The faint hum of Sophie’s tablet illuminated the group’s exhausted faces as they trudged through the narrow maintenance tunnel. The air was damp and thick with the scent of mildew, a stark contrast to the fiery inferno they’d narrowly escaped. Every step felt heavy, every breath a struggle as they carried the weight of Margaret and Anthony’s sacrifice on their shoulders.
Lex led the way, her crossbow clutched tightly in her trembling hands. Her face, streaked with soot and sweat, was unreadable, but her sharp eyes flicked to every shadow and corner. Behind her, Damien followed, his machete hanging limply at his side. Maya walked closely with Elliot, her arm wrapped protectively around the boy’s shoulders. His tear-streaked face was buried against her side, his small hands still clutching his father’s pocketknife.
Brandon brought up the rear, rifle ready but his eyes distant, hollow. Sophie stumbled slightly as she walked, her tablet flickering in her trembling hands.
The tunnel vibrated faintly beneath their feet, the sound of deep, thunderous footsteps reverberating through the stone walls. Thud… thud… thud… Each tremor rattled dust loose from the cracked ceiling above them.
“It’s… right above us,” Sophie said softly, her voice trembling as she studied her screen. “Whatever it is… it’s enormous.”
Lex paused, turning back to face the group. “We’re heading straight into its path. We need to find an exit and get higher ground.”
“No arguments here,” Damien muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
The tunnel ahead opened into a vast atrium, and as the group stepped into the space, they froze.
Above them, moonlight streamed through shattered glass skylights, illuminating the ruin of what had once been a grand shopping plaza. The marble floor was cracked and uneven, littered with debris and shattered statues. Crumpled kiosks and abandoned storefronts loomed on either side, their hollow windows staring back like empty eyes.
But the silence was broken by a sound that made every breath catch in their throats—a deep, guttural growl, so low it felt like it was vibrating in their bones.
The Titan had arrived.
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The atrium trembled violently as the Titan pulled itself into view from a collapsed section of the mall’s structure. Its grotesque form was illuminated by the pale moonlight—massive and misshapen, with decaying flesh stretched over armored joints. Its hollow, glowing eyes scanned the open space, and with each massive breath, its chest cavity expanded and contracted like the bellows of an ancient forge.
“Get back,” Lex whispered, motioning for the team to hide behind an overturned kiosk.
The Titan let out a low, guttural roar, and the sheer force of the sound caused glass fragments to rattle and fall from above. It stepped forward, each footfall shattering tiles and sending dust clouds into the air.
“It’s… like a walking fortress,” Damien said, his voice trembling as he clutched his machete.
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Sophie huddled behind Brandon, her tablet flickering with chaotic lines of data. “It’s scanning. It’s looking for something.”
“Or someone,” Lex said darkly, her eyes narrowing.
The group held their breath as the Titan’s massive head swiveled slightly, its glowing eyes passing over their hiding spot. For a brief moment, it paused—almost as if it could sense them—but then it turned away, letting out another deep, echoing growl.
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The silence was shattered by an eerie, distorted laughter crackling through the atrium’s PA system.
"Oh, isn’t this a lovely reunion?"
Lex’s blood ran cold.
The speaker crackled again, the voice unmistakable—it was the Pyromancer.
"Did you think fire was the only trick up my sleeve? Did you think death would be enough to stop me? Oh, little rats… I’m still watching you."
Sophie’s tablet buzzed violently in her hands as distorted data filled the screen. “This… this isn’t right. The Pyromancer—he’s dead. He has to be dead.”
“Then why is his voice still here?” Maya asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Before anyone could answer, the Titan’s head snapped upward, its glowing eyes locking onto one of the massive PA speakers mounted high above the atrium. With a heavy grunt, the Titan raised one colossal hand and smashed it into the wall, destroying the speaker in a shower of sparks and rubble.
The group froze, staring in disbelief.
“It… it reacted to the sound,” Sophie said softly.
Lex’s mind raced. “The Hive Mind. It’s connected to the sound. Maybe… maybe the Titan’s still under its control. It’s reacting to commands.”
“But if the Pyromancer is really gone… then who’s giving those commands?” Brandon asked.
No one had an answer.
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The Titan let out another deep roar, turning its massive body toward the center of the atrium. Its heavy footfalls cracked tiles and shattered pillars as it moved with slow, deliberate purpose.
“We have to move,” Lex said sharply. “Now!”
The team broke cover and sprinted across the atrium. The Titan’s head turned sharply, its glowing eyes locking onto the group as they scattered like ants across the ruins.
Its massive hand swung downward, narrowly missing Damien and Brandon as they dove behind a broken fountain. The impact shattered the stone, sending chunks of debris flying in all directions.
Sophie stumbled, and Lex grabbed her by the arm, pulling her upright as they dashed for the far side of the atrium. Maya kept Elliot close, her face tight with fear and determination.
The Titan’s movements were slow but relentless. Its heavy arms swung in wide arcs, each strike capable of reducing entire structures to rubble.
“We can’t keep running!” Damien shouted over the chaos.
Lex scanned the area desperately. Her eyes locked onto a partially collapsed second-floor balcony, its supports buckling but still standing.
“There!” she shouted. “Up the balcony—go!”
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The team scrambled up a crumbling staircase, their feet slipping on debris and loose tiles. The Titan’s heavy steps followed them, shaking the ground and causing pieces of the balcony to crumble away.
Damien reached the top first, grabbing Sophie’s arm and pulling her up. Maya hoisted Elliot onto the balcony before climbing up herself. Brandon followed close behind, panting as he hauled himself over the ledge.
Lex was the last to climb, her muscles screaming with effort. The Titan reached out with one massive hand, its clawed fingers grazing the edge of the balcony just as Lex pulled herself up.
The Titan let out an ear-splitting roar, frustrated at having missed its prey.
“We can’t fight this thing head-on,” Lex said, gasping for breath. “We’ll have to use its size against it. Sophie—tell me you’ve got something on that tablet!”
Sophie’s fingers flew across the screen. “Its weak points—joints, knees, chest cavity. But we’ll need explosives, traps, something big to bring it down.”
Lex nodded. “Then we plan. And we hit it where it hurts.”
The group gathered together, their faces illuminated by Sophie’s flickering screen as the Titan’s glowing eyes scanned the ruins below.
Its guttural growl reverberated through the atrium, echoing like distant thunder.