Once breached, it revealed the Crown Engine—a massive crystalline sphere suspended above a plinth of roots, singing faintly. Inside spun a double-helix of light, like a DNA strand forged from liquid song.
Roman stared. "This ran the city?"
"No," Aqua whispered. "This was the city."
Roselia frowned. "Come again?"
"This wasn't just a machine. It was the soul of Aethralun. A sentient stabilizer, syncing their minds and keeping the Rift's madness at bay. It held their culture together."
Leon placed a hand on the barrier. "Then when the Seraph broke through…"
A pause.
Liliana finished the sentence. "...it shattered the crown. The song fell silent."
Central Find #3: The Choir Vaults
Hidden in spiraling sub-chambers around the city's base, they found the Choir Vaults—massive caverns filled with sarcophagus-like pods.
Each one housed a Deep Singer in stasis.
Not dead. Not fully alive.
Frozen between moments.
