(Planet Tithia, the Forge District, Leo and Veyr's POV)
The heat hit them first.
It smacked into their faces the moment they arrived at the Forge District, thick and dry, carrying the sharp sting of smoke and molten steel as the air around them felt like it belonged inside a furnace.
Even before the dust from their teleportation hovercraft had settled, the sound of hammers pounding metal filled the space, loud and constant, as the entire district sounded like a machine that never stopped, not even for the Elders of the Cult themselves.
Flames hissed, gears spun, and half-built war machines hung from cranes like dead weight waiting to be given life.
Here, not a single worker cared for rank or robe, and even when the First Elder himself came here to visit Master Argo, the tempo of the forge never paused.
And yet, on this particular day, the clangs suddenly faded.
As the Dragon and Shadow Dragon walked through the main Foundry, the entire Forger's District held its breath.
