B9C14

The CCT was a bloodbath. The metallic ramps leading up to the spiral balconies cutting around the inside perimeter of the tower dripped red, forming a pool on the bottom that our boots splashed into. Arms dangled over edges and several bodies were curled up on the floor, more hanging or slumped on the ramps themselves. Discarded weapons lay everywhere. I heard Penny's footsteps echo on metal above as the Construct charged tirelessly up the spiral ramp toward the top of the tower. I had to take a moment to catch my breath, and to get used to the nightmare scene before me.

"Oh my…" Weiss clapped a hand over her mouth and retched. The stench was as thick as the blood we waded through and reminded me immediately of Raven. It was just as bad – but it hadn't been a single person to do this.

[...]

"Mimicking-?" Weiss gasped. "You mean to say they might be using the CCT as the Mages were?"

It was the only thing I could think of and I nodded. I picked my way up the next ramp, carefully checking each of the booths that had now turned into tombs. Dead Mage after Mage lay upon them, their Sentinels defeated before each. Not a one died without someone next to them; the Sentinels defending them unto death. It reminded me of Kaedin and Viktor, the Mage and Sentinel we'd been partnered with in Atlas. Though Viktor had been the one to die, Kaedin hadn't handled it well. There didn't seem any chance of that here. No survivors as far as I could see.

A booth ahead had its Mage flung out and draped over the edge of the railing, arms and head dangling over the side precariously. Weiss' eyes narrowed and she hurried forward, the rest of us rushing after in case she needed help. The Mage wasn't in his bed, but that didn't mean the bed was empty.

A black insect-like figure lay in it instead, head toward the back wall and pale blue light flickering around its bulbous head. Long forearms tipped with scythed blades lay crossed over its chest, each as long as my arm. It didn't react to our arrival. And it wasn't dead. It would have disappeared already if it was.

[...]

Weiss stepped up onto the bed and drew Myrtenaster, taking it in two hands over the thing's chest. Pyrrha moved but I held a hand out to stop her.

"Die, you fiend!"

The rapier stabbed down, piercing through chitinous plate and gushing blackish blood onto the Mage's legs. The thing woke up immediately and hissed, lashing out with both claws. Weiss kicked one away and dragged her sword out, stabbing a second and third time to kill it, the third stab in the shoulder, pinning the other limb down so it couldn't reach her.