Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound echoed through the workshop, heavy like a judge's gavel striking. Each footstep that approached the sealed doors seemed to shake the very air, vibrating with a power that was nothing like the beasts they had fought before.
This was a different kind of monster.
Vanessa, who had been running a diagnostic on the now-cooling Synthesis Loom, flinched with every step. She glanced at Jonah, her eyes wide with a question she didn't dare ask:
Are we about to face heavy punishment?
Jonah just gave her a reassuring smile. He felt strangely calm. Next to him, his new creation, Sylva, stood with impossible grace. The elegant, deer-like creature tilted its head, its golden eyes radiating a gentle curiosity, not fear.
Thump. The footsteps stopped right outside the door.
A moment of heavy silence.
