Dawn broke cold and gray.
Mist rolled across the valley like a living thing, coiling between the trees and swallowing sound.
From the ridge above, Kale could see the ruins of Ardenvale. Once a thriving village, it now stood as a skeleton of its former self — charred roofs, collapsed towers, and a single, blackened spire still standing in the heart of the wreckage.
Varyn's voice rumbled behind him. "The Coven stripped this place bare years ago. Why return now?"
Kale adjusted his cloak, his eyes fixed on the distant spire. "They left something behind. Something Aurelion built."
Lyra frowned. "You mean his research."
He nodded slowly. "He mentioned it… in the dream. Fragments of memory. A place where he tested cursed mana — where he tried to make it obey."
Elric muttered, "So we're walking straight into a graveyard filled with magical experiments. Wonderful."
Varyn snorted. "Stay sharp. Witches may still be guarding it."
Kale stepped forward, mana faintly rippling around his boots as he began the descent.
The air grew heavier as they entered the ruins. The faint hum of mana hung in the background, resonating with Kale's pulse. Every shattered wall carried scorch marks that still glowed faintly blue — remnants of mana explosions from decades past.
Ryn crouched near a broken wall. "These weren't destroyed by time. They were erased — deliberately."
Lyra touched the ground, tracing a rune faintly etched into the dirt. "Purification sigils. The witches were sealing something in."
Elric raised his sword. "Or out."
Kale stopped in front of the black spire. Its surface shimmered faintly, almost alive. The runes carved into it were unlike any Lyra had seen — spiraling and chaotic, as if drawn by a mad hand.
Lyra whispered, "That's not witchcraft."
Kale touched the surface. The moment his fingers met the stone, the sigils blazed blue, responding to him.
And then — the door opened.
A rush of cold air swept through the ruins. The spire groaned as the entrance split apart, revealing a staircase spiraling down into darkness.
Varyn growled softly. "This smells wrong."
Kale drew his spectral blade. "Then it's exactly what we're looking for."
The descent felt endless. The air thickened, the light from their torches dimming as they went deeper. Strange markings lined the walls — symbols that shifted when Kale looked too long at them.
Finally, the staircase ended in a vast underground chamber.
It was filled with glass tubes — hundreds of them — each containing a shape suspended in liquid light. Some were humanoid. Others were twisted beyond recognition. Their eyes flickered open when Kale entered, reflecting his glow.
Lyra stepped closer, her voice trembling. "These are… mana constructs. Aurelion was trying to create artificial life."
Kale's gaze darkened. "Not life. Soldiers."
A sudden noise made them all freeze — a low hum that turned into a voice, mechanical and broken:
"Subject 00… recognized… mana signature match… Aurelion… authenticated."
The chamber came alive.
Sigils flared across the floor. Tubes hissed open one by one. The constructs stirred, their limbs twitching, their eyes lighting with the same blue flame as Kale's.
Elric shouted, "They're waking up!"
Kale raised his blade, but before he could act, one of the constructs stepped forward — a tall figure with silver hair and runes carved across his skin.
"Aurelion…?" it whispered, its voice cracked but filled with reverence. "You… returned."
Kale froze. "I'm not—"
But the construct raised its hand, power surging from its palm. "Protect the Creator."
The chamber erupted in chaos.
Bolts of mana flew in every direction. Ryn lunged, claws tearing through one construct, but two more replaced it instantly. Lyra's staff blazed as she conjured a wall of light, shielding them from an explosion.
Kale spun through the storm, cutting down constructs one after another — but they didn't stop. They regenerated.
"You made them immortal," Aurelion's voice murmured inside his mind. "Perfect soldiers. Bound to serve power, not morality. They are yours to command."
"No," Kale hissed, blocking another blast. "They're monsters!"
"So were you, once."
Kale clenched his teeth — and something inside him snapped.
Blue and silver fire flared from his blade, his aura erupting outward. The constructs halted mid-attack, shuddering as the mark on Kale's hand pulsed.
The mechanical voice spoke again:
"Command authority recognized. Awaiting directive."
Lyra's eyes widened. "Kale, they're listening to you."
Kale's breath came fast. "Then here's my command—"
He thrust his hand toward the floor. "Sleep."
The mana flared — then dimmed.
The constructs froze in place. The tubes went dark. Silence filled the chamber once more.
Kale collapsed to one knee, exhausted, the last flickers of blue light fading from his veins.
Lyra knelt beside him. "Are you okay?"
He shook his head slowly. "I just… controlled Aurelion's army."
Varyn crossed his arms, his golden eyes sharp. "Then the witches will be coming. If they learn you've awakened this place, they'll burn the entire valley to ashes."
Kale looked up, the mark still faintly glowing. "Then let them come."
He glanced at the motionless constructs. "We'll be ready."