Chapter 3: Echoes of the Past

The tunnel twisted deeper into the heart of the earth, and with every step they took, Lucien's unease grew. The walls, once an ancient maze of industrial pipes and cogs, were now covered in strange symbols—symbols that seemed to pulse faintly as they passed. The air felt thick with the weight of something forgotten, something far older than the Empire or its steam-driven empires.

"We should've taken the right path," Rosie muttered under her breath, her boots clicking against the stone. Her flintlock was once again in her hand, ready for whatever lay ahead.

Evelyn, who was silently examining the symbols on the walls, didn't seem to share the same concerns. "I don't think it matters which path we took. We're in the heart of something much larger than us now."

Lucien didn't like the sound of that. He'd been in tight situations before, but this… this felt different. The artifact in his pocket had started to hum again, almost as if it was reacting to the ancient machinery surrounding them.

"I think I'm starting to understand why they sealed this place," Lucien said, his voice a low whisper. "This isn't just some forgotten factory. It's something much worse."

"You mean something old," Selene—the masked assassin—spoke for the first time since they'd entered the tunnels. Her voice was smooth, but there was an edge to it, like she knew more than she let on.

Lucien glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "You know about this place?"

Selene didn't respond immediately, her silhouette barely visible against the flickering torchlight. When she did speak, it was almost too quiet to hear. "I've heard whispers. There are things buried beneath Ironhaven that no one should ever disturb."

"Great," Lucien muttered. "Just what we need. More things that want to kill us."

A distant, mechanical roar echoed through the tunnels, followed by the screech of grinding metal. The sound was growing louder. Something was moving toward them.

Rosie cocked her head, grinning. "Guess we'll get to see what these things are after all."

Lucien motioned for them to stop, his eyes scanning the tunnel ahead. "Everyone, stay close. And keep your weapons ready."

They crept forward, moving in silence. But the deeper they went, the stronger the oppressive feeling grew. Then, suddenly, the tunnel widened, opening into a massive cavern. The ceiling disappeared into shadow, and the floor was littered with debris—shattered machinery, twisted remains of long-dead creatures, and what looked like the remnants of a once-thriving society.

At the center of the cavern stood an enormous, rusted machine, its massive gears slowly turning as though powered by some unseen force. It seemed to hum with energy, sending vibrations through the ground beneath their feet. The air was thick with an ancient, mechanical scent.

"This is it," Evelyn breathed. "This is the heart of whatever's been buried here."

Lucien stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "And what the hell is that?"

He pointed toward the far corner of the cavern, where a strange structure loomed—something that resembled a gigantic, rusted clock tower, its gears and cogs still faintly moving as if they had never stopped turning. But it wasn't the machine that caught Lucien's attention—it was what was inside it.

The heart of the structure was empty. But the space surrounding it was filled with more of the strange symbols. And floating in the center of it all—was a figure.

A woman.

Her form was faintly illuminated by the eerie glow of the machine, her features shrouded by a strange haze. She was bound to the machine, connected by what seemed like invisible threads of energy. Lucien felt his stomach churn. It wasn't just the sight that unnerved him—it was the sense that she was aware of their presence, her empty eyes staring through him as though she could see straight into his soul.

"What the hell is that?" Rosie asked, her voice low and wary.

"That…" Lucien began, but his words caught in his throat. The figure felt familiar. Too familiar. "That's… not just some relic."

Evelyn's eyes narrowed, the crystal in her pocket pulsating again. "It's a memory. A living one."

Lucien's pulse quickened. "You're saying… this thing's not dead?"

"Not dead," Evelyn confirmed. "But not alive either. It's a remnant—some kind of sentient being tied to this machine. Maybe even part of it."

The woman in the center of the clock tower shuddered, as though sensing their thoughts. Her mouth opened, but the sound that came from her was nothing like a voice—more like a soft whisper carried on the wind. The words were garbled, broken, like a memory trying to escape the confines of its prison.

"Help me…"

Lucien's heart skipped a beat. That voice. He knew that voice.

Before he could react, the ground trembled, and the massive machine roared to life, its gears grinding faster as a series of mechanical arms shot out from the sides, snapping like jaws ready to strike.

"Shit!" Lucien cursed, drawing his blade. "We're not alone down here!"

Suddenly, the walls of the cavern cracked open, revealing more of the machines Lucien had only heard stories about. Each one was a twisted monstrosity—half-human, half-machine—lumbering toward them with frightening speed.

"We need to get out!" Evelyn shouted, pulling Lucien back. "Now!"

But it was too late. The first of the machines lunged toward them, its claws scraping the stone as it swiped at Lucien. He dodged, rolling away and pushing Evelyn to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. The other machines followed suit, closing in from all sides.

"Not so fast!" Rosie shouted, opening fire with her flintlock. The gunshots rang out, hitting one of the creatures square in the chest and causing it to stumble back. But it didn't go down. If anything, it became more enraged.

"We have to destroy that machine!" Lucien shouted, pointing to the clock tower. "That's where they're coming from!"

Selene's mask gleamed in the dim light as she dashed forward, moving with inhuman speed. She slashed at one of the machines with her dagger, the blade sparking off its metal hide, but it wasn't enough to stop it.

Evelyn grabbed the strange device from her belt again and aimed it at the central machine. It hummed to life, releasing another pulse of energy that sent a shockwave through the cavern. The machines faltered for a moment, but they quickly recovered, their glowing eyes narrowing.

"We need to finish this now!" Lucien shouted, rushing forward with the others in tow. "We don't have much time before this whole place collapses."