The Sovereign collapsed into ash.
Mei landed against the broken stone and steadied herself with one hand against the wall. Her ribs ached from the creature's grip, but nothing felt broken.
Joshua reached her and offered his hand.
“You nearly killed yourself.”
Mei accepted it and let him pull her upright. “But I didn't.”
“That isn't reassuring.”
“It wasn't meant to be.”
Shane approached while surveying the ruined chamber. “Is everyone accounted for?”
The field medic checked the three rescued Hunters and gave him a quick nod. Fei was already examining the damaged entrance, while Joshua retrieved his chain from beneath the fallen sword.
No one had escaped the fight untouched, but everyone was still standing.
A system window appeared above the Sovereign's remains.
BOSS DEFEATED: BLACK CROWN SOVEREIGN
FINAL ATTACK: CORE COLLAPSE
LETHAL BACKLASH: SURVIVED
TACTICAL CONDITION ACHIEVED
Mei barely finished reading before another message replaced it.
BLACK CROWN DOMAIN HAS RECOGNIZED YOUR COMBAT AUTHORITY.
Fei looked at her. “That sounds bad.”
“It probably is.”
The floor shifted beneath them.
This wasn't the beginning of another collapse. The movement was deliberate, as though some mechanism beneath the fortress had just been activated.
A circular seam opened through the shattered stone, revealing a shaft that descended into darkness. Far below, a red light pulsed between enormous chains.
Joshua stared into the opening. “Was the Sovereign guarding that?”
Mei studied the shaft and recognized the markings carved into the chains. They matched the symbols from the Eternal Seal chamber.
“No,” she said. “It was keeping something contained.”
A deep metallic groan traveled upward through the shaft.
One of the chains snapped.
Mei's expression hardened as the broken length disappeared into the darkness below.
Whatever had been restrained beneath the Black Crown had just lost one of its anchors.
She drew her remaining dagger.
“Get the wounded ready to move.”
Joshua glanced toward the shaft. “Where are we going?”
Mei stepped toward the opening.
“Down.”
Another chain groaned beneath them, followed by a deep, rhythmic sound that traveled through the stone.
Mei recognized it immediately.
It was a heartbeat, and its rhythm was accelerating.