkness, breaking through the academy's gravity sky screen, and plunged into the boundless deep space of the universe.

Outside the cabin was the absolutely silent and icy universe. In the pitch-black background, distant stars were like finely crushed diamonds, emitting a faint and eternal light. The space jump engine had not yet started, and the ship was sailing steadily at a normal speed. The starlight outside the window slowly retreated, outlining the vastness and insignificance of the universe.

Little Kate walked to the viewing window, gently pressed her cheek against the cold glass, and stared at the scene outside without blinking. This was her first time truly leaving the Solar System, embarking on the journey to the Mother Star, her heart intertwined with nervousness, anticipation, and a trace of imperceptible fear.

She grew up listening to the legends of the Mother Star, the Cradle of Light, the origin of life, but she also knew that there were only ruins and death left there, and the death trap set by Shadow.

Kate walked to her side, gently reached out, and pressed on the girl's shoulder. The Light Orb energy at her fingertips carried a gentle warmth, smoothing out the anxiety in her heart: "Are you afraid?"

Little Kate turned her head, gave Kate a faint smile, shook her head, and then nodded gently, whispering: "A little bit afraid, but as long as Teacher Kate is here, I'm not afraid of anything."

Kate's heart softened slightly, she reached out and rubbed the girl's hair, but a hint of undisguised complexity flashed in her eyes. She could give Little Kate a sense of security, could protect her for a while, but she didn't know if she could protect her for a lifetime. Shadow's power far exceeded their imagination, and this journey to the Mother Star was destined to be a life-and-death struggle. She didn't even dare to guarantee that she could bring everyone back alive.

"Don't worry, I will always be with you." Kate promised softly, her voice gentle yet firm.

Just then, the alarm on the ship's console sounded without warning. The urgent red warning light instantly illuminated the entire cabin, and Franklin's electronic voice was filled with unprecedented panic, breaking the momentary silence: "Warning! Unknown spatial abnormality detected! Engine energy lost for no reason! Space jump engine charging interrupted! Current charging progress 80% → 70% → 60%! Continuing to decline!"

Kate's face changed drastically, and she immediately rushed to the console: "Deploy full-spectrum detection immediately, lock the source of the abnormality!"

"Detection in progress... Data matching... Matching failed! Unknown energy body, does not belong to any known galactic civilization!" Franklin's projection flickered wildly, the holographic screen was filled with garbled characters and warning symbols, "Super-strong gravity interference detected! The ship is being forcibly dragged! Unable to stabilize the route!"

Everyone's eyes were focused on the viewing window in front. The next second, everyone's faces turned pale as paper.

Directly in front of the light feather, a boundless pitch-black void was slowly expanding. That was not the darkness of the universe, but an absolute void that could swallow all light, all energy, and all signals.

There were no stars, no light, no energy fluctuations, and even space itself was being nibbled, twisted, and collapsed by this darkness bit by bit. The moment the surrounding starlight approached it, it would be completely swallowed, leaving not even a trace.

That was not a black hole naturally formed in the universe, but an emotion black hole compressed and condensed by Shadow using the negative emotions of countless living beings—despair, pain, fear, separation, etc. It did not swallow everything by physical gravity, but directly gnawed on the emotions, spirits, and souls of living beings.

For the Light Sphere Race whose power originated from emotions and light, this was an existence like a natural enemy. Once involved in it, all light, all emotions, and all memories would be gnawed away, finally becoming an empty shell without a soul, forever dissipating in the darkness.

"emotion black hole... It's Shadow's handiwork." Lin Fan's voice came from the shadows, his tone extremely grave, "He had long expected that we would take this route and set an ambush here. This black hole was fed by the negative emotions of countless dead creatures, specifically designed to restrain the Light Sphere Race's emotional energy. Our power will be infinitely weakened in front of it."

Kate's heart sank to the bottom. Lin Fan's words confirmed her most terrible guess. The core power of the Light Sphere Race originated from emotional resonance and light energy, and the emotion black hole was exactly their nemesis. Here, their power would be suppressed, their spirits would be eroded, and even the most basic defense would be difficult to maintain.

"Barrier energy only has 35% left! Still continuing to drop!"

"Structural cracks appeared on the ship's hull! Left wing engine damaged!"

"Main engine stalled! Completely lost power!"

Alarms sounded one after another, the ship bumped violently, the metal shell made a distorted groan that it couldn't bear, items on the shelves fell one after another, shattered, emergency oxygen masks fell automatically, and the entire command pod fell into chaos.

Little Kate slipped, lost her balance, and her arm hit the hard edge of the console severely. The sharp metal corner instantly cut her combat suit, and a deep wound appeared on her slender arm. Blood immediately gushed out, staining the white combat suit red.

"Little Kate!"

Kate was quick-eyed and fast-handed, pulled the girl into her arms, used her back to block the flying metal fragments, and her back slammed into the cabin wall, making a muffled groan. The violent impact made her chest feel stuffy, and the Light Orb energy became chaotic due to emotional fluctuations, but she still tightly protected Little Kate in her arms, fearing that she would be hurt in the slightest.

"Teacher Kate! Are you okay!" Little Kate shouted anxiously. The pain from the wound on her arm was piercing, but it couldn't compare to the worry in her heart.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Kate gritted her teeth and stood firm, protecting Little Kate behind her, her eyes fixed on the approaching emotion black hole, "Can't be sucked in! Once we enter the black hole range, we will all die! We must force a breakout!"

"But the main engine has stalled, we have no power!" AKai rushed over holding the elegy anchor, the faint blue light swirling on the anchor, "I can use the elegy anchor to release an emotion barrier to temporarily resist the erosion of the black hole, but it won't last long!"

"The barrier won't hold! The erosion speed of the emotion black hole is far beyond our imagination!" Franklin screamed, "The ship can last at most three more minutes before it is completely torn apart!"

Chaos, despair, helplessness, instantly enveloped the entire ship. Everyone was in a desperate situation, no power, no defense, no retreat. In front was the emotion black hole that swallowed everything, and behind was the universe with no way back. It seemed that the only path waiting for them was death.

Just at this critical moment, Little Kate suddenly broke free from Kate's protection, rushed to the main pilot seat, held the joystick firmly with both hands, her eyes bright and determined, without a trace of fear.

"I'll pilot the ship, I'll break out."

The girl's voice was not loud, but it carried a power that made people believe, especially clear in the chaotic cabin.

"Little Kate! Get down! This is too dangerous! You have no experience in actual combat piloting at all!" Kate was so anxious that she wanted to step forward to pull her down. The space at the edge of the emotion black hole was distorted to the extreme. Even the top interstellar pilots would not dare to drive forcibly in this environment, let alone a minor girl.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

"There's no time to hesitate now!" Little Kate turned back, her gaze fixed firmly on Kate, the unique light of the Light Sphere Race flickering in her eyes. "I've been training on the Light Sphere Race's simulated warships since I was a child; my sensitivity to spatial distortion and energy flow is stronger than anyone's! I can 'see' the weak points of the black hole and find the only gap to break through! Trust me, Teacher Kate!"

Kate looked into the girl's eyes; there wasn't a trace of retreat or panic, only an indomitable determination. She suddenly realized that this child, whom she had always protected under her wing, had truly grown up and now possessed the courage and ability to stand on her own. At this moment, the ship was about to be swallowed by the black hole; there was no more time for hesitation. This was their only chance.

Kate took a deep breath, suppressing all her worry and unease, and said to Franklin in a heavy voice, "Transfer all piloting authority of the light feather to Little Kate!"

"Received! Piloting authority transfer complete! All systems successfully interfaced!" Franklin immediately executed the command.

Little Kate gripped the control stick with both hands, her fingertips turning slightly white. She closed her eyes, pushing the Light Sphere Race's emotional perception talent to its limit. Instantly, countless spatial folds, energy flows, and dark trajectories vividly emerged in her mind. She could 'see' the erosion intensity of every part of the emotion black hole and 'perceive' that single, hair-thin weak gap at the edge of the darkness—their only path to survival.

"Everyone, grab the handrails and sit tight!"

Little Kate snapped her eyes open, a brilliant golden light bursting from them. She concentrated all remaining energy into the rear backup engines and slammed the control stick all the way forward!

BOOM—!!!

The backup engines at the rear of the light feather erupted with a final burst of intense light. Pale blue flames pierced through the darkness as the entire ship, like a dying yet stubborn light-fish, charged fiercely toward the outermost, most dangerous, and only possible gap in the emotion black hole!

In the next second, the ship was completely swallowed by the boundless darkness.

Outside the window, there was no light, no stars, and no points of reference—only absolute silence and cold. Inside the emotion black hole, countless shattered fragments of negative emotions howled and collided like vengeful spirits. These were the remnants of despair and pain from devoured beings, acting directly on the mental level, making them impossible to guard against.

The emotional perception of the Light Sphere Race was infinitely amplified. Kate, Little Kate, and AKai all turned pale simultaneously, a sharp, stabbing pain radiating from their chests as if countless cold hands were tearing at their souls and eating away at their light.

"Hold on! Don't let the negative emotions affect you! Guard your mental seas!" Kate roared through gritted teeth, releasing her Light Orb energy at full power to form a warm shield of light, protecting everyone in the center and resisting the mental erosion.

Little Kate bit her lip hard, the taste of blood spreading in her mouth to keep her last shred of consciousness alert. Her hands were as steady as iron, the control stick becoming like an extension of her body as she dodged left and right within the twisting, collapsing space. Every maneuver was precise to the millisecond, a frantic dance on the edge of death.

The ship's hull continued to crack and split, large chunks of metal fragments instantly swallowed by the black hole. The left wing was completely destroyed, thick black smoke billowed from the rear, and the energy shields shattered layer by layer. With every violent jolt, everyone felt they would be torn to pieces in the next second. Alarms, the sound of twisting metal, and mental screams intertwined into a symphony of despair, as if to drag everyone into eternal darkness.

Lin Fan stood at the back of the command cabin, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, blood slowly trickling down through his fingers. He could feel Shadow's aura deep within the black hole and knew that if he used the dark power from the same source as Shadow, he could easily tear open a path to survival—but he didn't dare. Once he used that power, the secret hidden in his soul would be completely exposed. Kate would know that Shadow was his dark personality and would learn of their fate as twin souls; at that point, all trust would utterly collapse, never to be recovered.

He could only endure—enduring the heartache, the powerlessness, watching Little Kate take risks at the helm, watching Kate suppress her pain, and watching everyone struggle on the brink of death.

An unknown amount of time passed—it felt like a second, yet also like a century.

"I see the exit!"

Little Kate let out a low shout, her voice filled with extreme exhaustion and determination. Using the last of her strength, she twisted the control stick to its limit. The rear of the ship erupted with a final burst of light, and they forced their way out through the gap in the emotion black hole!

BANG—!!!

The light feather tumbled through space like a kite with a broken string, eventually falling into a relatively stable region of space. The backup engines stalled completely, most of the cabin lights went out, leaving only the emergency lights emitting a dismal red glow. The alarms gradually weakened and finally fell silent.

The ship was half-destroyed.

Everyone collapsed into their seats, drenched in cold sweat and gasping for breath, the relief of surviving and sheer exhaustion washing over them. They had lived; they had forced their way out of the near-certain death of the emotion black hole.

Little Kate let go of the control stick, only to find her entire arm shaking uncontrollably. The wound on her arm had split open again due to the violent movements, blood soaking through the gauze, the pain causing fine beads of cold sweat to break out on her forehead.

"Little Kate!"

Kate immediately rushed over, supporting her swaying body, her voice full of heartache and lingering fear, her eyes reddening slightly. "You scared me to death! Do you know how dangerous that was? If something had happened to you, how could I ever face the entire Light Sphere Race?"

"I did it... Teacher Kate, we made it out..." Little Kate smiled weakly, her face as pale as paper and her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Kate helped her sit on a rest chair, took out ointment, gauze, and disinfectant from the medical kit, and carefully cradled her injured arm. Her movements were extremely gentle, for fear of hurting her. The red light of the emergency lamps fell upon them, creating a quiet and tender atmosphere; the life-and-death peril they had just escaped seemed to be diluted by this moment of warmth.

Kate used the disinfectant to gently clean the blood around the wound. Little Kate sat obediently, her head lowered, watching Kate's serious and focused profile, her slightly furrowed brows, and the unconcealed heartache and tenderness in her eyes. Suddenly, a thought that had been buried for a long time welled up in her heart.

She had always wanted to ask this question but never dared to speak; she was afraid of the answer, afraid that it would break her heart. But now, after experiencing life and death, she could no longer hold it back; she wanted an answer.

Little Kate bit her lower lip gently, her voice very soft yet clearly breaking the silence in the cabin: "Teacher Kate..."

"Hmm? What's wrong? Does the wound hurt? I'll be gentler." Kate didn't look up, focused on bandaging the wound, the Light Orb energy from her fingertips gently enveloping the injury to alleviate the pain.

Little Kate shook her head, took a deep breath, and finally asked the cruel and sharp question hidden in her heart:

"Teacher Kate, if... if only one of us, Lin Fan or I, could live, who would you choose?"

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding within the command cabin.

Kate's movements jerked to a halt. The thread of the gauze in her fingertips trembled slightly, not descending for a long time.

The entire cabin instantly fell into a dead silence; even the sound of breathing became exceptionally clear.

AKai subconsciously stopped checking the ship and turned his gaze toward the two, his expression complex.

Lin Fan's body tensed instantly. Leaning in the shadows, he suddenly stood up straight, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed hard by an invisible hand. He held his breath, waiting for the answer that would decide everything.

The air seemed to freeze, and time slowed down.

Kate remained in her head-down position, her long eyelashes obscuring her eyes, making it impossible to see her expression. Only her slightly trembling fingertips betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

This question was too cruel, too fatal, and too unsolvable.

On one side was Little Kate, whom she had raised herself, whom she regarded as a younger sister, and for whom she would give everything to protect; she was the future of the Light Sphere Race, her responsibility, and her light.

On the other side was Lin Fan, who had fought alongside her, whom she loved deeply, yet who hid countless secrets and with whom she had just broken off. He was her weakness, her concern, and the person engraved in her heart.

One was a continuation she could not lose, the other an obsession she could not let go of.

No matter who she chose, it would be a heart-wrenching pain, a betrayal of the other person.

She could not answer, and she must not answer.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

After a long silence, Kate still didn't look up or speak. Only the trembling of her fingertips became more obvious, and the pain in her heart nearly overwhelmed her.

Seeing her silence, Little Kate's eyes reddened bit by bit, and the bridge of her nose felt slightly sore. She didn't press further, but simply lowered her head and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "...I understand."

A simple "I understand" contained grievance, maturity, disappointment, and resignation. She hadn't received an answer, yet she already understood it. Kate's silence was the gentlest refusal and the cruelest response.

Kate's heart felt as if it were being pricked by countless needles, a dense and pervasive pain. It wasn't that she didn't want to choose, but that she didn't want to lose either of them, and couldn't lose either of them. But she couldn't say those words; some answers, once spoken, would become sharp blades that would completely shatter the peace before them.

Just as the atmosphere became oppressive to the extreme and everyone was immersed in their own emotions, a low, playful, and extremely cold laugh suddenly came from the darkness outside the window.

That voice didn't travel through the air but directly penetrated the ship's hull to land in the depths of everyone's minds—clear, piercing, and filled with the arrogance and mockery of one who controls everything.

It was Shadow.

He had been hiding in the depths of the emotion black hole, quietly watching them break out, watching them argue, watching them fall into a dilemma, and watching them struggle in pain.

Shadow's voice was like a cold wind from the Nine Hells, carrying a prophetic cruelty as it echoed word by word in everyone's minds:

"The choice is difficult, isn't it?"

"You can't even save your own people."

"This time, you made it through on impulse and luck."

"Next time, none of you will survive."

"The Light Sphere Mother Star has arrived. That is the final grave I have prepared for you."

As the words fell, the last trace of darkness outside the window vanished instantly, and Shadow's aura disappeared completely. But those few sentences were like a vicious curse, firmly engraved in everyone's hearts, impossible to shake off.

—You can't even save your own people.

These words, like a sharp knife, pierced through everyone's defenses.

Little Kate silently withdrew her gaze and lowered her head, hiding her reddened eyes and tucking all her grievance and disappointment deep inside her heart.

Lin Fan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. The guilt and powerlessness in his heart nearly consumed him; he hated his secrecy, hated his helplessness, and hated that he could only watch Kate suffer.

AKai closed his eyes, and the elegy anchor in his arms let out a low hum, as if mourning for this journey destined for tragedy.

Kate slowly raised her head and looked out at the boundless universe. The softness in her eyes had completely faded, replaced by cold determination. She knew Shadow was telling the truth; the emotion black hole was only the first test. On the Mother Star lay the true dead end—no luck, no retreat, only a life-and-death showdown.

She gently squeezed Little Kate's bandaged hand, the Light Orb energy at her fingertips carrying a warm power. Her voice was soft yet as firm as iron: "Rest for a moment and repair the ship's basic systems. We continue forward."

"The Mother Star is here."

Following her gaze, in the depths of the universe ahead of the ship, a field of shattered star-remnants emitting a faint white light slowly emerged. They were collapsing planetary fragments, abandoned civilization ruins, and the eternal home of the Light Sphere Race—the Cradle of Light, the Light Sphere Mother Star.

The once-great Cradle of Light was now nothing but silent ruins floating in space, emitting an aura of desolation and death.

And this was precisely the death game Shadow had meticulously prepared for them, one he called a 'Feast.'

The light feather dragged its half-destroyed body slowly toward the Light Sphere Mother Star. The silence in the cabin continued; the cracks in trust, the unspoken answers, Shadow's curse, and the pressure of life and death intertwined into a suffocating net, trapping everyone tightly.

The countdown continued as the shadow of the Mother Star loomed over them. The confrontation between light and shadow was about to reach its most brutal chapter. No one knew if what awaited them was the torment of memory illusions, the revelation of dark truths, or a sacrifice from which there was no escape.

But they had no way back.

They could only move forward, stepping into this land of death to face all the darkness and despair.