The cavern trembled. Dust fell from the ceiling as the First Engine stirred, its towering metallic form illuminated by eerie blue light. Massive, segmented limbs shifted with mechanical precision, and an ancient hum pulsed through the chamber—steady, deliberate, alive.
Then came the voice.
First Engine: "Catalyst Located. Initiating Retrieval."
Cassius's breath hitched. That word—Catalyst—felt wrongly familiar, like something buried deep in his memory. But there was no time to dwell on it.
The walls of the chamber hissed, revealing hidden compartments. Drones emerged—sleek, four-limbed machines hovering effortlessly, their glowing eyes locking onto Cassius.
Then, all at once, they attacked.
---
The first drone struck.
Cassius barely twisted aside as a blade-like limb slashed past his face. Before he could counter, another drone lunged, forcing him to parry wildly.
Elric (sharply): "Stay close!"
Elric moved with the grace of a master swordsman, his twin blades carving through the air. One drone slashed at him, but he sidestepped smoothly, twisting his wrist to sever its mechanical arm before driving his sword through its core. Sparks flew. It dropped instantly.
Korvek, ever the brute, met a drone's attack head-on. One massive swing of his axe shattered it into pieces, but another was already on him, lashing out. He caught the machine's limb, grunting as its sharp edge sliced into his arm.
Korvek (growling): "These things are fast!"
Cassius ducked under a swipe and drove his sword upward, piercing another drone's optics. It sputtered, then collapsed.
But they were barely making a dent.
Cassius (panting): "There's too many!"
The First Engine did not join the fight. It merely watched. Studied. As if waiting for something.
Then, without warning—two drones grabbed Cassius.
Their grips like iron.
Cassius struggled, but the drones lifted him off the ground.
First Engine: "Catalyst Secured. Extraction Imminent."
A pulse of energy surged through the chamber. The drones began dragging him toward the massive machine.
Elric (furious): "Not today."
With a burst of speed, Elric leapt over a drone, his swords flashing. In two clean strikes, both drones fell apart, and Cassius tumbled to the ground.
Korvek yanked him up.
Korvek (gruffly): "You good?"
Cassius coughed, shaking off the shock.
Cassius: "Yeah… Let's move!"
But the drones were regrouping. More compartments opened. More machines emerged.
Then—
A voice from the shadows.
??? (urgent): "This way!"
A cloaked figure stood at the far end of the chamber, motioning urgently.
Cassius (hesitating): "Who—?"
Korvek (grabbing his arm): "No time! MOVE!"
---
They ran.
Drones gave chase. Their sharp limbs slashed through the air as Cassius, Elric, and Korvek dodged and weaved through the collapsing ruins.
Elric spun, cutting down another drone mid-pursuit. Korvek smashed another out of the air, its pieces scattering like broken glass.
Cassius was about to leap through the passage when—
His heart dropped.
Cassius (stopping): "The relic!"
He turned—he'd left it by the gate!
But Korvek was already holding it. The sphere pulsed faintly in his grip.
Korvek (grinning): "You think I'd leave that behind?"
Cassius exhaled in relief, then they sprinted forward.
Behind them, a deep, mechanical hum.
First Engine: "Catalyst Escaping. Containment Failure."
The gate behind them began to close.
Cassius glanced back.
And his eyes met the First Engine's.
For a fraction of a second, everything vanished. The battlefield, the drones, the escape—only the two of them remained.
The First Engine's gaze wasn't just artificial.
It was aware.
Cassius's chest tightened. What are you?
Then—the gate slammed shut.
---
They collapsed outside, gasping for breath. The only sound was the distant hum of machinery buried beneath the earth.
Cassius turned toward their mysterious savior. His sword is still drawn.
Cassius (demanding): "Who the hell are you?"
The figure stepped forward, pulling back his hood.
His face was weathered, scarred by time, but his eyes were sharp—too sharp.
??? (gravely): "You have no idea what you've just awakened."
Cassius narrowed his gaze.
Cassius: "And you do?"
The man exhaled.
???: "I was there when Genesis fell."
Silence.
Elric sheathed his swords and muttered:
Elric: "Well… shit."
Cassius tightened his grip on the relic, his mind racing.
The First Engine had called him Catalyst. It had sent drones for him.
And now, standing before them, was someone who knew the truth.
This wasn't over.
It was just the beginning.
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