The words Kael read echoed in the red-lit tunnel like a bomb blast.
"The Master's influence grows with every cycle."
For a moment, they all stared at the piece of paper in silence, as if it were a venomous snake. Their small, personal mission—to fix their compass—had just become a part of a massive, dangerous conspiracy.
"These people are insane," Grak growled, his deep voice filled not just with hatred, but with a strange kind of fear. "The Heart-Forge isn't a battery you can just tap into whenever you want. It's the heart of Iron Reef. It contains a dormant volcano, a power that holds this entire island together. If they mess with that power..."
"...the whole island could be destroyed," Liora finished his sentence, her voice trembling. "It's like sitting on a time bomb."
Mara took the map from Liora's hand. Her captain's eyes scanned it quickly. "Secondary conduit... divert power... it means they're building a new channel, a way to siphon the forge's power somewhere else."
"But where would they take it?" Aarav asked.
"It doesn't matter where," Kael said, his voice as cold as ice. "What matters is that we have to stop them. Now."
"But how?" Liora said, gathering her courage. "There are four of us, and they... they are the entire Syndicate."
"There are five of us," Grak corrected her, resting his giant hammer on his shoulder. "And this is my home. No outside dog is going to come and rip the heart out of my home." A fire burned in his eyes, hotter than the flames of his own forge.
"There's a route on this map," Mara said, pointing to a spot with her finger. "This path leads directly to the control room where this new conduit is being diverted from. If we can get there and stop the diversion..."
"...we can ruin their entire plan," Aarav said, a new wave of determination rushing through him. He wasn't afraid anymore. Now, he had a clear objective.
"It's a suicide mission," Kael stated plainly. "That place will be crawling with guards. We'd be walking straight into their trap."
"Then we'll walk in quietly," Mara said with a sly grin. "There's an old saying—the best fight is the one you never have to start."
"And what's your plan, Captain Vance?" Grak asked.
Mara gathered them all close and began to whisper. In the yellow light of the lantern, their faces looked like those of conspirators planning a coup. Their fear was now transforming into a solid, precise plan.
---
The control room, as shown on the map, was located one level directly above the Heart-Forge. It was a large, circular chamber with a massive console in the center. The console was covered with dozens of levers, gauges, and glowing crystals. One wall of the room was made of thick, red-tinted glass, offering a terrifying view of the Heart-Forge below.
Down below, a sea of molten lava churned. From the center of that lava, a colossal Aether-crystal rose, emitting so much light and heat that it was difficult to even look at. This was the heart of Iron Reef. And now, a new pipe made of black metal—the secondary conduit—was being connected to its side, slowly siphoning its power.
There were four Syndicate guards in the room. They stood relaxed, completely unaware that their doom was lurking just a few feet away, hidden in a ventilation duct in the ceiling.
Inside the vent, Grak held onto the grate with all his strength. His muscles bulged with tension.
Below, Mara looked at Kael and counted to three.
One... Two...
Three.
With a beastly roar, Grak ripped the grate from its frame. Before the guards below could even process what was happening, Grak jumped down on top of them like a falling mountain. Mara and Kael dropped down right after him.
The fight wasn't loud. It was silent, swift, and lethal. Grak had crushed two guards just by landing on them. Kael's swords flashed in the air for a moment, and the other two guards fell to the ground without a sound.
The battle was over so quickly that by the time Liora and Aarav climbed down, everything was calm.
"Quickly, we don't have much time," Mara said, running towards the console.
Everything on the console was written in strange symbols. "Liora, can you read this?"
Liora stepped forward and looked at the console. "This... this is old Dwarven script. I can only understand a few words. It says... *power diversion... 78% complete*. Cycle... *final cycle initiation in... 5 minutes*."
"Five minutes!" Grak exclaimed. "They'll divert the full power in five minutes!"
"I'll try to stop it!" Liora said and closed her eyes, placing her hands on the console. Green light began to flow from her hands. "The console... it's locked by Aether. I need time to break into it."
"Time is something we don't have," Kael said, looking down through the glass wall. "Look below."
Everyone looked down. In the Heart-Forge, more Syndicate members were gathering around the black conduit. Among them was a figure dressed in a long, black robe, different from the others. Their face was hidden in shadows.
"He's there," Aarav said softly. "The Master."
Just then, the crystals on the console began to flash red, and a loud, ear-splitting siren blared through the room.
They had been found.
"Liora, how much longer?" Mara shouted over the noise.
"At least two minutes! I'm trying!" Liora replied, drenched in sweat. Her entire focus was on the console.
Loud banging started on the door. *THUD! THUD!* Syndicate guards were trying to break it down.
Grak and Mara took positions in front of the door. Kael stood beside them, his swords ready.
"Aarav," Kael said without looking at him. "You and I will buy Liora time. That door won't hold for long."
Aarav looked at his wooden sword. Then he looked at the red, throbbing Tide Compass pressed against his chest. Its red light mixed with the siren's glare, making the whole room look hellish.
'No. Not with this.'
He threw his wooden sword aside. He picked up the sword from one of the fallen guards.
It was real steel. Cold. Heavy. And lethal.
As he gripped the sword, a faint light shimmered on the palm of his hand, right where Kael had first taught him how to hold a blade.
A small, sword-shaped symbol, the Blade Sigil, emerged on his skin for a moment before fading away.
He held the sword in the stance Kael had taught him. He was no longer a boy playing with a wooden toy.
The door burst open with a massive CRASH.
Syndicate guards, death clad in black armor, began to pour into the room.
Aarav took a deep breath. He looked at his friends—Grak and Mara holding the doorway, Kael ready like a warrior, and Liora using all her strength to save them.
He looked at the crowd charging towards him.
And then, he ran towards them.