The Eccentric Entomologist is Now a Queen's Consort

"Clear," Cerys muttered. She wiped a drop of sweat from her brow with the back of her glove. "But we can't stick around."

Vyrelda gave a curt nod. "Agreed. Let's find a direct route out. I'm picking up new signals from the spire's wards." She lifted her arm, revealing a small gadget shaped like a bracelet. Dull lights blinked along its rim. "They're sealing sections of the tower."

Cerys cursed under her breath. "Great. We need to beat the lockdown."

They slid down another hallway, hearts pounding. The environment shifted from thick cables and exposed machinery to a more polished sector with glossy floors and tall walls etched with geometric designs. Through narrow windows, they glimpsed the city lights outside: Luthadel shrouded by swirling mist, tinted red by the Spire's emergency glow.

But it was the shape looming beyond the skyline that made them pause.

Hovering above the rooftops was an enormous, shifting form, like a massive cloud of black smoke with faint glimmers of silver and violet in its depths. The Mistborn Entity. Even from this distance, it looked huge and terrifying, twisting around the spires and towers of Luthadel as if it owned the place.

Vyrelda's voice dropped to a hush. "It's… grown since the last time we saw it."

Cerys swallowed hard. The entity radiated a strange power she could almost sense through the window, like a current of electricity crawling under her skin. "Don't let it distract you," she managed, forcing her gaze away.

They raced deeper into the Spire's upper floors, where the corridors were wide and the doors heavily reinforced. Automated turrets perched along the walls, scanning for intruders. One of them fired a beam of scorching blue at Cerys as she sprinted past, nearly singing the hair on her arm. She dove behind a large steel support beam, panting, while Vyrelda skidded into cover behind a row of stacked crates.

An alarmed voice crackled over the Spire's intercom:

"<Section D compromised. Deploy additional squads. All personnel, prepare for full lockdown. The intruders must be contained.>"

Cerys shot Vyrelda a quick look across the crates. "We really wore out our welcome, huh?"

Vyrelda shook her head, not amused. "We have to go down two more floors before we can access an exterior balcony. From there, it's a straight drop if we can rope down."

Cerys glanced around the corner, assessing the turret's field of vision. "I'll handle that hunk of metal. You plan our path."

Vyrelda adjusted her grip on the data crystal, tucking it safely into a hidden pouch inside her waistcoat. "Don't get yourself killed," she said, her tone clipped but holding a faint note of concern.

Cerys exhaled, then bolted from cover. The turret whirred, locking onto her movement, and she felt her pulse spike. At the last second, she dove into a roll, sliding across the polished floor. The turret beam traced a line of melted metal behind her. She gritted her teeth—too close.

Before it could fire again, she sprang up and slashed. Her sword cut straight through the turret's base, slicing off the rotating mechanism. The turret's light died instantly, and the remains clattered to the ground in a shower of sparks. Cerys didn't wait to see it tumble; she was already in motion, calling out to Vyrelda. "Now!"@@novelbin@@

They sprinted down a narrow hallway, ignoring the shouts of approaching enforcers. Up ahead, the corridor opened into a large laboratory-like chamber. Various contraptions, some half-finished, lay scattered around, the air thick with the scent of arcane chemicals. Strange containers gurgled with liquids of varying colors, and mechanical arms hung from the ceiling, each one fitted with different types of tools.

Vyrelda didn't slow as she weaved between cluttered tables and defunct drones. "If we cut through here, we might—"

A door on the far side burst open, revealing five enforcers at once, weapons raised. Without missing a beat, Vyrelda ducked behind a heavy steel cabinet. Cerys dived behind an overturned table, wincing as a bolt of energy sizzled inches above her. She could smell the acrid sting of it searing the tabletop.

"Cover me!" Cerys shouted.

Vyrelda peeked out, releasing a wave of faint green magic. It wasn't strong enough to knock the enforcers down, but it made them stagger. One of them slipped on a spilled chemical that had sloshed across the lab floor. Another tried to dodge but lost his footing in the clutter of wires and hoses.

Cerys used that opening to leap over the table. She moved in a fluid dance of sword strikes, each movement economical. Her first slash disarmed an enforcer, literally sending his arcane rifle spinning across the floor. Then she whirled, bringing the hilt of her sword down on another's helmet, knocking him out cold.

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A third enforcer slammed a gauntleted fist into her side. Pain exploded along her ribs, and she stumbled. But she recovered quickly, twisting away from his second blow, and delivered a swift, upward slash. The enforcer gasped and collapsed.

Meanwhile, Vyrelda had drawn a short-bladed weapon from her belt. It wasn't fancy, but she wielded it with cool efficiency, slicing through the wiring of an enforcer's suit, causing sparks and short-circuits. The man cried out as the suit's magical amplification flickered. With a well-placed kick, she sent him sprawling.

"Door's clear!" Cerys barked, panting. "Go!"

Vyrelda darted through, and Cerys followed, slamming the reinforced door behind them. She spotted a bulky steel latch and shoved it into place, hoping it would buy them precious seconds. The corridor beyond was mercifully empty, but it echoed with the grating of shifting barriers as the Spire began sealing off sections to trap them.

"This place is a maze," Vyrelda said, wiping sweat from her temple. "We'll be trapped if we don't find a route soon."

Cerys took a few quick strides forward, checking the corners. "The next corridor left should lead to a central lift," she said. "We just need to pray the lockdown hasn't locked that too."

They reached the lift bay and found it sealed, the doors bolted by thick mechanical clamps. A soft red glow pulsed around the control panel, indicating a full security override. Vyrelda exhaled in frustration and tapped on her bracelet, scanning for a bypass.

"We can't open this easily," she said, frowning at the readings. "The system's in full alert. We have to find the stairs."

Cerys clenched her teeth. "Those stairs are at least a corridor away, if I recall the map correctly."

A roar rumbled through the building, strong enough to vibrate the floor beneath their feet. Cerys and Vyrelda exchanged alarmed glances. It wasn't just the alarm. This was something else—something massive and alive, outside the Spire.

Cerys hurried to a narrow window set high in the wall. She stood on her toes, straining to see out. Through the tinted glass, she caught sight of that monstrous entity once more, swirling higher above the city. Even at a distance, its presence was overwhelming. It looked almost bigger than the spire itself now, a living storm of darkness with faint flickers of eerie light swirling inside.

Vyrelda joined her, peering out. "It's not just getting larger." Her voice trembled slightly. "Look at the way it's moving. Like it's… sniffing the air?"

Cerys watched the entity coil and uncoil around a tall tower near the city center. Her instincts told her that this was more than a random surge of power. It was too deliberate, too focused. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword. She thought about Mikhailis, wondered if he'd managed to escape. She thought about the stories she'd heard of ancient creatures that could sense fear or magic.

"It's searching for something," Vyrelda said, her tone hushed with dread.

Cerys nodded, swallowing against the dryness in her throat. Her knuckles whitened around her weapon.

"It's searching for something."