The world did not remain silent after the fall of Raegon. As the sun set over the smoldering ruins of the Warlord's fortress, a new storm was brewing—one that threatened to consume not just the wasteland but the remnants of humanity's future. Deep within the underground laboratory, the shadowy figure observed the preparations.

Rows of dormant machines—ancient, towering war machines from the Pre-Collapse Era—stood in perfect formation. Their eyes, glowing faintly with the same eerie light as Raegon's dark energy, flickered to life one by one. In front of them, a control panel hummed with power, monitored by the figure whose plans were finally falling into place.

"Activate the Leviathans," the figure commanded, their voice resonating with cold authority.

In an instant, the machines began to move, their mechanical limbs awakening with creaks and groans as if they had been asleep for millennia. The wasteland was about to face a new kind of war, and not even Ryzen Ashura could predict what was coming.

The Fortress of Ashes

Ryzen, Kael, and Lyra stood outside the smoldering remains of Raegon's fortress. The air was still thick with ash, and the distant rumbling of the volcano beneath their feet sent occasional tremors through the ground. Victory over Raegon had come at a high cost—his forces were scattered, but far from defeated.

"We need to keep moving," Kael said, scanning the horizon with his keen eyes. "Raegon's defeat will throw the factions into chaos, but we both know there are others waiting to take his place."

Ryzen nodded, his mind still heavy with the weight of his battle against the Warlord. He could feel Sundrake at his side, its energy still humming from the power it had unleashed in the final moments of the fight. But something else was gnawing at him—an unsettling feeling that the victory was too easy, too straightforward. Raegon had been strong, yes, but the whispers of an even darker force had followed them since the battle in the Necropolis.

"There's something bigger going on," Ryzen muttered, his gaze distant. "Raegon was just a pawn. Someone—or something—is pulling the strings."

Lyra, crouching near a broken panel in the fortress wall, was busy extracting data from Raegon's systems. "Whatever it is, we'll need more than just brute force. There's tech here I haven't seen before—ancient tech. If we can understand it, maybe we can stop what's coming."