Echoes beneath the Sand

The door groaned as Kainen ran his fingers over the engravings. Beneath the dust and corrosion, the symbols hummed weakly, flickering in response to the Aether God's presence. This place had been sealed for centuries, buried under the shifting sands, yet the power within still clung to existence.

Behind him, Aaron adjusted his goggles and took a cautious step forward. "You're sure this is a good idea?" His voice carried an edge of doubt, but his hands betrayed his curiosity, already brushing away loose grains of sand from the edges of the doorway.

Kainen smirked. "No, but since when has that stopped us?"

The Aether God placed a massive hand against the door, its fingers tracing the worn symbols. "This threshold was not meant for intruders. It was meant to keep something in."

Aaron froze. "That's not exactly reassuring."

Kainen exhaled sharply. "It never is." He nodded toward the Aether God. "Can you open it?"

The machine hesitated, then pressed its palm flat against the surface. A deep, resonant hum filled the air, reverberating through Kainen's bones. The engravings pulsed in response, each line igniting in sequence, forming a pattern of interwoven glyphs. The metal trembled.

With a shuddering groan, the door cracked open, releasing a rush of stale air from the depths. Sand cascaded inward, spilling over the worn threshold like a river finding a new path.

Kainen adjusted his pack. "Well, no turning back now."

Aaron peered inside. The passage beyond was steep, descending into darkness. "Looks welcoming."

Kainen shot him a look. "You staying up here?"

Aaron sighed and pulled a small lantern from his belt, striking it to life. The flame flickered against the gloom. "Guess not."

The Aether God stepped forward first, its glowing eyes illuminating the corridor in cold, blue light. The walls were lined with intricate patterns, worn and cracked but still whispering of the past. The air was thick, heavy with dust and the scent of rusted metal.

As they moved deeper, the silence pressed in around them.

Aaron ran a hand along the wall. "This place… it wasn't just a battlefield. It was something more."

The Aether God slowed. "It was a sanctum. A prison. A tomb."

Kainen glanced at it. "A tomb for what?"

The machine did not answer.

A faint clicking sound echoed through the corridor. Kainen halted, his hand moving instinctively to his weapon. Aaron turned sharply, his lantern casting flickering shadows along the walls.

"Did you hear that?" Aaron whispered.

Kainen nodded. The sound was distant but growing closer. A rhythmic, metallic tapping—something moving within the Spire.

The Aether God's eyes flared. "We are not alone."

From the depths of the corridor, a pair of red lights flickered to life. Then another. And another.

The darkness stirred.

Then it moved.

A chorus of clicks and mechanical whirs filled the air as shapes emerged from the gloom—machines, ancient and incomplete, their limbs jagged where metal had corroded or been torn away. Their eyes burned with unnatural light, remnants of programming that had long outlived its purpose.

Aaron cursed. "Tell me those things aren't hostile."

The nearest construct lurched forward. Its body was a patchwork of ancient plating, held together by wires that pulsed like veins. Its movements were jerky, unnatural, driven by something more than logic—something desperate.

It opened its mouth, but no words came. Only a shriek of static.

Then it attacked.

Kainen barely had time to react before the construct lunged. He sidestepped, drawing his blade in one fluid motion. The steel met rusted metal, sparks flashing as the construct's claws scraped against the edge.

Aaron stumbled back, raising his lantern as another machine surged toward him. "I hate this place!"

The Aether God moved with terrifying precision. Its hand shot out, gripping one of the constructs by the throat. The metal groaned under the pressure before the machine crushed it in a single motion. The remains fell lifeless to the floor, wires sparking.

Kainen pivoted, driving his blade into the center of another construct's core. The machine spasmed, its red eyes flickering before it collapsed in a heap.

Aaron, breathing heavily, slammed his lantern into the last construct's head, sending it staggering. Kainen finished it with a swift cut, severing its remaining power conduit.

Silence returned, broken only by their ragged breaths.

Aaron wiped sweat from his forehead. "So, we're just ignoring the fact that ancient war machines are still walking around down here?"

The Aether God gazed at the fallen constructs, its expression unreadable. "They were not meant to wake. Something has disturbed their slumber."

Kainen frowned. "What could do that?"

The Aether God turned its gaze deeper into the Spire. "We must go further to find out."

Kainen exchanged a glance with Aaron.

Aaron sighed. "Of course we do."

Without another word, they pressed on, deeper into the past.