Chapter 43

The walk through the final corridor took five minutes, the air growing heavy with the hum of dormant machinery. When the walls finally peeled back, they opened into an artificial cavern that dwarfed the pond chamber. High above, the ceiling was lost in shadows, but the floor was a masterpiece of dwarven engineering. At the center of the expanse sat a massive stone platform, etched with glowing blue runes that pulsed like a slow heartbeat. Near the walls, the guardians of this place waited—dozens...