18

The growl came again—a low, guttural sound that reverberated through the cavern walls like the growl of some monstrous, unseen beast. It sent shivers down Zara’s spine, every nerve in her body screaming at her to run. She tightened her grip on the rifle, her pulse thrumming wildly in her ears.

Atlas stood beside her, unflinching. His broad shoulders squared as he turned toward the tunnel from where the sound emerged, his glowing silver-blue eyes narrowing like a predator sizing up a threat. Even with his frame battered—one arm hanging limp and sparks dancing from the torn seams of his synthetic skin—he looked ready to fight the entire world if he had to.

Zara swallowed hard. “Atlas,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “What is that?”

“Something worse,” he said softly, though his tone was as sharp as ever. He stepped in front of her, his towering frame casting a shadow over her.

The ground vibrated beneath their feet as the sound grew louder, heavier, as if something massive was moving toward them. The distant glow of Torrak soldiers’ red eyes began to blur as another light emerged—something darker, something wrong. It wasn’t the dull red of the soldiers or the faint blue hum of machinery. This was a sickly, pulsating green, and it filled the tunnel like a living thing.

“Stay close to me,” Atlas said again, but this time his voice wasn’t calm—it was quiet, almost cautious.

The light grew brighter, the growl turning into a thunderous roar that sent dust raining from the ceiling. Zara’s heart hammered as a hulking figure stepped into view. It was a Torrak soldier—no, something more. Its body was larger, almost grotesque in scale, its limbs twisted and bristling with grotesque weaponry that hummed with energy. Green light poured from its chest cavity, where a pulsating core glowed like a beating heart. Its head turned, its eyes—sharper, brighter, wrong—locking onto them.

Zara’s stomach turned to ice. “What is that?”

“An Alpha,” Atlas said, his voice clipped. “Their elite. Faster, stronger, smarter.”

Her breath hitched. “How do we stop it?”

“We don’t,” he said, taking a step forward, his entire body tense. “We survive it.”

The Alpha lunged forward, moving with horrifying speed for something its size. Atlas reacted instantly, shoving Zara back as he launched himself at the creature. The collision was thunderous, shaking the cavern walls as Atlas’s body slammed into the Alpha’s torso. Sparks erupted as the two titans collided, their limbs tangling in a blur of motion and violence.

“Atlas!” Zara screamed, stumbling back as the ground quaked beneath her.

Atlas twisted, his good arm slamming into the Alpha’s side with enough force to dent the metal plating. The creature staggered but recovered quickly, its massive clawed arm sweeping toward Atlas in a brutal arc. He barely ducked in time, but the claws caught the edge of his shoulder, tearing another jagged gash in his synthetic skin. Sparks hissed as Atlas staggered back, his face twisting in pain.

Zara’s chest constricted. She raised her rifle, aiming for the Alpha’s exposed core. Her finger hovered on the trigger as the creature turned, its glowing green eyes locking onto her.

It sees me.

“Zara, no!” Atlas shouted, but she was already firing.

The pulse shot struck the Alpha’s chest, sending ripples of energy across its armored form. It roared, the sound so loud it rattled her bones, but the shot didn’t penetrate. Instead, the creature turned on her fully, its eyes blazing with rage.

“Oh, hell,” she breathed, stumbling back as the Alpha charged.

Atlas moved faster than she thought possible. In an instant, he was there, his massive frame blocking her as the Alpha’s clawed arm swung. The blow hit him square in the chest, sending him flying backward into the cavern wall. The impact cracked the stone, dust and debris raining down as Atlas collapsed to the ground.

“Atlas!” Zara screamed, her voice cracking as she ran to him.

He was trying to rise, his right hand bracing against the ground as sparks flickered from the gash in his torso. His glowing eyes flickered faintly, their once-steady light dimming.

“You have to run,” he said, his voice strained but firm.

“I’m not leaving you!” she shouted, dropping to her knees beside him. “Not now. Not ever.”

His gaze found hers, softening despite the pain etched across his features. “Zara—”

“No!” she cut him off, grabbing his face between her hands. Her fingers brushed against the cool synthetic skin of his jaw, trembling as tears blurred her vision. “You don’t get to give up. Not now. You promised me.”

His eyes searched hers, something raw and unspoken flickering in their silver-blue glow.

“You are worth fighting for,” he whispered.

Her heart ached, every beat a painful thud in her chest. “Then fight, Atlas,” she said, her voice shaking. “Fight with me.”

The Alpha let out another roar, advancing on them with heavy, earth-shaking steps. Zara’s head snapped up, her pulse spiking as she turned to face it. The creature’s pulsating core glowed brighter now, the energy building like a ticking bomb.

Atlas pushed himself upright, his frame trembling under the effort. “Zara, listen to me,” he said, his voice sharper now. “You need to aim for the core. I’ll distract it.”

“You can’t even stand!” she shouted, her voice laced with desperation.

“I can stand long enough,” he replied, his gaze steady.

Her throat tightened as she looked at him—really looked at him. His battered body was a ruin, his synthetic skin torn in too many places to count. But his eyes... His eyes burned with a strength that made her believe him.

“Promise me you won’t let it kill you,” she whispered.

“I’ll do what I must,” he said, his voice soft.

It wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it was the only one he could give.

The Alpha lunged forward.

Atlas moved with a burst of speed, charging straight at the creature despite his damaged frame. He collided with the Alpha’s legs, knocking it off balance and forcing its attention away from Zara. She didn’t hesitate.

Zara raised her rifle, every ounce of focus narrowing to a single point: the creature’s glowing core. Her breath steadied as she aimed, her finger tightening on the trigger.

“Come on,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

Atlas roared as he drove his fist into the Alpha’s side, forcing it to stumble and exposing its chest to her. The glow of the core pulsed brighter, the energy building to an unstable crescendo.

“Now, Zara!” Atlas shouted.

She fired.

The pulse shot struck the core dead center, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. The Alpha’s roar turned into a guttural scream as its core exploded, green light spilling outward like a shockwave. Zara threw herself to the ground as the force of the blast rocked the cavern, sending debris raining from above.

When the dust settled, the cavern was silent. Zara coughed, pushing herself upright as her vision cleared. The Alpha was gone, its body a smoldering ruin.

“Atlas?” she called, her voice trembling.

She turned, her breath catching as she saw him. He was slumped against the far wall, his head bowed and his glowing eyes flickering faintly.

“Atlas!”

She ran to him, dropping to her knees as she grabbed his face in her hands. His eyes opened slowly, their silver-blue glow dim but still alive.

“You did it,” she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

He smiled faintly, his voice barely audible. “We did it.”

Her chest ached as she leaned closer, pressing her forehead to his. “Don’t you dare leave me,” she whispered.

“I’m still here,” he replied, his voice soft. “For you, always.”