Night fell over the liberated sectors of the metropolis, wrapping the quiet streets in cool, unmonitored mountain air.
Before the grand arched threshold of the central engine sanctuary, the sovereign household assembled to construct their final perimeter.
Every companion took personal responsibility for one wall of the containment architecture, turning their ensemble strength into a living fortress.
Ferra unrolled a master schematic across an anvil, tracing the residual drain conduits leading directly into the high council dais.
"The resonance filter succeeded completely," the forge artisan reported, tapping the glowing ink lines with her caliper.
"Every civilian lifeline across all four municipal districts is completely severed from the central core!"
"We mapped every secondary conduit between the lower waterworks and the upper council rotunda," she added with deep satisfaction.
