I was writing a post about "opening the core" in the Spanish forums when I related the lore and something came to my thoughts: "What if the Core isn't an actual Tier to fight on at all?" I know that some people more knowing of the lore may already know this, but people think the game will continue in the Core, me myself thought until now that it would, but I don't see it happening anymore. Why? Well, I read again the messages from the Echo Stones and I saw why.

From Ironclaw Munitions Factory Echo Stone:
"This world was created to protect me. Vulnerable in slumber, worlds were drawn to shield me from the darkness. This world has become my prison. In his madness, the architect betrayed the pact. Twisting his creation into a game of death, it now devours all who enter its iron embrace."
This one Echo Stone holds the big spoilery content. I will explain my point of view and shorten a bit more this:

> This world was created to protect me. Vulnerable in slumber, worlds were drawn to shield me from the darkness. This world has become my prison.
The mysterious voice it is actually whoever is at the Core. The Core it is sealed, as we all know... that shield is to protect it against that darkness, the Swarm. That includes, of course, the inclusion of Almire around the Core, to protect the Core too. This voice also wants our success and it is willing to help us get off Cradle. Why?

From Royal Jelly Palace Echo Stone:
I dream... Within my dream, I see your legion, falling to this world like burning stars. You fall with purpose, burning ever brighter as you reach for the heart of this world. Hold dearly this fire in you, for darkness will consume all the night if its stars begin to fade.
And shortened:

> You fall with purpose, burning ever brighter as you reach for the heart of this world.
The entity sees us that we have a noble purpose, so it is siding with us. This means that when we meet it, we won't fight it and give us what we need to leave Cradle.

This would have been all by now, but I have more to say yet: The Alpha Squad. They went to the Core, as Vaelyn tells the team at the Core terminal saw them go there. In the Core seems that what is there is that entity (and the energy source, which could be also energy radiated by itself), so the Alpha Squad seems to be safe then. What are they doing now? Maybe training to fight the Swarm, because if not by then they would have returned to tell us all. Another choice that would explain why they haven't returned yet is that the Alpha Squad is holding the opening process of the Core through our minerals with their own energy, possibly harming them. If the Swarm were not to be defeated they would die and the Core would open, letting the darkness in and all hell would break loose as the Swarm corrupted the energy source. Which for plot purposes most likely won't happen unless OOO likes really dark stories.

This leaves the "what now?" question: The inminent danger that we know is the Swarm, which seems to be expanding its influence around the Clockworks after King Trikinzar let it free as explains clearly. We don't know if we would be able to fight the Swarm by using pure force, but we do know where the culprit about freeing the Swarm is: in the Great Colony, King Trikinzar, who to get rid of us all had freed the Swarm. I do know that the "game of death" part may refer to the Clockworks itself, but who else would do it? King Trikinzar is even refered to as "maniacal leader" in the wiki...

What most likely awaits us Knights is going to the Great Colony, as that is what the story about Emberlight tell where the Gremlins reside. They would tell us where that is and we would go to meet the Crimson Order. We don't know though if King Trikinzar returned safely after freeing the Swarm as it could have corrupted him, but that would most likely be the course of action that we would have to take at least, and trying to know more about the Swarm and how to stop it before it inmerses all the Clockworks into its darkness. Then there could be three possibilities:

1 - What may hold back the Swarm again is in the Crimson Order, we use it and get rid of its continuous expansion. The darkness at the Shadow Lairs may not expand anymore, but it is left there. Also, to hold the Swarm may require to do some "Unknown Passage" levels inside the Swarm in order to stop it.
2 - King Trikinzar isn't there nor what we need to fight the Swarm, though the Crimson Order fears about all Gremlins safety and tell us where he went, which would start another episode. They may also know or not what to do to hold the Swarm, though that in practical effects would affect little to the plot. This would mean a possible new sets of levels of the Swarm, which would end against a corrupted King Trikinzar. This would end up holding the Swarm and it wouldn't expand anymore.
3 - Twist! After defeating King Trikinzar he says he isn't responsible for the Swarm release, someone else did it and they have something required to hold the Swarm again. Cue yet another mission or chain of missions that would require us to go wherever it is needed. And as number 1, it may require also to enter the Swarm to use the item and hold the Swarm.

After this, if not another danger appears, the Core will most likely accept us and open up itself, ending our adventures in Cradle. That doesn't mean that the game would end there, though... we don't know at all what would be then next.

Yeah, I may have overthought this quite a lot, but that is what reading does, expand our imagination to crazy lengts, right? Now if I am wrong, please tell me inmediately before I go even more crazy xD