The stench of decay and despair hung heavy in the ruined city, a grim testament to the Cellucas' cruelty. The mournful cries of the dying inhabitants echoed through the shattered streets, a symphony of suffering fueling the void's insatiable hunger.
"They're draining the planet's life force," Kiaz said from the ship, his voice weak but filled with outrage. "Siphoning its energy into the nexus point… it's a sacrifice."
Ethan felt a surge of anger, a burning need to protect the innocent. He looked at Ziak, his eyes filled with resolve. "We can't let them do this. We have to stop them, and we have to try to save whoever's left."
"But the nexus point…" Ziak said, his luminous eyes scanning the energy readings. "It's different here. The dimensional energy is being inverted, twisted. A direct attack could accelerate the planet's decline."
They moved cautiously through the ruined city, their senses on high alert. The Cellucas were present, but they weren't attacking. They were focused entirely on their gruesome task, their grotesque forms clustered around a central structure that pulsed with a sickening, inverted energy.
"They've modified the nexus point," Ethan realized, his voice filled with disgust. "They've turned it into a drain, a conduit for the planet's life force to flow into the void."
As they drew closer, they saw the inhabitants of the dying world, emaciated and weak, being herded towards the nexus point. Their eyes were filled with despair, their bodies trembling with exhaustion. They were being offered as a final, desperate sacrifice to appease the void's hunger.
"We can't let this happen," Ethan said, his hand gripping the tracker. He felt the ancient power within him, a force for creation, for balance. He couldn't allow it to be perverted in this way.
"We need a plan," Ziak said, his expression grim. "A direct attack is too risky. We need to disrupt their siphoning process without triggering a catastrophic energy release."
Ethan looked at the tracker, his mind racing. He remembered his father's research, his notes on dimensional energy manipulation. He had to find a way to sever the connection between the nexus point and the dying world, to stop the flow of life force into the void. And he had to do it quickly, before the Cellucas completed their horrific sacrifice.