Necromancer Dreams of Mechs Chapter 42: Chapter 48

Read chapter 42 of Necromancer Dreams of Mechs by Magic on NovelPedia.

Chapter 42: The Architect “Um… this doesn’t look like any exit I’ve ever seen. Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Ciara asked nervously, her voice a notch higher than usual. The guard ahead of her didn’t respond. His tactical mask made him unreadable, a faceless sentinel guiding her deeper into a corridor she didn’t recognize. At the end of the hallway, he opened a heavy door without a word. Inside was a room unlike any she’d expected. The lighting was soft but clinical, and at its center stood a sleek, state-of-the-art capsule—polished white with faint blue lights running along its seams. It was fully equipped: waste removal, intravenous feeds, and biometric scanners built seamlessly into its frame. The thing radiated both technology and finality, like a coffin built for a journey rather than a burial. Before Ciara could form another question, a screen on the far wall flickered to life. Her breath caught. The display filled with a live feed of someone she could only assume was Allen. He sat inside a tent, draped in a long white robe that shimmered faintly, the kind of outfit that belonged to someone important. At his feet, green skeletal hands of light crawled up from the hem of his robe like vines, fading before they reached his knees. But that wasn’t what sent a jolt through Ciara’s chest. He wasn’t alone. Another woman sat across from him, impossibly pretty, calm, and poised as they shared tea. Ciara didn’t even feel her feet move. In less than two breaths, she had crossed the room and pressed her face against the screen, her hands splayed across the glass. Her heart pounded as she glared at the stranger beside him, a sour heat rising in her chest. How dare someone else sit there with him like that? So distracted, she didn’t notice the door behind her sliding shut with a quiet hiss. Nor did she hear the lock click into place. It wasn’t until a voice spoke—everywhere at once, digital yet resonant—that she nearly jumped out of her skin. “Do you truly desire to help him, or is your own game more important?” The voice was a low monotone, synthetic yet filled with weight, like a verdict being read. “Is it a heart you seek to hold close, or do you only desire it to hold you up? Child of the Destroyer, I offer you this chance to join He Who Is Fallen, but only if your intentions are pure. Answer, and be judged.” The last word echoed like thunder. The walls seemed to vibrate with it, the sound crawling across her skin. Ciara spun toward the closed door, a coldness creeping into her chest. Her pulse thudded in her ears. “Who are you? And what does any of that even mean—Child of the Destroyer?” she demanded, eyes darting across the ceiling corners for hidden speakers. She wasn’t stupid. Playing dumb bought her time to think. This had to be the AI—the Architect David Burke had warned her about. The thought made her throat tighten. Her father wasn’t a good man; she’d known that since childhood. But a destroyer? That word carried a weight she wasn’t ready for. The part about Allen cut the deepest. In truth, she liked Allen. More than she’d wanted to admit. But he always seemed like someone who cared only about his own interests. Nothing else had mattered to him while she’d been studying him—at least that was how it had appeared. Yet even then, Allen was a far better option than the polished monsters her father had picked out for her. And when she had finally managed to catch his attention, she’d loved how shy he’d been, how genuine his reactions felt compared to everyone else’s rehearsed smiles. Her lips parted before she realized she was speaking. “I’m not perfect, but my reasons for wanting Allen aren’t to use him. I just… don’t want to be used.” A beat of silence followed. Then the digital voice returned, stronger, making the very air hum. “Could you say the same if someone else took his heart? Would you give up?” The question slammed into her like a wave. Something inside her cracked. The icy mask she wore to survive in her fa