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The Humble Flute and the Emerald Throne / Chapter 14 / 15

Chapter 14 - The Breach at the Sluice

"Stop right there, Corin," Anya's voice rang out through the damp corridor, sharp and unwavering.

Corin spun around, his face slick with sweat, a manic grin twisting his scarred features. "Ah, the queen of the gutters! Just in time to witness the undoing of your precious peace. You thought you could just sweep away the old order with a pretty tune and some sunshine?"

"You're fracturing the structural seals of the entire lower ring," Anya said, taking a measured step forward, her bare feet making no sound on the cold iron grating. "If that bulkhead breaks, the pressure will flood the residential tiers with centuries of toxic runoff."

"Let it flood!" Corin laughed hysterically, pressing the dark crystal deeper into the fissure. The purple light flared blindingly, and with a deafening screech of stressed metal, the ancient iron bulkhead began to warp outward, deep cracks spider-webbing across the surrounding stone. "If I can't rule Oakhaven, no one will!"

A massive shockwave of compressed air blasted down the corridor, knocking Martha off her feet. Anya reacted instantly, lifting the wooden flute to her lips.

This time, there was no hesitation. The moment the mouthpiece touched her lips, the amber light transformed into a brilliant, solid sheet of emerald energy that swept forward like a tidal wave. The wave slammed into Corin and his mercenaries, lifting them off their feet and pinning them harmlessly against the distant damp wall, disarming them instantly.

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But the damage to the bulkhead was already done. With a final, thunderous roar, the center of the iron door blew inward, and a torrent of dark, glowing purple mist billowed out from the abyss beyond, hissing as it made contact with the air.

From the darkness of the breach, a pair of enormous, luminous eyes opened—ancient, hungry, and entirely devoid of reason.

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