The chamber was silent except for the faint hum of dormant mana. Dozens of automata remained kneeling, their metallic frames bowed in frozen reverence. Noel stepped forward, The Key dangling loosely from his fingers.
"Well," he muttered under his breath, smirking, "no harm in testing it."
He pushed a thread of mana into the pendant. Its dull surface pulsed once, faintly. Immediately, several automata lifted their heads in perfect unison. The sound of shifting gears echoed, eerie in its synchronicity.
Selene stiffened beside him. "Noel…"
"Relax." His grin widened. "Let's see just how much they're listening."
He raised his voice. "Do push-ups."
At once, the nearest row of constructs lowered themselves onto their plated arms, rising and falling in mechanical rhythm. The floor trembled faintly beneath their synchronized motion.
Selene's brows knit together, her usually calm face betraying a flicker of disbelief. "What—?"
