Chapter 437: Afraid

The next one to go was Immy. By the time Sidus completed his return, her eyes emitted an intense glare directed at him. Unfazed, Sidus appeared indifferent, perhaps even relishing in provoking a reaction from her.

Immy must have recognized the futility of her anger, as after a brief moment, she made a concerted effort to regain her composure, forcibly calming herself before deliberately ignoring Sidus. Redirecting her attention towards me, she resumed our interaction.

"The idiot didn't get pulled, I assume?" She asked.

"No, he didn't feel anything," I answered.

.

"A shame," she muttered under her breath, causing Sidus to turn and glare at her.

"Well, then I'm next." Saying that Immy took off, and I was once again forced to follow behind with a sigh.

The journey back through outer space proved monotonous, punctuated only by the sight of Immy's scales glowing intensely, transforming her into a luminous meteor streaking across the dark expanse. Subconsciously, I clenched my teeth nervously, my gaze fixed intently on her as she neared the Void, poised to spring into action at the slightest indication of trouble.

Thankfully, it appeared there was no need for intervention on my part. Immy proceeded with her flight unhindered, exhibiting no signs of being affected by any pull whatsoever. She effortlessly maneuvered through space without encountering any issues. After a brief span of time, she pivoted and returned towards me, shaking her head in disappointment.

A sigh of relief escaped me as I accompanied Immy back to the planet's surface. Upon landing, Sidus cast a brief glance in her direction before harrumphing and pointedly ignoring her.

"Who is next?" I asked, turning my attention to Essie, Ynos, and Lost.

The Ice Dragoness shrank back, nervously tugging at Ynos's tail for comfort. I anticipated him to leap forward and volunteer, yet to my surprise, the blockhead remained remarkably composed as he addressed her reassuringly, "It's alright, we'll go last. Don't fret, I'm here with you. Pull or not, you will return home."

Lost hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. "T-Thank you," she stammered, to which Ynos responded with a wide grin.

At this point, I wasn't even certain if he was fully aware of his actions. Shaking my head in mild amusement, I turned to little Essie and offered a smile. "Looks like it's just you and me," I remarked.

"Yes!" Essie exclaimed eagerly. With that, she swiftly flew over and perched atop my head, sporting a satisfied smile.

I gave a light shake of my head, the smile lingering on my lips as I prepared to take off. This time, I chose not to rely on teleportation but rather to enjoy the journey by flying, relishing the sensation of the wind rushing past, and cherishing the time spent with Essie.

"Brother?" Essie's voice broke the silence as we soared through the sky.

"Hmm, what is it?" I inquired.

Essie appeared to hesitate for a moment before finally speaking up. "I-I miss father..."

Her words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I was at a loss for words.

"I-I'm sorry, I should be strong," Essie suddenly apologized.

"No, no, it's alright. That's completely normal," I reassured her.

"Is it?" she questioned again, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Everyone seems so... okay with it."

I paused for a moment, carefully considering my response before answering. "Everyone is simply coping with the loss in their own way. It's perfectly natural to miss him and feel sad," I explained.

Essie fell silent for a few moments before asking again, her voice barely above a whisper, "Do you miss him?"

A long sigh escaped me. Ever since I entered my first cosmic battlefield, a lingering awareness of mortality accompanied me, a constant reminder that death loomed ever close. In that perilous arena, everyone was vulnerable, and safety remained an elusive dream. Yet, despite this awareness, I never anticipated Father being the first to fall.

"I…I do miss him," I replied.

Essie fell silent once more at my response. It wasn't until we were on the verge of crossing the planet's atmosphere into the boundless void of space that she finally whispered, "I don't want to die, brother. I'm scared..."

"Huh? Essie, you're not dying. I'm right here with you," I reassured her, my voice gentle yet firm.

"Promise?" she asked again, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

"I promise," I replied, the assurance in my voice unwavering.

It was only then that I sensed Essie finally relax a bit. Once we had emerged from the planet's atmosphere, she silently hopped off my head and turned to face me.

"I'll be right here with you. If you sense anything wrong, I'll teleport you out of there, alright?" I offered, my voice tinged with reassurance.

Essie nodded in response. "Okay," she affirmed softly.

With that, I watched intently as Essie's little form soared towards the Void. My focus remained entirely on her, my senses keen and cosmic mana poised, prepared to react swiftly to any unforeseen problems that may arise.

At first, everything appeared to be proceeding smoothly. Essie continued her journey without interruption, unhindered by any apparent obstacles. However, it wasn't until she had distanced herself considerably from me that calamity struck abruptly.

It seemed as though something had seized hold of her suddenly, yanking her towards the Void with a velocity far beyond anything before. Essie began to thrash about frantically, desperately attempting to halt her descent, but her efforts proved futile.

Almost instinctively, my body sprang into action. Activating my cosmic mana, I teleported immediately beside her. The moment I did, the relentless pull ceased, and Essie regained control, stabilizing herself. It was as if my mere presence served as a deterrent to whatever force had sought to ensnare her.

'What the hell was that?' I inwardly cursed as I held on to Essie.

Her eyes widened in shock and panic, her body trembling with fear. Gently, I placed a comforting claw on her back, soothing her as best I could. With a swift motion, I activated my teleportation ability, whisking us away from that perilous place and back to the safety of the planet.

"It's alright, I'm right here, just as I promised. You're safe," I tried to reassure her, but Essie remained in a state of panic, her eyes darting about nervously. I held her close, offering comfort as we slowly descended back to the safety of the ground.

Once we touched down, Immy was the first to discern that something was amiss. She hurried towards us, with Sidus and Breta close behind, followed by Ynos, his expression etched with concern, and Lost, who appeared visibly anxious.

"What happened?" Immy asked.

"Just give her some space for now, let her catch her breath," I said.

"S-She was pulled…" Lost spoke hesitantly, and all eyes turned to her.

"It's terrifying, getting dragged into that abyssal darkness, without being able to do anything…"

My frown deepened as I continued to gently pat Essie.