The darkness was quiet.
It wasn't the stillness of death, nor the silence of sleep. It was deeper—like time itself had been locked away. In that black, ageless void, a faint hum began to echo. Soft, Mechanical, Rhythmic hums.
Then came the voice.
[Initialising Sovereign Protocol...][Vital Functions: 18% operational. Core Directive: Reclamation. System integrity: stable.][Reactivating... Monarch: Leonhart]
A long gasp echoed through the chamber.
Leonhart's eyes opened for the first time in centuries.
His breath caught in his throat, unfamiliar and heavy. Around him, glowing blue lines ran through the walls like veins, illuminating rusted steel apparatus and collapsed stone walls. A dim ceiling loomed above, wrapped in pipes and glyphs-part machine, part magic, forgotten by time.
His body trembled.
The last thing he remembered was fires that stretched as far as the eye could see. Betrayal from the ones he trusted the most. The kingdom he brought up from the ground, a once-thriving civilisation built by the integration of science and magic, a civilisation built upon facts and reason, screaming as gods of various factions descended and brought ruin. Machines silenced, their rhythmic hums stolen and destroyed. Hope turned into despair. Prayers turning to curses. And then—nothing. Absolute silence. The once shining beacon now snuffed out of history by those who feared what they could achieve.
Until this moment.
He pushed himself up, layers of dust breaking and dropping from his body accumulated during his slumber. Limbs creaked as. A cold hiss escaped his left arm, where bronze plates and cables had replaced flesh. A metal coil throbbed beneath his ribcage, a blue pulsing glow emanating from beneath. His heartbeat was no longer alone.
The same voice sounded again.
[Status: You are now active, Sovereign.]
[System Level: 0]
[Servants: 0 | Dominion: 0 | Faith Accumulation: 0%]
[Objective: Reclaim. Rule. Reforge the Iron Kingdom.]
His mouth was dry, but the words came with clarity.
"…The world still breathes."
He stepped out of the stasis chamber. The ground rumbled beneath him as ancient gears deep within the underground vault stirred awake for the first time in ages, its rumbling like the awakening of a slumbering titan deep and heavy.
Dust rained from the ceiling like snow, illuminated by the lights cast by the glyphs and pipes. A swarm of blue lights flickered on, bathing the massive chamber in sterile glow.
Around him were empty thrones, covered in dust. Each engraved with a name—those who had once ruled alongside him, the ones who helped shape his empire. All long gone.
He was the last.
Beyond the vault, the world had changed.
The continent of Eravandros was now ruled by factions built on magic, faith, blood, and beasts. The memory of science and machines had faded into legend—now remembered only as whispers of heresy, stories told to frighten children.
The gods who had once feared Leonhart's reign now reigned supreme, drawing strength from the prayers of empires.
But beneath that divine sky that they had created, deep in the underbelly of the world, shattered by their conflict, a forgotten king still remained, the one who witnessed their cruel manipulations, now awoken from his slumber.
Leonhart approached a central terminal, instinct guiding him more than his memory. He placed his hand on the terminal.
A glowing interface blinked to life.
[Access Granted: Sovereign Leonhart]
[System Uplink Complete.]
[Unlocking Primary Protocol: Servitude]
You gain power from loyalty. Subjects devoted to your cause fuel your strength.
[Sovereign Armament Module: 1 available unit pending activation]
This was their final accomplishment. A system made by the integration of scientific prowess and magic, capable of harnessing power just like faith into a single being.
A nearby chamber hissed open. A deep hum came from inside. A towering knight stepped forward—its body crafted of tarnished chrome, patches of its body that weren't consumed by rust reflected the surrounding light, on one arm a large arc-sabre, its body shined with a metallic sheen while the sitting edge glowing and crackling blue electricity, the other carrying a ceremonial banner etched with the sigil of a lion wrapped in clockwork.
[Unit Name: Iron Saint – Prototype]
[Status: Awakened. Loyalty: 100%]
[Function: Vanguard and Command Sync]
"My King," the Iron Saints' deep mechanical voice rumbled, dropping to one knee with a thud as the ground shook and more dust fell from the ceiling.
"You live."
Leonhart looked at him with warmth-not as a machine, but as his first subject.
"I live," he confirmed. "The world seems to have forgotten us."
The Iron Saint did not rise. "Then we will make it remember," it said still kneeling.
Leonhart placed a hand on its cold metallic shoulder. His System pulsed.
[Loyalty Bond established. Faith Conversion: 0.02%]
[Sovereign Strength: +1]
His core warmed. Not with heat, but with purpose.
In that moment, he felt the spark of something vast deep within him. Not magic. Not divine will. Command.
The Sovereign Protocol did not demand worship. It did not beg for belief or faith.
It demanded absolute command and loyalty.
No longer was he the same foolish ruler who was led by his emotions and belief and had to endure the cruel taste of betrayal. No longer was he the same benevolent king who clung to the hope that the world could co-exist even with its differences. No longer was he restrained by the benevolence and kindness he bestowed towards his enemies.
Now awoken from his slumber, with purpose and direction, he swore to move forward, determined to carve out a new beginning.
He would use the same power that terrified the other factions so much that it led them to join forces to eradicate his kingdom and wipe its knowledge from history. The power that could analyse, assimilate and improve the powers of the other factions.The power of science.
As the ancient vault doors groaned open, spilling light into the forgotten depths lost to time, Leonhart stepped forward with his previous pride and elegance of an emperor of a civilisation.
One king.One soldier.One directive.
The Age of Machines had ended long ago, their history erased due to fear of their potential, the fear of what they were capable of achieving.
But now, from this day forth, it would begin again. He would rewrite history and remind them of what they desperately tried to hide.
The world of magic, faith and bloodlines would soon hear the sound of the rumbles of machines and clicks of gears that could change fate itself.