Elara stood on the shaky bridge leading to the glowing spire. Her heart beat fast as the hidden city's pulse shook the cavern. The air felt strange, full of buzzing energy from the third shard. Its light bounced off the broken walls covered in twisted metal lines and glowing vines.
She held the disruptor tight in her hands. It felt heavy but helped her stay calm. She looked at the bright light ahead. The ground rumbled hard, and big pieces of the ceiling fell down. This meant the ruined city of San Francisco above was in trouble because of the recent storms.
Lira stayed close to her side. Her mind sent a quick message, telling Elara to keep going. Kael marched ahead with a detonator in his hand. His rough voice cut through the noise. Nyx moved fast, her eyes glowing with her special lenses, her quick fingers ready to work.
Vey followed, holding a glowing map, his hands shaking a little. Saria sent out soft energy waves, her smooth movements lighting the way.
"We have to face the heir," Elara yelled over the loud shaking.
"The traps are close. Let's go now!" She thought about Mira's sad eyes and the call of the bloodline.
It pushed her forward. But she felt a cold fear—Calder's shadow was somewhere near.
Kael slammed his detonator against the spire door. The blast was loud and strong, breaking it open. It showed a huge room with tall crystal spires.
Their surfaces pulsed with energy, and steel platforms hung loosely, swaying with the shakes. A deep crack split the ground, and a wild energy river roared below.
Old holo-pictures flickered, showing busy streets from before the Weave, now buried and fading into the mist.
Suddenly, a group of Enforcer robots burst in. Their shiny armor gleamed, and they shot lasers. This was Calder's trap starting.
The heir stepped out near the chasm. He had silver hair and gray eyes, wearing dark robes. He held a staff that sparked with energy.
"You bloodline fools!" he shouted, his voice loud and angry.
"You will die for the pact!" He swung his staff, and a wave of energy knocked Elara down.
The Enforcers ran at them, trapping Kael and Nyx against the spires.
Kael shouted and fought against the robot arms. "Get me loose, you metal monsters!"
He used all his strength, but his hurt leg made it hard, and they held him tight.
Nyx twisted her body, her lenses shining bright.
"They have Flux shields! I'll break them!" Her quick fingers scratched at a rune panel on the spire, sending out sparks.
"Burn up, you robots!" she yelled. One Enforcer sparked and fell into the chasm, but more kept coming.
Saria jumped high, her energy waves hitting an Enforcer in the air. Her movements were fast like a dance.
"Elara, get to the spire!" she called. Her power held strong, but a laser cut her arm, and blood dripped out.
Vey yelled, running along the chasm edge. "The Enforcers work with the heir! Stop them!"
His map blinked, showing a control spot near the platform.
Lira's mind sent a loud message, Go now! She shot a weak energy blast that threw an Enforcer off track. Elara ran toward the spire. She pointed the disruptor at a rune on the bridge and squeezed the trigger.
Her blood splashed on it, and the bridge started to glow. The heir roared, and his energy arms tightened around Saria and Vey. They struggled but couldn't move.
A quick vision hit Elara—Mira with pleading eyes, old people making the pact, and a deep cavern with a bright Flux source guarded by a dark shape. The ground split more, and the platform cracked. The Enforcers kept shooting.
Elara pushed harder, her blood soaking into the rune.
"Show us the source!" she shouted.
The spire hummed loudly, and a bridge of light grew over the chasm. The heir stumbled, his energy weakening, but he swung his staff again. The blast threw Kael toward the edge. He grabbed a broken rail, hanging over the deep drop, and yelled with his rough voice, "Pull me up!"
Nyx rushed to the rail, hacking the control spot faster. "Hang on, big guy!" she said.
Her sparks fried an Enforcer, and the energy arms loosened a bit. Lira broke free and fired a weak shot at the heir's staff. Saria's energy wave hit hard, cracking the staff's power.
Elara jumped forward, her disruptor flashing. She poured more blood onto the rune, and the spire burst with energy.
The heir screamed, his staff broke into pieces, and the Enforcers fell down. The bridge stayed strong, but the heir dropped to his knees, his gray eyes growing dim.
"The source… is yours…" he whispered, then stopped breathing.
Right then, the ground shook harder. Flux bombs went off in the tunnels, and the ceiling started to fall.
Elara yelled, "Run for it!" Kael pulled himself up with a groan and limped ahead.
Nyx hacked at the falling rocks, clearing a path. Saria used her energy to shield Vey, holding back the debris. Lira's mind sent a message, Stay safe! She crawled closer, her blood mixing with Elara's.
The chamber shook more, the spire pulsed brighter, and a secret cavern opened up below.
Elara put on her headset and dived into the Weave. The vault appeared, and a robed figure spoke with a serious voice.
"The Flux source is a primal vein, guarded by an old tribe. Calder wants it. Your bloodline must come together to break the pact."
A vision showed a deep cavern with huge glowing crystals, the tribe chanting around it, and Calder's mother leading a strange ritual. The ground exploded, burying the city.
The figure warned, "An enemy will rise—unite your blood."
Elara saw the primal vein, guarded by a huge ancient beast, and Calder's drones flying close.
She pulled out of the Weave, breathing hard. The cavern was falling apart around her.
"The primal vein is down there!" she gasped.
"Calder is coming!" Kael roared and blasted the rocks with his detonator.
Nyx hacked a control node, trying to keep the bridge steady. Saria held her ground, protecting Vey with her energy.
The energy river below surged, and a loud roar came from the depths. Drones buzzed at the entrance, their lasers ready.
The group fought through the falling rocks and reached the new cavern. The primal vein glowed with massive crystals, lighting up the space. A huge beast stepped out. It had scales and glowing eyes, with long tendrils whipping around.
The Enforcer drones attacked, shooting lasers everywhere. Elara fired her disruptor at the vein, her blood activating its power. The beast roared and wrapped its tendrils around Kael.
Nyx hacked a drone, making it crash. Saria's energy waves clashed with the beast. Vey shouted, "The vein controls the beast! We need more blood!"
Lira crawled to Elara and added her blood to the mix. The energy burst out, the beast shrieked, and the drones fell into the chasm.
The vein calmed down, the beast vanished, and the drones were gone.
But then Calder's voice came through a holo-screen. "You lose, Elara," she said with a sneer.
More bombs went off, and the ceiling cracked wider. The group ran back to the spire. Lira's mind sent a message, Get out!
The bridge started to break, and they jumped to the cavern floor just in time. The vein pulsed stronger, and the whole city trembled above.
Elara sat down, panting hard, with Lira next to her. Lira's mind whispered softly, We made it. Kael walked over, grinning even though he hurt.
"That was a tough fight!" he said. Nyx rubbed her arm, her lenses glowing again.
"What a crazy escape!" Saria nodded, her strength holding steady. Vey looked around, his face full of fear.
"Calder knows where we are…"
The vein kept glowing, showing the bloodline was united for now. But Calder's threat hung in the air, the primal power was awake, and the city's future was in danger.