Chapter 152: Into the Heart of Metal
The vibration under their feet wasn't just a mechanical shudder; it was the roar of a fortress built on blood and dark sorcery. As the Alpha and his elite team breached the first inner sanctum, the cold became so absolute that it started to crystallize the very air they breathed.
"Stay close!" the Alpha barked, his claws digging into the frost-covered iron floor. "The walls are moving. They are trying to separate us!"
He was right. The corridors of the Iron Citadel were shifting, the black metal plates sliding past one another like the scales of a giant serpent. Before they could adjust their formation, a massive wall of spikes slammed down, cutting the Omega and Silas off from the rest of the group.
"Go!" the Omega shouted through the iron barrier, her silver spear lighting up the dark hall. "We will find another way to the core. Don't let the High King finish the ritual!"
On her side of the wall, the silence was suddenly replaced by a high-pitched, mechanical humming. From the shadows of the ceiling, the 'Iron Sentinels' began to descend—living armors with no souls, only the glowing blue command of the High Throne.
"They aren't here to kill us, Silas," the Omega whispered, her spear spinning in a deadly arc. "They are here to capture us for the sacrifice."
As the first Sentinel charged, she felt a surge of energy through her bond with the Alpha. Even through the thick iron walls, their souls remained anchored. She closed her eyes for a split second, feeling his resolve. When she opened them, they were burning with the pure radiance of the First Dawn.
"Tonight," she declared, the spear-tip touching the cold metal floor and melting it instantly, "the iron will bleed."