Page 114 of The Hyena’s Guardian

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The chamber shook again. This time the movement did not come from below. One of the chains snapped.

The sound exploded through the throne room like artillery fire as black iron whipped violently across the abyss before disappearing into the darkness beneath the platform. The remaining chains pulled tight in response, groaning beneath the strain while cracks spread farther across the suspended bridges.

Vale raised her rifle toward the throne. “Tell me we are not out of time.”

Theron’s gaze remained fixed on the abyss below. “We are out of time.”

Another impact rolled upward through the chamber.

Then something began climbing toward them.

Matt saw movement first beneath the nearest bridge. Black mineral shifted aside as enormous claws punched into the stone wall surrounding the abyss. A second later a creature hauled itself upward into the red glow.

At first Matt thought it was another corrupted wolf. Then it kept rising. And rising.

“Oh,” Matt said. “That’s new.”

The thing dragged itself fully onto the bridge below them with horrifying slowness. It resembled a wolf only in the broadest sense now. Black mineral had fused directly into its flesh and bone until the creature looked grown from the mountain itself. Sections of its body remained partially skeletal beneath translucent skin threaded with pulsing veins of silver-blue light.

Its head lifted toward Theron rather than the armed group surrounding him.

The creature opened its mouth. “My king,” it whispered, though its gaze seemed fixed on something moving behind Theron’s eyes.

Matt felt Theron go rigid beside him.

More impacts echoed below.

Additional shapes began climbing upward from the abyss walls beneath the surrounding bridges. Larger than the creatures from before.

Their corruption looked older, fused too deeply into them to separate flesh from stone.

The throne chamber was gathering around its king.

Vale backed toward the nearest support pillar while motioning the agents into defensive positions. “We need the seal opened now.”

Theron did not move. His attention remained fixed on the creature below.

And Matt suddenly understood why. The thing was wearing armor.

Ancient black metal fused directly into ruined flesh, but still recognizable beneath the corruption. A crown symbol remained carved into one shoulder plate.

Royal guard. These had once been Theron’s people. The creature took another slow step across the bridge. “He calls for you.”

Theron’s face emptied of expression completely.

Matt moved closer beside him automatically. “Theron.”

“He remembers them,” Theron replied.

Matt frowned. “What?”

“The King.” Theron’s eyes never left the bridge below. “He kept the ones closest to him.”

The creature smiled then. Or tried to. The movement split portions of its face open along old fractures in the flesh. “He waited for you,” it whispered.

The bond surged sharply enough to make Matt’s chest hurt. Not from the creature. From Theron.