Location: Underground Vault, Tavoran Mountain Range – Tavara
Darkness swallowed the chamber the moment the lights cut out. But Damien didn't flinch. Years of training had taught him how to see in darkness long before the tech kicked in. His goggles adjusted instantly, casting the world in a muted green hue. The Architect was gone from the center—no trace, no signal.
"Aria, status?" Damien barked.
Static.
Nora tapped her comms. "We're jammed."
"Of course we are," Cyrus muttered, blades sliding silently into his palms. "This is a trap."
Suddenly, the chamber pulsed with energy. Not just electromagnetic—something older. Something that reverberated in the bones. Symbols etched into the metallic walls began to glow with the same violet hue as the shard.
From the far end of the vault, a metallic voice echoed. "You want power, Damien Blackwood? Then prove your worth."
The pedestal holding the Core shard sank into the ground with a mechanical groan. In its place rose four containment pods, each hissing open to release tall humanoid drones—sleek, humanoid, with blades for arms and eyes like molten stars.
Cyrus stepped forward, cracking his neck. "Looks like we're dancing."
Damien raised a hand. "No. Stay on Nora. I'll handle them."
"Damien—" she started.
But he was already moving.
The first drone lunged, blade arm whistling toward his head. Damien ducked low, sliding across the icy floor, and slammed a thermal charge against its back. The detonation ripped it apart with a hiss of sparks.
The second and third came together, attempting to flank him. Damien spun between them, delivering a vicious elbow to one's neck joint and planting an explosive dart on the other. It blew apart mid-turn, its fragments piercing the last drone.
In under thirty seconds, it was over.
The vault was silent again, except for Nora's quiet breath and the distant hum of machinery rebooting.
The Architect's voice returned. "Impressive. But not unexpected. You've always been a weapon, Damien. Now let's see if you can become… a king."
The back wall opened, revealing a descending staircase.
Nora looked at him. "He's leading us somewhere."
"He's watching," Damien said. "And he knows who I am. That's dangerous."
Cyrus grunted. "So we kill him."
Damien stared into the darkness of the new corridor. "No. We play his game. And we win it."
Nora stepped beside him, fierce and unwavering. "Together."
He nodded once. "Together."
They descended.
And the Architect watched… from somewhere far beyond reach.