The unsettling parallels between the Shadow Blight and the Obsidian Hand’s shadow artifacts sent a chill through General Valerius. He recalled the chillingly similar effects – the twisting of aura, the amplification of negative emotions, and the insidious spread of a corrupting influence. The realization that the threat they had seemingly defeated might have ancient roots shook his rigid worldview.
Driven by a growing suspicion, Valerius discreetly diverted some of his most trusted Legions to investigate the remote Old Empire ruins that Seraphina’s network had identified. He kept this operation secret from the main Dominion command, his ingrained distrust of those above him amplified by the revelations in the vault. He couldn’t shake the feeling that a faction within the Dominion might be seeking to weaponize the Shadow Blight, just as the Obsidian Hand had attempted with their artifacts.
Meanwhile, within the vault, the joint study continued, the initial tension slowly giving way to a more focused collaboration. Maeve and the Keepers made significant progress in translating the Old Empire’s texts, uncovering more details about the Shadow Blight’s origins and its devastating effects. They learned that the Blight was not a natural phenomenon but a created one, a consequence of a reckless attempt by a faction within the Old Empire to harness a primordial force known as the “Abyssal Resonance.”
This revelation sent another wave of unease through the alliance. The Abyssal Resonance sounded disturbingly similar to the source of the Obsidian Hand’s power. Could the Obsidian Hand have been remnants of this ancient, corrupted faction, their shadow artifacts echoes of the Old Empire’s forbidden technology?
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Lyra, piecing together these fragmented clues, felt a growing sense of urgency. The conflict with the Iron Dominion, and even their temporary truce, seemed insignificant in the face of this potentially far greater and older threat. The balance of the world might be at stake in ways they hadn’t even begun to comprehend.
As Valerius’s secret investigation of the Old Empire ruins progressed, his suspicions were confirmed. His Legions discovered a hidden excavation site, heavily guarded by Dominion soldiers bearing unusual insignia – markings not recognized within the standard military hierarchy. Within the excavated structures, they found strange devices pulsing with a dark, familiar energy – echoes of the Obsidian Hand’s shadow technology, but far more intricate and potent.
The General’s doubt solidified into grim certainty. A faction within the Iron Dominion, likely operating in secret for generations, was not only aware of the Shadow Blight and the Abyssal Resonance but was actively seeking to harness their power. Their excavation efforts in the Old Empire ruins were aimed at recovering and potentially weaponizing this ancient corruption.
Faced with this terrifying realization, Valerius knew he could no longer trust the main Dominion command. The enemy they were fighting might be far more insidious and deeply entrenched than he had ever imagined. He made a momentous decision: he would reach out to Lyra, sharing his findings and proposing a true alliance, not just a temporary truce. The survival of their world might depend on their ability to unite against this ancient, shadowy threat that lurked within the heart of the Iron Dominion itself. The obsidian echoes of the past were resonating in the present, demanding a reckoning far greater than their current conflict.
