The observatory's force field buzzed under strain, its once-solid barrier now barely holding its ground against the relentless assault from the memorisutira. The faint hum of the energy field reverberated in the air, struggling to maintain its integrity. The cracks had appeared—small at first, but they were growing, spiderwebbing across the translucent dome as if the shield itself were gasping for breath.

"Hold it together, just a little longer!" Cleo muttered under his breath, fingers flying across the control panel, a look of intense focus on his face. Sweat was dripping down his brow, but his hands never faltered. "I'm pushing everything I can to keep the power flowing, but I need more time."

I looked at the flickering shield, a nervous tension tightening in my chest. The cracks grew larger, but the force field still held. It barely glowed now, its once-vibrant energy fading like the last embers of a fire, but it was holding. For now.

"We don't have much time," Cleo said, his voice strained. "The energy reserves are almost gone. If we don't find a way to reinforce this thing soon, it'll collapse entirely."

I gritted my teeth. "How much longer do we have?"

"Minutes, at best," Cleo replied, his eyes flicking nervously to the increasingly unstable shield. "It's hanging on by a thread. The memorisutira are testing every inch of it, and once the energy levels drop too low, it won't matter how much we try to push. The shield will go down. We'll be exposed."

I glanced at Jax and Reyna, both of them readying their weapons, their eyes sharp and alert, though the fear was starting to creep into their expressions. Even with our weapons ready, we knew that once the shield fell, we were vulnerable. If the creatures outside broke through, we would be defenseless.

Outside, the sounds of the memorisutira grew louder. Their guttural growls echoed, followed by a sickening screeching noise as they clawed at the force field, testing its strength. Every scrape made the walls of the observatory tremble. The shield shuddered in response, and I saw a fresh crack appear along the edge.

I gripped my weapon tightly, trying to keep my calm. "Cleo, we need more time. Do whatever you can. This is our last chance."

He didn't look up from the control panel, but his voice was strained. "I'm doing everything I can, Lorcan, but we're running out of options. The memorisutira are relentless, and the fallen aren't far behind. If the shield goes, we're done."

Another violent impact sent a ripple through the field, and I saw the glow of the shield flicker dangerously. It was still standing—barely—but the cracks spread further, the light within it weakening. The memorisutira outside were relentless, their claws scraping across the force field, searching for any weak point they could exploit.

Cleo's fingers moved with feverish intensity, the control panel lighting up with warnings of system overload. "I just need a little more time," he muttered under his breath, his voice cracking with the weight of the task. "If I can just stabilize the energy flow for a few more minutes—"

CRACK!

A jagged fissure appeared in the center of the shield, and for a terrifying moment, the entire field shimmered, as though it might implode in on itself. I saw the creatures' glowing eyes flash through the cracks, their silhouettes looming closer. Their screeches grew louder, their hunger palpable.

"How long?" Jax demanded, his tone sharp.

Cleo's fingers were a blur over the controls, his breath shallow. "I... I can't hold it much longer. The shield's nearly out of power. I need more time!"

"More time?" I repeated, feeling a cold chill run down my spine. "Cleo, we don't have more time. We're already running on empty!"

But Cleo's eyes were locked on the display, focused on the faint pulse of energy still flowing through the shield. "Just a little more. I can patch it, I swear. I need—"

CRACK!

Another violent pulse shot through the shield, sending a shockwave that rattled the entire room. The glass panels along the walls cracked with a loud snap, and the force field wavered again, barely holding on.

I turned to face the others, urgency flooding my veins. "Get ready. If that shield fails, we're fighting for our lives."

The memorisutira outside were testing the force field with more intensity now, their claws scraping, banging against the weakening shield. I could see their bloodshot eyes burning through the cracks, their sharp fangs visible in the dim light. They were hungry, relentless, and the only thing standing between us and them was the fading force field.

Cleo's voice came out in a strained whisper, almost too quiet to hear. "I can't... I can't do it. It's too much. The system's overloaded. The shield is—"

CRACK!

A fresh, violent explosion of energy erupted from the shield, and for a split second, I thought we might be done for. The observatory shook, and the walls groaned under the pressure. But against all odds, the field didn't collapse. It flickered one last time, holding just a little longer.

"Five minutes," Cleo said, his face pale, his hands trembling. "I need five more minutes."

But as I looked at the fading light of the shield, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were racing against the clock—fighting against an inevitable collapse. The memorisutira outside were growing more restless, clawing, howling. And beyond them, I could feel the presence of the fallen.

It was only a matter of time.