The room continued to tremble as the ancient systems deep beneath the Red Spire roared to life. The Black Crown pulsed with light on Franko's head, its circuitry weaving through his thoughts like vines of data and memory. He could hear them—voices, signals, the long-dormant army of machines buried beneath Venosa stirring from centuries of silence.
Marco stood at his side, awe and fear mingling in his expression. Lucino knelt beside the unconscious Savio, trying to stabilize him with the limited medkit they had.
Franko (softly):
"They're waking up. Thousands of them..."
Marco (serious):
"Then we need to give them a reason to fight."
The Crown's connection to Franko was overwhelming at first. His mind was suddenly aware of countless nodes—energy lines, command sequences, and memories not his own. In a flash, he saw glimpses of a war long forgotten. Images of machines clashing in the skies, cities burning, and something worse—something hidden.
He fell to one knee, groaning under the mental pressure.
Lucino (rushing to him):
"Franko!"
Franko (struggling):
"I'm fine... it's just... it's showing me everything."
A sudden surge of energy pulsed through the chamber. The ground cracked as massive iron platforms rose from beneath the floor, revealing towering figures—robots of ancient design, covered in dust and rust, but very much alive.
Each one bore the insignia of the Crown—an obsidian circle etched with crimson lines.
Marco (eyes wide):
"The Royal Guard..."
One of them stepped forward, scanning Franko. Its voice echoed like thunder.
Royal Sentinel:
"Crown-Bearer. Command received. Awaiting protocol."
Franko took a deep breath. His mind was clear now. The pain had lessened. The Crown wasn't trying to control him—it was offering itself to him, like a loyal beast waiting for direction.
Franko (steady):
"Prepare for war. Our target is Napol."
The Royal Guard bowed in mechanical unison.
Royal Sentinel:
"As you command."
---
Meanwhile: Irena and Caros
Above ground, the rest of the group regrouped in an old bunker just west of the Spire. Irena patched up her arm while Caros scanned the horizon with old binoculars.
Irena (grumbling):
"Tell me Savio didn't just betray us for fun."
Caros (grim):
"No... something took him. Zacrota tech. Neural override systems—very rare, very illegal. You don't come back from that easily."
Irena:
"You sound like you've seen it before."
Caros didn't answer immediately.
Caros:
"Let's just say I've lost people to it."
There was a pause.
Irena:
"And if we can't bring him back?"
Caros looked down. His fingers tightened on the grip of his weapon.
Caros:
"Then we end his suffering."
Before Irena could respond, a signal flared from their comms unit.
Lucino (voice):
"Franko has the Crown. The army is awake. We're moving."
Irena's eyes lit up.
Irena:
"About damn time."
---
Back in the Spire: The Strategy
Hours passed. The team had relocated to an ancient war room hidden beneath the Spire—once used by the original defenders of Venosa during the Old Tech War. Maps flickered on broken screens, and a long oval table was covered in schematics.
Franko stood at the head, flanked by Marco, Lucino, Caros, and Irena. The Royal Guard waited silently nearby, like giant statues ready to march.
Savio lay unconscious on a makeshift bed in the corner, occasionally twitching as if locked in some inner struggle.
Franko:
"We have to assume Napol knows we've activated the Crown. He'll move fast."
Marco:
"Zacrota has central control hubs in five cities across Venosa. If we take them, we isolate their network. But Napol... he's not bound to that."
Lucino:
"He's rogue, but he's still using Zacrota's systems. That means he's vulnerable to our command codes—if we can find them."
Irena:
"We don't have time to play hacker. We need a strike team."
Franko pointed at the map.
Franko:
"We split. Marco and I take the northern hub in Thalvar. Caros and Irena hit the eastern relay. Lucino stays here with Savio—and the Crown army."
Caros raised an eyebrow.
Caros:
"Wait, you're leaving the Crown here?"
Franko nodded.
Franko:
"I can't risk losing it in the field. Lucino knows how to protect it. And if we fall—he'll know what to do."
There was silence. Then Marco stepped forward.
Marco:
"Alright, Crown-Bearer. Let's raise hell."