-----V-----

I stared towards the sky as the ship flew with a damaged thruster. The thruster that smoked only made a few burst after the other, it wouldn‘t be active for long.

Amara tried to shoot more at the ship, but Ivona distracted her. And after the ship was gone, Ivona started dashing away.

I took a deep breath and charged my artifact. Keeping my composure.

Amara fired her weapon towards Ivona but continued to miss. I thought she excels at her accuracy, but that girl was quite agile.

„Just leave her, we have other things to do.“

Surprisingly, she just huffed and pointed her artifact down.

„You don‘t sound angry, even though they managed to escape,“ she said as she went towards her helmet.

„Oh, I am quite mad. But there is no point in showing it.“

The skies stopped snowing and was starting to clear, I walked up towards the thing that dropped from the ship. It was Ethan‘s arm and his shield. Blood coated the snow.

I dusted the snow off and picked it up, I managed to take the arm off the shield without being disturbed. The screen seemed to be glitching out.

If it‘s true that people die without their artifact in their vicinity, then Ethan is good as dead. But I have a strange feeling that he is going to survive. Letya is with him after all, she has healing capabilities.

I glanced around and saw Amara taking items from Reve‘s dead body.

„That‘s really disrespectful, you know?“

„It‘s not like you don‘t do it.“

„Yeah yeah, so what shall we do now?“

„I am going to keep on finding the way out, of course.“

„Shouldn‘t we just team up? We do have the same objective here after all.“

Amara stood up and put her helmet on. The number on it raised once more, her kill counter showed 513.

„I guess it‘s fine having a handsome guy around, but don‘t you dare try to double cross me!“

„You know I am not going to promise that. And I know you might do the same later on when it benefits you.“

„Ha! That‘s why I like you handsome, you would betray anyone for riches.“

„We should get out of the snow before we die of the cold.“

I started moving away from the mountain, with the shield in my hand. But as I glanced for a second at the screen, it suddenly stopped glitching.

The screen was normal now, and I tried touching one of the options there. And with my surprise, I actually managed to get through it.

I quickly tried the programs he had, but they were all locked, except for one. I activated it, and the map towards the gemstone appeared.

„Oh ho, what‘s this now?“ Amara quietly said with an alluring tone as she leaned in closer.

„The shield is letting me use a program. The one to find the gem.“

„This must be our lucky day or the world doesn‘t want to screw with us any longer.“

I really didn‘t want to ask why I even could activate it. I was just grinning broadly.

„Now we know what to do, we should get going towards Smittis as soon as possible. This planet is starting to lose my interest. And I am itching to feel a spaceship around me as I float through space once again.“

„Now now, no need to be hasty, Smittis is quite dangerous.“

„I have heard of the kypseli, but how dangerous are they, really?“

„I have seen them before, and we can‘t fight them just the two of us. Just follow me, I know some people that might be willing to help us.“

I closed the map and placed the shield on my back. I took one more glance towards Reve.

„Sorry. And thanks for the armor you made for me. It has protected me quite a lot,“ I muttered.

The ship was smoking, I would guess they would fall back to the planet, but they could also be going towards one of the three others. I might end up finding Ethan again, or he would be dead before I find him.

The shield is giving me the power to use one of the programs, but if it suddenly fails as we found all the gemstones, then I would be really pissed. And if Ethan could only activate it to return from where we came from, then I hope he isn‘t dead.

It is going to take time until we meet up again if it will ever happen. And time is something I hate. I don‘t want to be stuck in this star system for years!

Ethan‘s shield is the only answer to get back to the ruins. And if I lose it, then I would be like Amara, running around until I would find a person that was also transported here.

It‘s gonna take time until I would find all the gems, and then. . . Wait. Time. . . Time?

„Timetravel!“ I suddenly yelled.

„What?“

„Timetravel, it never crossed my mind! We aren‘t on a different system, or that there was a cover around the planet! We went through time!“ I angrily shouted.

I wasn‘t glad at all that I figured it out. I was actually seriously pissed off!

„Timetravel? Give me a break!“ Amara started laughing.

„It only makes sense! Ethan was the only one to be able to open the door back when we first arrived here!“

„You know there haven‘t been any records of people going through time, right? You should stop talking fantasy and come to your senses, or I will lose my interest in you.“

„I don‘t care if you lose interest. I seriously am going to punch the whole race that made me come here!“

Shit. Shit! Of course! It‘s one of the ancient races! That shield is one of the things they left for us to uncover! And Amara‘s artifact as well. Did they just leave them around for people who come here? Why the hell would they do that?!

„If we really did go back in time, then I am going to find that alien shit who made it! Then I am going to punch its face for wasting my time around here!“