Chapter 945 — The Birth of the Stellar Engine
The Hollow's inner foundry was alive with motion. Steam hissed from pressure valves; glowing runes burned along the walls, pulsing like veins through a massive metallic heart. The rhythmic clang of hammers striking rune-forged alloy echoed through the chamber as Kael stood on the central platform, staring up at what might be his greatest creation.
Before him, suspended by chains of aetheric light, hung the Stellar Engine.
It was the size of a small house—an elegant fusion of technology and sorcery, a machine that pulsed faintly with deep crimson light at its core. Rings of polished blacksteel rotated slowly around the central orb, engraved with runic conduits that shimmered with chaos energy, stabilized by layers of crystal and a web of containment seals.
It wasn't a cannon in the traditional sense. It was alive, humming faintly as if it breathed.
Eris stood beside Kael, her gaze locked on the machine. Her new physical form had become stronger since the spirit project's success; her wooden shell had softened into pale skin, and her once-stiff posture carried the subtle grace of humanity. Yet her voice still held that serene, logical tone as she asked,
"Explain it to me again, Kael. From the beginning."
Kael smirked faintly, eyes still fixed on the colossal machine. "You want the poetic version, or the scientific one?"
Eris blinked, head tilting slightly. "Both."
Kael folded his hands behind his back. "Then here's both."
He gestured to the glowing orb at the center. "That core isn't just chaos energy—it's a stabilized micro-singularity infused with runic logic. Think of it like a captured star, harnessed and frozen in time. The outer rings act as regulators, spinning in opposing directions to counterbalance the surge of energy. The runes pull from leyline currents beneath the Hollow, feeding the core without consuming matter or life."
He moved toward the nearest platform, where Selina and a team of engineers worked to adjust the containment seals. "What makes the Stellar Engine different is that it doesn't consume—it transmutes. Instead of burning fuel, it recycles ambient magic, feeding on what the world already produces. In theory, it could run indefinitely."
Eris' eyes followed the pulsing energy that coiled through the transparent conduits like veins of liquid fire. "And its purpose?"
Kael's tone deepened. "The Stellar Engine can reshape how we defend ourselves. In its passive state, it acts as a stabilizer—purifying chaos energy in the area around it, neutralizing magic corruption and warding off chaos-born storms. In its active state…"
He raised a hand, and the orb within the Engine flared, illuminating the chamber in a flood of red light. Holographic runes projected above it, forming the diagram of a massive sphere.
"…it can unleash concentrated chaos energy as a defensive pulse," Kael continued. "A single discharge could destroy a fleet—or repel an entire army if it's calibrated properly. But its real strength lies in its adaptability. It can power cities, reinforce barriers, or generate sustained magical fields strong enough to alter weather patterns."
Selina turned from her control panel, sweat glistening on her brow. "In essence, it's a generator, a weapon, and a guardian all in one. The only risk is if the containment seals fail."
Kael nodded grimly. "If that happens, the singularity could destabilize and… fold reality within a few hundred meters."
Eris' gaze lingered on the glowing core. "And yet you made it anyway."
Kael smiled faintly, the light catching in his silver eyes. "Everything powerful is dangerous. The question isn't whether it can destroy—it's whether it should."
Eris turned to him, studying his face. "You're afraid of it."
"Of course I am," Kael admitted quietly. "The first time I used chaos magic, I nearly tore myself apart. This thing is the culmination of everything I've learned since then—everything I fear. But if it keeps the Hollow safe… it's worth it."
For a long moment, the two stood in silence, watching the massive construct pulse like a heart. Then Eris spoke softly, almost reverently. "It's beautiful."
Kael looked at her with quiet amusement. "That's the first time I've heard you say something like that."
Her lips quirked in something resembling a smile. "Perhaps I am learning to see things as you do."
He placed a hand gently against the rail, looking up at the orbiting rings. "Once the calibration is done, this Engine will be replicated across every allied kingdom. One in Greystone, one in Ironside, one in the Ocean Kingdom. If any one nation is attacked, the others will have the energy and infrastructure to respond instantly. No more imbalance. No more fear."
Eris's gaze drifted from the engine to him. "And what happens when the balance tips again? When power invites envy, or when chaos seeks to corrupt its source?"
Kael's expression turned thoughtful. "Then we'll face that together. The Hollow wasn't built to be perfect—it was built to endure."
Selina's voice broke through the reverent silence. "Calibration complete, Lord Kael. We're ready for the first ignition test."
Kael nodded, taking a slow breath. "Begin."
The runes along the chamber walls flared one by one, cascading in a wave toward the Engine. The air thickened, humming with vibration as energy surged through the conduits. The core expanded, glowing brighter until it was nearly blinding.
Eris instinctively stepped closer to Kael as the light reached its peak. Then, in an instant, it stabilized—settling into a calm, rhythmic pulse.
Selina exhaled, relief washing over her. "It's holding steady!"
Kael watched the crimson light fade into a steady heartbeat-like glow. "Then it works."
Eris turned to him, voice softer now. "You've just given the world a new sun."
Kael's gaze lingered on the engine as a faint smile crossed his lips. "No… I've given it a future."
But deep down, even as the chamber filled with cheers from the engineers and scientists, Kael couldn't shake the weight pressing at the back of his mind.
Because for all its beauty—for all its promise—the Stellar Engine pulsed with something too alive, too aware.
And Eris, staring at its shimmering core, could feel it too.
It feels like me, she whispered into his mind.
Kael didn't answer. Because he knew she was right.