The interior of the carriage was silent, save for the rhythmic clatter of wheels and the distant, metallic echoes of the Iron Pass. Captain Lin sat opposite Cheng and Heng, her bronze mask reflecting the flickering light of a small, chemical lantern.
"The Emperor doesn't just want your engine, Scholar," Lin said, her voice like grinding gears. "He wants the Aether-Core—the lost technology that powered the Old Dynasties. He believes you've found a way to stabilize it with steam."
Cheng didn't blink. He kept his arm firmly around Heng, feeling the Omega's steady breathing against his side. "The Aether-Core is a myth. I use physics, not magic."
"Is it a myth?" Lin leaned forward, pulling a small, glowing blue shard from her belt—a crystal identical to the ones Kael mentioned in the North. "My people found this in the wreckage of an Imperial lab. It reacts to your presence. More importantly, it reacts to him." She pointed her gloved finger at Heng.
Heng shivered, his gaze locked on the glowing shard. "It feels... warm. Like it's calling to me."
The Heartwarming Shield
Cheng's grip on Heng tightened, his Alpha pheromones flaring in a protective wave that filled the cramped carriage. He didn't care about ancient technology; he cared about the man in his arms.
"Keep that thing away from him," Cheng commanded, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. He pulled Heng closer, tucking the Omega's head under his chin. "Heng isn't a battery for your revolution or the Emperor's war."
Heng reached up, his fingers lacing through Cheng's. "I'm okay, Cheng. But if this thing is the reason they're hunting us... we need to know why."
Cheng looked down at him, his eyes softening with a fierce, heartbreaking tenderness. "I promised to build a world where you're safe. If that means tearing down the myths of the Old Dynasties, then that's what I'll do."
The Ghost in the Machine
Lin let out a short, dry laugh. "You're brave, I'll give you that. But we aren't the only ones following this carriage. The Emperor has deployed the Clockwork Sentinels—armored automatons that don't breathe, don't sleep, and don't stop. They're tracking the energy signature of that Omega."
As if on cue, a heavy thud shook the roof of the carriage. The sound of metal screeching against metal filled the air. Something was tearing through the reinforced wood from above.
"Change of plans," Lin said, drawing a jagged serrated blade. "We aren't going to the Capital anymore. We're going to the Sinking City."