"We got our cards, so what now?" I asked no one in particular, as I inspected the small silver ID. Honestly, it made no sense. Why were we allowed to create new cards? Wouldn't there be safeguards?
Benjamin's words only mimicked my thoughts. "Wouldn't they keep records of everyone in the city?" he asked, tapping his card against his hand. "It seems strange that the system just lets us print these without double-checking for verification. What if someone faked their way in?"
Prying her attention away from the mech, Ella thought it over. "They probably do have records, but considering the state of most of the city, I'd bet it's pretty damaged."
"True," I added, then, thinking it over, I approached the mech. "What's the state of your memory bank or whatever you use as storage?
The mech simply responded with an error.
Ella shook her head in disapproval, "You're being too broad. It's more likely it taps into a data center of some kind."
"Ok, Miss Guines, have a go at it," I retorted.
Smirking, she looked straight at the mech and asked, "What's the state of the data centers?"
The robot stayed silent for a second before responding, "Main data center 3, 4, and 6 to 10 have sustained damage, and could not retrieve info."
Giving me a victorious smirk, she turned back and probed further. "Where is the main data center one located?"
"You do not have the required clearance for this info," the mech replied.
"Who would have clearance for this information?" I cut in.
"General Samuel," the robot responded, then an error indicated it couldn't retrieve any more information.
"That didn't work," Ella muttered. "Oh, I got it. Can you show me how to use this interface on the wall and access residential information?"
The mech's voice echoed once again. "This panel is unable to access that info."
"Where would I be able to access that information?" Ella asked further.
"Sector 2, 5, 6, and 1," the mech answered.
Ella pressed on. "Can you show me a map?"
The robot hesitated, then indicated it couldn't display one itself. Instead, it directed her to a nearby console, which lit up and revealed the city's circular layout.
While she busied herself with the display, I wandered the room. Now that things were relatively safe, curiosity got the better of me. I drifted toward a small workbench cluttered with tools scattered across its surface.
Some of them looked vaguely familiar, while Others were completely alien with elongated pipes, smooth curves, and fluid, almost liquid shapes that didn't quite make sense. One in particular caught my attention. It looked like some kind of compact gun.
I picked it up and pulled the trigger.
A small spark jumped to life. I tried again, and a thin flame flickered at the tip. It reminded me of a welding torch. Then I noticed a small dial along the side. Turning it carefully, I watched in surprise as the flame condensed, shifting from red and yellow to a sharp, brilliant white. When I lowered it toward the metal tabletop, it sliced through with alarming ease.
That… was impressive.
I must've gotten a little too absorbed, because I didn't notice Henry until he stopped beside me, watching with a raised eyebrow as I unsuccessfully tried to melt my gauntlet with the torch.
At his expression, I shrugged. "Hey, I'm just testing the equipment. Besides, I bet we could sell some of this for a decent price."
He snorted. "Maybe. But I doubt we could carry it all." He glanced toward the others. "Plus, Amelia wants to head back and report something to the encampment."
"Really?" I asked, straightening. "What did they find?"
"She'll tell you," Henry said, already distracted as he picked up a similar torch and began fiddling with it himself.
So much for leaving immediately.
Still, when I finally stood up, he followed, torch in hand.
"What's happening?" I asked as we joined Amelia and Benjamin near the console, who were finishing up a copy of the layout on screen.
Without looking up, Amelia answered, "There's a protocol we can broadcast to each sector. It'll force the mechs into a dormant state for anyone without an ID. Apparently, it's a safety measure tied to system damage."
I mulled that over, and the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Without something like that, a damaged data center could've turned the mechs into indiscriminate killers.
Reluctant to leave the clean, intact space we'd found, I let out a quiet sigh. "So… when are we heading out?"
"Now," Amelia said, straightening and stretching after being hunched over the console for so long. "If this works, it could save lives."
I nodded and turned back toward the passage. Once everyone was ready, we squeezed through the narrow opening and headed toward camp, only to find it far more crowded than before. People clustered tightly between tents and equipment, forcing us to slow and shoulder our way through, trading quick murmured apologies as we passed.
Amelia and Benjamin split off, pushing toward the command tents to report to the expedition leaders, while the rest of us followed Ella back toward her workshop.
As we edged past one of the larger tents, voices drifted out through the open flap.
"…I still think drilling is a dumb idea. I mean, what if—"
The rest was lost as Ella ducked inside, and I followed without comment.
Inside, Emily was crouched among scattered tools and half-broken contraptions, packing the more intact pieces into her bag. She looked up as we entered, brushing dust from her hands.
"You're back," she said with a faint smile. "How'd it go?"
Ella opened her mouth to answer—
When the ground lurched violently.
The makeshift workshop rattled as tools clattered to the floor, the canvas above us groaning as poles bent under the strain.
"Out!" I shouted, and we rushed outside.
The entire camp was in motion now, people stumbling from tents, wide-eyed and alarmed. But my gaze snapped to the far end of the cavern where the colossal gate stood.
Its massive doors, long sealed, were shifting. Dust billowed in thick clouds as the hinges groaned, stone and metal grinding in a deafening roar. The corpse of the abomination slumped against the doors was shoved aside, its bulk rolling limply to the floor.
"Gods…" Henry whispered.
Ahead of us, Amelia, Benjamin, and Thorian burst out from the command tent just as the quake deepened. I sprinted to Amelia's side, my stomach knotting as the gate's doors creaked wider.
The sound was all-consuming, an ancient grinding that echoed throughout the entire cavern. All around us, soldiers and explorers scrambled, shouting orders, and forming loose lines.
Thorian leapt onto a hovering platform, his voice carrying like a thunderclap. "Everyone, battle formations! Now!"
Rough lines began to form as everyone struggled to regroup amid the chaos. Voices overlapped, and weapons were drawn as the expeditionary force snapped into position.
I barely noticed.
My eyes were locked on the gate and the space beyond it. The abyss yawned open, concealing anything beyond in an oppressive darkness, but as I stared, a cold certainty settled deep in my chest.
Something was watching from within.
Then, the voice.
"Breach detected. Initiating protocol one point two."
The mechanical monotone reverberated through the chamber, its origin unclear, yet it seemed to come from everywhere at once.
And then the darkness began to recede, revealing the colossal entity hidden within. First, a massive tentacle-like leg emerged from the shadows, each of its segmented parts gleaming with a dull, metallic sheen. The joints whirred as it slammed into the city floor with tremendous force, causing the ground to quake beneath our feet.
Frantic mutterings of despair filled the air as another massive leg emerged from the shadows, the ground trembling beneath the weight of the colossal machine. Each deliberate step struck the cavern floor like a hammer, reverberating through the city with bone-shaking force.
My gaze locked onto the unfolding scene, heart pounding as the whole body of the mechanical titan slowly came into view. Focusing, I activated my identifying, and the name appeared clearly in my mind:
Terravault Enclave Class 10 Protector.
Standing before us was a behemoth of metal and raw power, its towering form clad in impenetrable armor. The sheer bulk of its torso resembled that of a battleship, its surface lined with dense plating that seemed impervious to any weaponry we could muster. But what truly froze my breath was the massive cannon mounted on its back. The barrel alone was wider than a building, and it stretched upward like a tower, its dark, hollow maw pointed ominously toward the sky.
"How... how are we supposed to fight that?" Emily whispered, her voice brittle and small.
I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came.
I didn't have an answer.
Then Ella staggered.
She took a sharp step back, her face draining of color. A violent tremble rippled through her body, and without warning, she dropped to her knees and vomited onto the ground, retching hard.
"Ella!" Amelia shouted.
But before anyone could move, Ella's head snapped up.
And within her eyes, a strange glimmer flashed over them, settling behind her pupils. She stared at the mech with a look that went far beyond fear. It was absolute horror.
Then, in an almost pleading voice, she spoke.
"w-We can't stay here," she gasped, her voice raw and desperate. "That thing... It's going to kill us if we don't move.
The sheer panic in her voice sounded so genuine, it sent a chill up my spine, and when she pointed forward and muttered to run.
Amelia didn't hesitate. She grabbed Ella's arm, lifting her to her feet.
"Move! Now!" she shouted.
That was all we needed.
We ran with all the strength we could muster.
Then it happened.
A high-pitched hum cut through the air, vibrating through our bones before the sound turned into something worse—a screech of gathering energy that cracked the air itself.
Looking up, I hadn't even realized that canon had changed positions before it fired.
A deafening roar tore through the chamber as a blinding lance of energy erupted from the mech's back. It tore overhead in an instant, a beam of impossible scale that split the darkness apart like a god's blade.
Then came the shockwave.
It hit us like a wall of solid force.
The blast hurled us forward, ripping the ground from under our feet as it launched us like a bunch of broken dolls, into and through debris.
Until finally I slammed hard into unyielding stone, the air ripped from my lungs in a single, stunned gasp as I crumpled against it.
My mind went blank for a heartbeat before a deep, numbing pain crashed through me, rattling my whole body. Oh…that hurt. I coughed, feeling like I'd just been hit by a bus.
Struggling to pry myself up from the ground, I spared a glance backwards.
Around us, the world exploded.
Another beam ripped through a line of defensive platforms as if they were paper. I caught a glimpse–just a glimpse–of people caught in its path, their shields igniting like flash paper before their bodies vanished in a blaze of light. There was no time for them to scream before they were gone.
The cavern shook as if it were coming down.
Somewhere in my mind, I saw it again, that creature we'd passed near the gate. The one with its upper body missing. And suddenly, I knew.
It had been erased…by this.
Nothing we had would have lasted more than a heartbeat.
Then Thorian's voice cut through the chaos like a blade:
"Scatter!"
In sheer panic, people dispersed in different directions as an intense beam of scorching heat swept over us, striking a group of adventurers making their way to the city's exit. Helplessly, we watched as their protective shields were instantly obliterated by the beam, leaving behind nothing but molten slag.
Shakaly, I pushed myself to my feet and took in the state of everyone around me. The rest of us were bloody and bruised but mostly fine. Then my eyes caught sight of something that would have been hilarious if not for the situation.
Henry was face-first in a pile of debris, his legs kicking wildly, trying to free himself.
Stumbling, I heard his panicked mumbling from within. Then, with a deep breath, I grabbed his legs and pulled. With some shifting rubble, he popped out, and we fell to our backs, where he sat there gasping for air.
Before my mind could process his state, a massive explosion rocked the underground city once more, only intensifying the ringing in my ears. And then I felt hands grab me, and Henry, pulling us to our feet.
"We have to go!" Ella pleaded, pulling at my arm, in the direction of the giant door
Before I could even think about following her that way, something in the sky caught my attention.
In a surreal moment, the very air seemed to vibrate, and an immense metal spike hurtled toward the mech. Astonishingly, the machine vibrated in response, allowing the metal spike to pass through harmlessly, leaving the mechanized guardian unscathed.
"Did you see that?" Henry shouted, his voice shaky with utter astonishment.
"Get up now!!" Amelia shouted, dragging Henry to his feet, then pulled him toward where Ella wanted us to go.
Stumbling forward, I became mesmerized by the sight before me
The sounds of spellcasting filled the air as mages attempted to assail the mech. Spells of varying sizes and intensities surged towards the guardian, only to be met by a shimmering shield activating upon contact.
Ella's urgent voice cut through the chaos, "This way!"
Shaking out of my daze, I looked up, "Where are we going?"
"Just trust me!" she pleaded, and together, we all raced towards the massive doors leading to the tunnel from which the mech had emerged. The dark expanse of the tunnel swallowed us as we pushed forward, away from the mechanical monstrosity.
Suddenly, an alarm blared through the underground city, a shrill warning that made the stone walls vibrate.
"What the hell is that?" Henry shouted, his voice edged with raw terror that made me whip around on instinct.
The air itself split open high above the city. A jagged rift tore across the fabric of space, spilling out grotesque shapes that clawed and writhed their way into the world. They looked like the mummified corpses we'd passed in the streets, only animated and pouring out in an endless tide.
For a moment, I couldn't move. Dread locked me in place as the nightmares advanced, in their endless swarm. Then a deep rumble rolled through the tunnels, shaking the ground like an approaching stampede.
Amelia's eyes widened, searching the shadows. "What now?!"
I squinted into the darkness and saw light. Dozens, then hundreds of flickering beams. "Mechs!" I shouted, realization snapping me back. "They're coming this way!"
"Run!" Benjamin shouted, but for a split second, we froze, caught between two nightmares. The abominations poured in from one side, the machines thundered in from the other. Nowhere looked safe.
"Which way?!" Amelia hissed, eyes darting wildly.
For a heartbeat too long, we hesitated, then I caught sight of a narrow crevice, a pillar of stone jutting out of the ground to form a sliver of cover along the cavern wall. "There!" I shouted, and we bolted for it.
We sprinted to the side, pressing ourselves against the stone as the first wave of mechs thundered past. Their massive frames blurred by so close I felt the air ripple with each stride. They didn't stop. They didn't even look at us. They hurled themselves into the horde, colliding with the abominations in a crash of steel and shrieking flesh.
The cavern became a battlefield, a storm of screeches, gunfire, and tearing steel that drowned out everything else.
And beneath it all, the ground shuddered again as the colossal gate began to close.
In the middle of the chaos, with steel clashing and abominations shrieking, I should have been overwhelmed. Yet a faint chattering sound cut through it all, sharp and rhythmic, like teeth clicking inside my skull.
My eyes locked on something near the base of the massive door. Small. Almost insignificant. And still, it pulled all of my focus. While the world was tearing itself apart, that figure held me captive.
Its body was indistinct, blurred by the smoke and distance, but its face… its face was fixed in a grotesque smile. A grin fused with a pale mask stretched in a way no human expression should be.
I couldn't look away. My heart pounded, not from the battle but from that thing, staring back at me.
And then, before I could even process what I was seeing, the colossal doors groaned shut, cutting it off and sealing away the outside world.
I stood frozen, my body trembling at the image of that mask, until I turned slowly to Ella. A question burning within my mind.
"We need to stay here. It's the only way we'll survive," Ella asserted before i could ask.
I stared at her, struggling to comprehend the whirlwind of events that had just unfolded, as the rumbling ceased, sealing off the tunnel from the relentless onslaught outside.
Rebecca
"Run!" David's voice ripped through the chaos, but it barely registered as the world exploded with light. A massive beam obliterated the group of people ahead, their screams a chilling echo that lingered even as they vanished. The searing light left nothing but a smoldering hole, molten earth marking the spot where they had stood just moments before. The sight burned itself into my mind, a terrible brand of helplessness and horror.
My body refused to move, frozen in the moment, until Nick grabbed my arm. Desperately pulling me forward. He was yelling something, but his words were lost in the cacophony all around us, as he practically dragged me away.
My legs faltered before finally obeying, dragging me forward even as my thoughts spun out of control.
I risked another glance back. The mech loomed above the city like a living apocalypse, its frame glowing with unnatural energy. With a low, thrumming whine, it released another beam. The air itself seemed to split as the blast cut across the skyline, carving through towers as if they were nothing but paper.
The shockwave rolled over us, rattling my bones. Ahead, one of the gutted buildings groaned, a skyscraper torn open by the blast. A massive portion of it began to shear away, the entire top section tilting, breaking free.
My breath caught. The shadow of falling debris swallowed the street. The avalanche of steel and concrete roared down toward us.
We're not going to make it.
"Go! Keep moving!" David barked. His voice was iron, cutting through my panic. He thrust his hand forward, and the air warped, bending violently under his will.
A ripple of distorted gravity tore through the street, the collapsing building grinding to a halt mid-fall. Fragments the size of carriages still plummeted, smashing into the ground around us with bone-rattling force, sending dust and shards flying. But the largest section hung above, trembling in defiance of gravity, suspended by David's power.
The broken structure groaned, straining against David's hold, but it was enough to carve a narrow, dangerous path through the destruction.
"Move!" Nick shouted, shoving me ahead.
We slipped through the passage. Before the crowd pressed forward in a panicked surge, bodies shoving and stumbling, all fighting for the same fleeting chance at safety.
"Matthew! Lauren!" I screamed, twisting back, searching desperately as Panic clawed at my chest when I couldn't see them.
"Wait for me!" Matthew's voice broke through the chaos. I spotted him struggling to push through the mob, Lauren just behind, her pale face streaked with terror as she tried to keep up.
Then the world ignited.
A deafening hum built into a roar as another beam of light carved through the air.
"No!" The scream tore from my throat a split second before the shockwave hit. The blast ripped the ground apart, hurling me backward. I slammed into the dirt, the breath driven from my lungs as molten debris and shattered stone rained down in a torrent of fire and ash.
"Get down!" David bellowed. He threw himself forward, arms stretched forward as a barrier flared into existence around us.
For a few terrifying seconds, we were pelted from all sides. Stone and slag slammed into the shield in rapid succession, each hit shuddering through it and into my bones. I curled in on myself, hands over my head, ears ringing as sparks and fragments skittered past.
Then it stopped, and what was left was almost worse.
Dust drifted through the air as the barrier faded. I tried to step forward and nearly fell, my legs shaky beneath me. I caught myself with a sharp breath, coughing as the smoke burned my lungs.
Yet my gaze snapped ahead, fixing on the heap of molten rubble where Matthew and Lauren had been only moments before.
I screamed their names as I stumbled forward, clawing at the glowing wreckage with bare, trembling hands. Heat seared my skin, the air itself blistering, but I couldn't stop. They had to be there. They had to be alive.
"Rebecca, stop!" David shouted, his strong arms locking around me before I could burn myself alive. I thrashed against him, reaching helplessly for the wreckage.
"They're gone!" His voice was steady, but I saw the pain in his eyes. His grip tightened, holding me back, forcing me away. "We have to go!"
"No!" I screamed, kicking, sobbing, my tears mixing with ash on my face. My strength collapsed beneath the weight of it all, and my knees buckled. David held me as I crumpled against him, my body wracked with grief.
They're gone. They're really gone.
David didn't falter. He held me tightly, his breath uneven as he tried to steady us both. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "But we can't stay here. If we do, we'll die."
Sobs wracked my body as despair overtook me, but David didn't let go. He tightened his hold, his urgency overriding the sorrow that mirrored my own. Behind us, the mech's mechanical whirring grew louder, its glowing eyes scanning for its next target. Another deafening blast cut through the chaos, followed by the agonized screams of another group of adventurers caught in its path.
Nick stumbled forward, his voice panicked. "We have to move!" His hand reached out to me, trembling as he tried to pull me back into the present.
David nodded grimly, his resolve hardening. Without a word, he hoisted me onto one shoulder and grabbed Nick with his other arm, effortlessly lifting him as well. "Hold on!" he barked, his tone sharp as he shifted his stance.
Michael followed suit, hoisting Daniel as they shot forward.
"Well, make it," David said firmly, his voice steady despite the chaos. His eyes locked on the path ahead, his determination cutting through the suffocating despair.
His words felt distant, almost hollow, as my thoughts spiraled. But they were ripped away when a sudden tremor rippled through the air. I froze, my gaze snapping upward to a thin, jagged line splitting the sky. The crack expanded unnaturally, warping the air around it as if reality itself were being torn apart. At its center, an immense rift tore open, radiating an all-consuming void whose cold sent chills down my spine.
From the gaping wound in the sky, a horde of monstrosities spilled forth. Their grotesque forms writhed as they descended, each one more horrifying than the last. A low, otherworldly screech accompanied their arrival, piercing through the blaring alarms that suddenly erupted throughout the city.
"Holy sh—!" Nick's voice broke, his wide-eyed stare fixed on the chaos unfolding above.
My grief twisted into raw horror as the first monstrosity landed with a deafening thud, its spear-like limb impaling a fleeing adventurer in one swift, brutal motion. Blood sprayed as the creature hurled its prey aside like a discarded doll. More monstrosities followed, surging out of the rift like a nightmare given life.
David cast a grim glance over his shoulder, which quickly shifted to horror. "Move faster!" he snapped at Michael, his voice barely concealing the fear clawing at him.
Michael nodded, his jaw clenched as a bright green glow surged around him. His body swelled rapidly, muscles bulging and skin stretching until he towered over us, five times his usual size. The ground groaned beneath the sudden weight.
Without hesitation, he scooped up David and the rest of us, one massive arm locking us tight against his chest. I barely had time to register the shift before David's magic flared.
The world let go.
The crushing pull of gravity vanished, replaced by a dizzying, unnatural lightness, like my body had forgotten how much it was supposed to weigh. In the same instant, Michael launched himself forward.
The leap was violent.
The ground detonated beneath us as we were hurled skyward, not arcing but flying, wind tearing past so hard it stole my breath. Buildings dropped away in a blur of stone and shadow as we soared far above the ruined city, clearing rooftops in seconds.
The massive gate rushed beneath us, its broken frame shrinking to nothing as we shot over it. Beyond, a vast graveyard of shattered mechs stretched out below, twisted metal hulks scattered across the landscape like the remains of fallen titans. We crossed it in a heartbeat.
The speed was overwhelming. My vision blurred, ears ringing as the air screamed around us, the force of the jump pressing everything tight despite David's spell keeping us impossibly light.
Then the tunnel entrance loomed ahead, growing fast.
Michael adjusted midair with terrifying precision, angling his descent as we hurtled toward it, the city finally falling away behind us.
We landed with a bone-jarring thud at the tunnel's entrance, the ground shuddering beneath Michael's massive weight. As we tumbled free from his grip, Michael's form vibrated and shifted, shrinking back to his normal size. He collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving with labored breaths that echoed in the sudden, eerie silence.
I staggered to my feet, my legs trembling as I turned to look back. My stomach churned at the sight behind us. Thousands of mechanical mechs poured into the city, their massive frames glinting with cold, unfeeling metal. The colossal doors of the underground city groaned as they began to close, sealing off the horror within.
The scene was chaos incarnate. The mechs tore through everything in their path, whether it be humans or even the nightmarish creatures from the rift. The battlefield was a massacre, an unstoppable tide of destruction that consumed everything.
"This is madness," I whispered, my voice a trembling mess that could barely be heard over the distant screams and roars of people and monsters alike.
David's voice cut sharply through the chaos. "We need to go. Now!" His tone left no room for argument, as it was the only thing keeping us grounded amidst the terror.
Above us, Thorian flew on a hovering metal disk, a group of about twenty or so adventurers clinging desperately to similar disks behind him. His voice rang out over the din, urgent and cold. "There's no one left to save down there!"
His words struck me like a hammer as I desperately searched the people he had brought, my eyes darting from face to face. My heart pounded, dread building with every passing moment. Atlas—no, his entire team was nowhere to be found.
The realization hit me like a blow to the chest. My knees buckled, and I sank to the ground, sobs tearing from my throat. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the dust and ash that clung to my skin. I couldn't stop shaking, my breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. I brought them here. I brought them here to die. I—
Hands grabbed me before I could fold in on myself completely.
David didn't say a word as he scooped me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest. The sudden lift stole what little breath I had left, but there was no resistance left in me to give.
He turned and ran.
The tunnels blurred as he moved, stone walls streaking past while his footsteps thundered through the passage. The air rushed over us, carrying the distant echoes of chaos behind us as he pushed deeper into the dark, holding me tight as if letting go wasn't an option.
The blinding light of the twin suns pierced through the darkness as we neared the exit, illuminating the horrors behind us. But there was no time to look back. We ran, every step fueled by desperation and survival. The anguished cries and chaos of the city echoed in our minds, the nightmare clinging to us like a shadow.
We didn't stop. We couldn't stop. The pain, the guilt, the unbearable weight of loss would follow us, but for now, survival was all that mattered. Together, we fled into the light, leaving the ruins and the dead behind.