Chapter 57: The Spiral Mechanism
The Core Chamber loomed ahead, a sphere of blackened stone suspended in midair, tethered to the surrounding architecture by dozens of glowing metal arms. Ray stepped into the room first, boots echoing sharply. The air here was too still—too perfect. Every breath tasted like electricity and old blood.
"Eyes open," Ray muttered. "This place doesn't feel like a dungeon anymore. It feels like a machine."
Selina's blade hummed softly in its scabbard. "A machine with a purpose."
"And we're not supposed to be here," Champa added, his usual arrogance undercut by wariness.
At the center of the sphere, a floating orb rotated slowly—its surface etched with concentric rings, each carved with a distinct set of moving sigils. It pulsed like a heart, but no one could hear a beat. Just silence.
Ray approached it cautiously. "The Spiral Mechanism…"
Selina stepped beside him. "You think this is the source? The thing the Iron Witch hinted at?"
"No." Ray narrowed his eyes. "I think this is a seal."
They turned sharply as the chamber rumbled. The mechanism shuddered, its rings accelerating. One by one, the tethering arms retracted with a hiss, and the orb descended—toward them.
Elsewhere—Above the Core
Charlotte's trial had ended, but her mind was still unraveling the patterns she had seen. The Iron Witch stood beside her, watching a distant orb pulse within the blueprint of reality.
"You feel that?" the Iron Witch asked, her voice calm, almost affectionate.
Charlotte nodded. "Something broke."
"Something changed," the Iron Witch corrected. "The Forsaken Code was never supposed to stir again. And yet…"
Her voice trailed off as her gaze turned sharp.
"You have a choice now, Charlotte. You can return to your squad, ignorant of what's to come. Or stay with me—and learn how to stop what's been set into motion."
Charlotte stared into the floating gears, her heart pounding. She thought of Rin. Of how distant he'd become. Of how different he had looked the last time she saw him.
"I'll stay," she said. "But only if you teach me everything."
The Iron Witch smiled. "Good."
Meanwhile—Far Below
Rin collapsed to one knee, sweat dripping from his brow. The gauntlet on his arm had gone silent, but the knowledge burned within him. Names of lost technologies, forbidden blueprints, entire languages of code whispered in the back of his mind.
The Forsaken Code… The phrase rang like a curse.
His eyes rose to the chamber wall, where new glyphs had appeared—written in a language only he now understood.
"Command Line: Awakening Sequence—In Progress."
He didn't activate it.
But something—someone—did.
He rose, staggering toward the glyphs. A part of him wanted to stop it. Another part… wanted to see what would happen next.
Back in the Core Chamber
The orb split open with a hiss, revealing a pulsing heart of brass and crystal. The spiral rings within it turned faster, faster—until they became a blur.
Champa swore. "We need to destroy it. Now."
"No!" Selina reached out. "This isn't an enemy—it's a message."
Ray narrowed his gaze. "Then why do I feel like it's staring back?"
The orb suddenly emitted a single, piercing chime. The sound passed through them like a blade, slicing into thoughts, memories, and silence. And then, a voice spoke—not aloud, but in their minds.
"The Inheritance has begun."
Champa's knees buckled. "Who the hell is that?"
Selina clutched her chest, feeling something shift inside her. She saw flashes of the past—constructs moving like men, engineers weeping over a battlefield of burning steel, a city in the sky crumbling as its power source went dark.
And one word, echoing again and again:
"Rin."
Selina looked up sharply. "He's involved in this."
Ray exhaled slowly. "Then we need to find him—before the Spiral completes its turn."
The orb's core began to rise again, retracting into the ceiling, as if its purpose had been fulfilled.
And somewhere deep in the ruins of the old world, gears began to turn.
To be continued…