The heavy blast doors hissed shut behind them, sealing the battered Sentinels inside the chamber. The ground trembled as the ancient energy core's pulse slowly faded, leaving the room bathed in a soft, eerie glow.
Ava sank to one knee, chest heaving, golden flames flickering weakly around her fingertips. Sweat mingled with the dust on her skin, evidence of the fierce fight just endured.
Kaela wiped a streak of grime from her cheek, her eyes scanning the chamber warily. "They're down… but for how long?"
Luca pored over the flickering screens of the data core, his fingers tracing the lines of code frantically. "The files we recovered—there's something else. Something they didn't want us to see."
Sable stepped closer, voice low and tense. "What is it?"
Luca's eyes darkened. "A second phase. Winterglass isn't just sending Sentinels. They've unleashed a new weapon. Something biological..."
A heavy silence fell over the group, the weight of the revelation sinking in.
Noah clenched his fists, jaw tight. "A bio-weapon? What are we even fighting now?"
Ava stood, resolve hardening like steel. "Whatever it is, we face it together. The city's fate depends on us."
Outside the chamber, the distant sirens and the faint hum of the city reminded them—this was only the beginning.
Darkness was rising. But so was the light.
To be continued...