The architecture of a god's sanctuary was meant to be absolute. The geometry of the Eternal Forge reflected the Iron Sovereign's mind: perfect symmetry, unyielding stone, and a heavy, oppressive order that forced all things into their proper alignment.
For nine hundred and fifty years, the Hydra had occupied this space as a seamless extension of that geometry.
When it had one head, it was a biological weapon. When it grew three, it became a naval deterrent. When it grew four, it became the foundation of his coastal defense. Throughout its evolution, it remained an instrument—a heavy, brutal tool that Zephyr commanded without friction.
Now, as Zephyr pulled his consciousness back from the continent to observe the creature coiled in the central caldera of the Forge, he recognized a structural flaw.
The fifth head was fully formed.
