Chapter 98: The Collapse of the Spire
The obsidian spire groaned, a sound like a dying beast as the structural integrity of the lower levels gave way. Silas and Elara were now in a dead sprint, the ground beneath their feet tilting at a dangerous angle.
"The extraction point is just ahead!" Silas shouted over the deafening roar of collapsing ice and metal.
They reached the main docking bay just as the ceiling began to rain down shards of dark glass. Kaelen and Valerius were already there, holding the bay doors open against the pressure of the mountain.
"We thought you weren't going to make it!" Kaelen yelled, his face grimed with soot and frost.
"We had to make sure the truth was safe first," Elara panted, her hand still glowing with the residue of the memory-pulse.
As they boarded the last remaining transport vehicle, a massive explosion rocked the citadel's base. The entire spire shifted, beginning its final descent into the abyss of the Frozen Frontier. They cleared the docking bay just seconds before the mountain swallowed the Council's legacy whole.
Looking back from the safety of the transport, Silas watched the obsidian tower vanish into a cloud of white snow and dark smoke. The physical symbol of their oppression was gone, but the fire of the memories they had released was just beginning to spread.
"It's over, Silas," Elara whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"No," Silas replied, looking at the horizon where the sun was finally beginning to rise over the ice. "The war of the shadows is over. The era of the dawn begins now."