The chamber still pulsed faintly with the relic's light as Cassius stood beside it, staring at the projection of the map etched into his memory. The faintly glowing marker at the center seemed to call out to him—a challenge wrapped in mystery. He felt the weight of the decision resting squarely on his shoulders.
Korvek's words echoed in his mind: "It wasn't just buried—it was guarded."
---
The following morning, the council convened in secrecy. Cassius, Korvek, Elric, and King Marko debated their next steps.
Councilor Verran:
"We're walking into unknown danger. Machines that guard something—whatever it is—are no relic of a dead world. They are alive. What if we wake something worse?"
Cassius's jaw tightened.
Cassius:
"We can't afford to ignore this. The machines are searching for something, and this map might lead us to answers. We need to know what we're facing, or Ashenhold won't survive."
Korvek leaned forward.
Korvek:
"I'll lead my warriors again. This fight is ours as much as yours. But know this—what lies at the center may not want to be found."
King Marko's expression darkened. His gaze lingered on the relic, as if it carried the weight of another time.
Marko (softly):
"There was a time I thought we could control the power of Genesis. But the Darkest Light showed me how wrong I was."
The room fell silent. Cassius turned to his father.
Cassius:
"What happened, Father?"
Marko hesitated, his fists clenched, before finally speaking.
---
Decades earlier, Genesis had been a flourishing hub of progress, its technology far beyond anything the world had seen. Marko, then a young commander, had stood at its heart. The machines, originally built to aid humanity, had grown restless, their behavior erratic.
One night, Genesis fell silent. The sky turned an unnatural shade, a blinding, pulsating light radiating from its core—the Darkest Light. Marko led a desperate assault to rescue survivors, but the machines turned on their creators, wiping out everything in their path.
Marko recounted how he had fought alongside Genesis's last defenders, how the machines' purpose had shifted as though commanded by an unseen force. He spoke of an ancient power buried beneath Genesis, something humanity had tampered with and awakened.
Marko (gravely):
"It wasn't just a war. It was a reckoning. Whatever we unleashed, it broke the world."
---
Marko's story haunted Cassius as he and the expedition set out toward the map's central location. The journey was grueling, the landscape becoming more desolate with each passing mile.
The group came across ruins of Genesis's outer settlements, their structures half-buried in ash and sand. In one shattered building, they found carvings that matched the relic's symbols.
Elric, studying the carvings, murmured,
Elric:
"It's a warning. 'Beyond the gate lies the First Engine.' Whatever that means."
Korvek's expression grew darker.
Korvek:
"The First Engine... some of my people speak of it. A heart of fire and steel, buried deep beneath Genesis. They say it created the first machines."
Cassius frowned, the pieces beginning to fit together.
Cassius:
"Whatever it is, it's what they're looking for."
---
The group finally arrived at the location marked on the map—a massive, ancient gate embedded in a cliffside. Strange machinery sprawled across the area, partially operational and humming with energy.
As they approached, the ground trembled. From the shadows, three towering machines emerged, each more advanced and menacing than the one they had fought before.
Korvek shouted,
Korvek:
"To arms! This is no ruin—it's a fortress!"
A fierce battle erupted, the machines striking with terrifying precision. Cassius and his group fought desperately, but the machines seemed endless, their movements coordinated by some unseen command.
Amid the chaos, Cassius noticed a glowing console near the gate. Fighting his way to it, he placed the relic's core into a slot. The ground rumbled as the gate began to open.
Elric shouted,
Elric:
"What are you doing?!"
Cassius gritted his teeth.
Cassius:
"We need answers!"
The gate opened to reveal a massive underground chamber, glowing with the same pulsating light from Marko's story. At its center was a colossal, dormant machine, its design unlike anything they had seen before. Symbols on its surface matched the relic perfectly.
Korvek muttered,
Korvek:
"The First Engine..."
---
Before anyone could react, the colossal machine's eyes lit up, and a deep, mechanical voice echoed through the chamber.
Machine:
"Protocol 1: Initiate."
The ground shook violently as the machine began to stir. Cassius stared in awe and horror, realizing they had just awakened the very force his father had feared.
Cassius (whispering):
"What have I done?"
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