Chapter 29 Corpsehaven's Judgement

• The main gates creaked open, their heavy metal groaning as if protesting the movement. The sound vibrated ominously through the dead city, a low hum beneath the chaotic chatter of the crowd. They pushed and shouted over one another, their voices rising into a cacophony of desperation. As the first few attempted to force their way into the cradle that had opened, they were stopped abruptly—a shimmering rune formation burst to life. A straight line of inscribed bricks behind the gates glowed faintly, inert until unauthorized contact was made, now radiating vibrant energy that repelled them like an invisible wall.
• Guards assigned to duty strode through the distraught crowd. Their presence silenced the mass momentarily, confusion dimming the noise. One of the guards scanned the haggard faces before pointing decisively. “You, you over there, and you with the hat, follow me,” he ordered, his voice cutting through the tension.
• “I can’t go with you without my family,” the engineer protested, gesturing to an elderly woman and two young girls clinging to her skirts.