The corridor emptied into a vast chamber where the echo sounded different—no longer like stone, but like metal that recalled something living. Eiko stopped, raised her hand, and listened. Rhea furrowed her brow. Even Alaric, usually the first to value movement over meaning, paused.
"What is that?" asked Lina.
Eiko knelt, placing a hand on the floor. "Vibration. Not electricity, not air pressure. Something is transmitting."
"Malrik?"
"Or something he's been using."
The chamber was almost circular. In the middle stood a rusted platform, half-sunken, surrounded by cracks. Cables grew from the floor like roots. Rhea shined her light across the wall where characters flickered—not written, but burned in, pulsating.
"Heart – Frequency – Transition – Portal"
Lina moved closer. The word Heart glowed brighter as she moved.
Rhea held her breath. "It's reacting to you."
"No," whispered Lina, "it's calling me."
