"I've got you," Alvian murmured, his eyes fixed on the holographic display showing the city's structural integrity. "Hold on."
With a cataclysmic groan of tearing stone and snapping ancient roots, Azureus ripped free from the bedrock.
The launch was brutal. The massive displacement of water created a localized maelstrom beneath the city, a swirling vortex of mud and shattered coral. The city didn't just float; it shot upward. The anti-gravity repulsors roared to life, a deep, mechanical thrum that vibrated in the teeth of every citizen aboard.
Alvian walked, Valeria still tucked securely against his side, toward the grand balcony. The others scrambled to follow, drawn by the impossible spectacle unfolding outside.
