Evrin dragged himself closer to the light. He cocked his head to the side as he listened.
The explosion was bigger than he had imagined it would be. When he felt it, Evrin's first thought was relief that Killian had come this far: he'd destroyed the extraction system, and only the refinery remained. The rumble grew in intensity, becoming a series of explosions as each part of the massive system caused the next to detonate, while the ground trembled under Evrin's feet and dust rose into the air. The noise was deafening and Evrin put his hands to his ears. If the templars didn't know about Killian's intrusion before, they would now.
The barrier still held. It wouldn't be until the destruction of the refinery that the light would fade, revealing the secret chamber within.
Evrin withdrew a destructive cube from his pocket. When the device was unleashed, the magic within would feed on other magic, increasing the cube's destructive power while devouring anything it encountered that was built with essence.
The moment the barrier came down, Evrin planned to destroy the chamber at the Pinnacle. The last great project of the Evermen would remain secret for all time.
Evrin took a shaky step forward into the light, waiting for the final explosion, yet when it came the destruction of the refinery still took him by surprise. The quake threw him to his knees, the pain from his ankle shooting through his leg. Even here, at the top of the mountain, the sound of falling rock was a deafening cacophony. Evrin tried to stand but the quakes still grew in strength, and it wasn't until the shaking subsided that Evrin finally struggled to his feet.
The hemisphere of light surrounding the chamber was gone. Where it had been was a level space, and in the middle of that space stood a solitary structure, the highest building in the world.
As the ground continued to tremble, Evrin limped forward. Killian had done it, that much was clear, but whether the boy was alive and unharmed by the explosion was an unanswered question. Evrin prayed he would be well. They still had much to discuss.
The low structure had four arched entrances, one at each of the cardinal points. A myriad of symbols decorated each arch, appearing untouched by the centuries. Evrin limped forward, for the first time seeing it as a temple, with its dramatic entrances and intricate stonework. This was where the Evermen came to acknowledge their own magnificence.
The mountain rumbled again. The explosion must have been immense. How could Killian survive such a thing? With an effort, Evrin pushed thoughts of the boy out of his mind. Killian had achieved his objectives. Now Evrin needed to complete his.
He stepped into the structure. It was laid out as two concentric squares: an outer chamber where glorious artwork described the wondrous feats performed here, and an inner chamber where the actual work was done. Mosaics decorated the floor of the outer room, scenes of the Evermen working in concert, creating works of lore that none of them could ever have made on their own. The walls burst with colour: golden suns shining on green fields, silver stars sparkling from a midnight-blue sky, a tall mountain that could only be Stonewater looming over a crowd of men and women.
Evrin gripped the destructive cube tightly in his fist, surprised at his reaction after so long. Emotion gripped him, and he suddenly felt alone, more alone than he'd felt in a long time. He'd thought himself accustomed to his place in the world, but it seemed his heart knew better.
Evrin reached the inner chamber and stepped forward, his heart hammering and the pain in his ankle momentarily forgotten. Diagrams and symbols were everywhere, etched into the marble with veins of gold. Runes covered the floor and the ceiling, matrices and patterns too complex even for Evrin to grasp alone.
In the middle of the room was a raised series of steps. On the highest tier stood a pedestal, and on the pedestal lay a closed book.
Made of the same metallic fabric the Evermen used in all their works, the book was as thick as the span of a man's hand. On the cover was an androgynous figure wearing a crown, head tilted, looking up at the sky.
The skin rose on the back of Evrin's neck; the room fairly reeked with power, and even through the urgency of his task, Evrin couldn't help himself.
"Tuh-ruk. Suh-ran. Tuk-ruk Evrin Evenstar," he spoke without thinking.
The room came to life. Soft music sounded, fluting and triumphant. The runes on the walls, floor and ceiling shone in a multitude of colours. The Evermen's final plan was revealed in all its glory, and with a word or a gesture Evrin could call forth any detail, examine any aspect of the project. For a moment he was filled with awe at the magnificence of it; this was the greatest work of lore the world had ever seen.