​The final elevator felt different.

​There were no more ear-piercing metal screeches or violent jerks on the cables. There was only a soft hiss—Ssshhh—like the breath of a sleeping giant, accompanied by a cold chill that slowly seeped into the cabin. As they plunged deeper, the temperature plummeted; from the searing heat of The Core to a cold that pierced through to the very marrow of their bones.

​"Hmm, from a fiery hell to a polar ice cap," Arvid murmured. He removed his fogged glasses and wiped the lenses with the edge of a dry part of his shirt. Sret... sret. "They did this on purpose. Stasis procedures require sub-zero temperatures."

​Rianor stood stiffly in front of the door, his fingers resting on the elevator wall whose surface was changing color—from pitch black to a frozen, bluish white. "We’ve passed everything. Juggernauts, Annihilators, even the Hive Mind. If Legion Prime is the pinnacle... he must be far more than just a pile of bolts and circuits."

​"He is their final prayer," Arvid replied softly. "Elias said Orion was the one who led the front lines against Satan. He was the one who endured until the very end."

​"And he is the one who has been rotting in solitude the longest," Rianor added bitterly.

​The elevator stopped. There was no jolt. The doors slid open silently, as if this place truly did not wish to be disturbed by anyone.

​The Vault.

​The room was not just vast; it was a grand cathedral built specifically to hide a forgotten god. The walls soared so high that the lights from their combat helmets seemed swallowed by the darkness. White metal panels lined the walls, glowing dimly with the remnants of nearly extinguished energy. The air here felt heavy, not with dust, but with an absolute silence.

​And in the center of the room, kneeling inside a stasis pool whose surface was beginning to crystallize, stood Legion Prime.

​He stood twenty meters tall. His body was humanoid, but with intimidating proportions—an incredibly broad chest and powerful, long arms. Adamantite armor plating covered his entire body, interspersed with glowing blue lines that pulsed very slowly, like a heartbeat nearing its stop. His head was bowed forward, as if reciting an eternal prayer. In the center of his chest, a large indicator light blinked sluggishly. Blue... dim... blue... dim.

​Rianor stepped forward. His footsteps echoed softly on the frozen floor. Tick... tick. He had seen many war machines in his life, but this was different. This wasn’t just a weapon. This was a monument of frozen sorrow, a rage kept tightly sealed in ice.

​"Orion..." he whispered, his breath clouding in the cold air.

​Arvid stood beside him, his fingers trembling as he operated the crystal tablet near the stasis pool’s control panel. "The system is still breathing, Rianor. Stasis is still holding him, but his energy reserves are at a critical point. There might... only be enough for one last awakening."

​"How long has he been frozen here?"

​Arvid calculated quickly, his brow furrowing. "If Elias’s data is accurate... thousands of years. Perhaps longer than the age of our current civilization."

​"What? And he’s still alive?" Rianor’s eyes widened.

​"Stasis suppresses metabolism to zero. But..." Arvid swallowed hard. Gulp. "No machine was designed to last this long. He is dying in his sleep."

​Rianor stared at the blue light on the robot’s chest. "He’s waiting. For thousands of years... he’s been waiting for someone to knock on his door."

​Rianor took out the access code from Elias. "Arvid. Open the stasis hatch."

​Arvid hesitated for a moment. "Rianor, if he wakes up in an uncontrollable state like that Annihilator earlier—"

​"He won’t." Rianor stared intensely into Legion Prime’s dark sensor eyes. "Elias trusted him. Orion was their leader. If there is one soul who deserves a chance to speak... it is him."

​Arvid nodded, then pressed the sequence of codes on the panel. Pip... pip... click!

​The lights along the walls of The Vault flickered on simultaneously, moving in a grand domino effect. The stasis pool before them vibrated. The thick fluid inside began to melt, draining through floor channels with a gurgling gruuuk... gruuuk sound. Thick white steam instantly billowed, wrapping Legion Prime’s body in a mystical fog.

​The light on his chest blinked rapidly. Blue. Blue. Blue.

​Then suddenly—a deep, piercing red.

​"He’s awake," Arvid hissed, taking a step back.

​Legion Prime moved.

​His movements were not stiff. They were fluid, flowing like water despite his thousand-ton weight. His head rose slowly. Two large sensors behind his faceplate ignited with a piercing, pale blue light. His massive hands moved upward, his iron fingers clenching into fists that made a metallic grinding sound—Krieeet.

​And from within the cockpit, a voice echoed through the external speakers. Raspy, broken, like a voice from beyond the grave.

​"Who... dares disturb my slumber?"

​Rianor took one step forward, challenging the giant’s presence. "My name is Rianor Sudrath. From Northreach. We have come seeking the truth about Project Legion."

​Silence followed. Legion Prime froze. Then the voice returned, this time with a heart-wrenching tone of confusion.

​"Project Legion... it has been so long since I heard that name. Tell me... how long have I slept?"

​"Thousands of years," Arvid replied, his voice trembling slightly. "The world you knew... has long since been razed to the ground."

​"...Razed?"

​"We found this city. The laboratories. The Core. We met Elias before he passed."

​Upon hearing that name, Legion Prime’s shoulders tensed. "Elias... he was still breathing when you arrived?"

​"He just left. He was the one who gave us the code to wake you."

​Silence fell once more, heavier than before. The light on the robot’s chest flickered erratically.

​Rianor did not flinch. "We came without drawing our swords. We do not attack unless forced. We listened to Elias’s story; we closed his eyes with respect. We are here because we want the world to know your sacrifice."

​Orion was silent. Slowly, his giant hand slammed into the floor—CRASH!—creating a vibration that made Arvid’s legs weak. The robot leaned forward, staring down at the tiny humans below.

​"I am... Orion. Pilot of Legion Prime. Butcher of Satan’s army." His voice shook violently. "The war... is it finally over?"

​"The war against Satan ended long ago," Rianor answered. "You were the victor. You were the one who sealed the south. But..."

​"But what?!"

​Rianor took a deep breath. "After that victory... you were betrayed. Every race turned to attack you. They slaughtered the scientists, the engineers... everyone in this facility."

​Legion Prime’s body shuddered violently. His hand resting on the floor gripped the metal until it crumpled. "We... were betrayed?"

​"The women and children who survived fled to the north."

​Silence. Then Orion’s voice broke. Overflowing with a surge of agony.

​"So... after all we surrendered... after we drove back that darkness... after we saved their lives..."

​Inside the cockpit, Orion wept. His voice was no longer that of a soldier, but of a broken man. "They repaid us... with a dagger in our backs?"

​The indicator light on the robot’s chest turned a blazing red. Ferocious.

​"THEY... THEY BETRAYED US!" Orion roared.

​Legion Prime rose fully, towering high and challenging the ceiling of The Vault. His arms swung wildly, striking the floor near the infantry line, sending shards of ice flying. Thorne shouted orders, his troops scattering in panic. Riven was ready to ignite his mechanical axe, but Rianor shouted loudly.

​"Do not attack! No one fire!"

​"He’s going to kill us, Lord Rianor!" Thorne screamed frantically.

​"He isn’t attacking us! He is breaking down!"

​Rianor ran toward the giant’s leg. He saw it—the emergency hatch behind the thigh armor. "Arvid! With me! We have to get inside!"

​They climbed with great effort, avoiding the jolts of the rampaging robot’s body. Rianor pulled the manual hatch lever—Click!—and the door opened.

​Inside the cramped cockpit, amidst billows of steam and wildly flashing red light, sat an old man. His body was fused to the machine via thousands of artificial nerves. His hands gripped the control levers so tightly his knuckles were white, and his face was wet with tears.

​"Orion," Rianor called out softly.

​Orion turned slowly. His red-rimmed eyes stared at Rianor with a vacant gaze. "Why didn’t you run? I could have crushed you..."

​"Because you aren’t a killer." Rianor stepped closer, ignoring the electrical sparks around him. "I am here to tell you... your struggle was not in vain. We are here because your history will not die."

​"Vain! Everything was in vain!" Orion pointed at the monitor displaying recordings of the past massacre. "Look at them! They killed my friends while we were celebrating our victory!"

​"That was their sin, Orion. Not yours."

​Rianor touched Orion’s trembling shoulder. "You aren’t alone anymore. We are here. We will take your story to the surface. We will ensure the entire world knows that you are heroes who were betrayed."

​Orion froze. His ragged breathing slowly began to stabilize. His grip on the control levers loosened. "Are you... are you serious?"

​"I swear it on my life."

​Orion stared at Rianor for a long time, searching for honesty in the young man’s eyes. Finally, he closed his eyes tightly. "Thank you... Thank you for coming. I... I am so very tired, lad."

​Legion Prime stopped its rampage. Its hands lowered slowly, and the giant robot returned to a kneeling position—a solemn posture of prayer. Its indicator light dimmed back to blue.

​"I can go now," Orion whispered. His finger pressed a red button on the control panel—the total shutdown button he had guarded for thousands of years. "I always hoped... someone would come before my power ran out."

​A small smile played on his pale lips. "You came just in time."

​Click.

​Legion Prime let out its final breath—a long hiss from a system shutting down permanently. The lights went out. Silence once again enveloped The Vault. Orion leaned back in his pilot seat, his eyes closed in peace.

​Rianor stood in the darkness of the cockpit. "He has gone home," he whispered.

​They emerged from the giant body. Below, Thorne and the others waited in silence, staring at the metal monument that was now truly mute.

​"We have all the answers," Rianor said, looking at his companions. "Now... let us take this truth home."