The night air was crisp as Rez and his team darted through the darkened alleys of Cloud Pass, their breaths ragged, their bodies tense with lingering adrenaline. Behind them, The Iron Tempest remained docked, its massive Etherium cannon still intact. The failed detonation gnawed at Rez’s mind like a parasite.

They reached the resistance’s underground hideout, slipping past sentries before descending into the tunnels. The flickering glow of lanterns cast long shadows against the stone walls as they stumbled into the main chamber.

Mira was already waiting, arms crossed, her expression a storm barely held in check. At her side, Eren stood silent, his sharp gaze scanning the team.

Rez barely had time to catch his breath before Mira stepped forward. “What the hell happened?”

“The charges didn’t go off,” Kellen said flatly, tossing his gloves onto a nearby crate. “And we nearly got torn apart by Foundry’s attack dog.”

Mira’s eyes snapped to Rez. “We trusted you to take that cannon out.”

Rez exhaled, running a hand through his soot-streaked hair. “I set the charges. The plan was solid. Something stopped them from detonating.”

Mira’s fists clenched. “And now the pirates still have their weapon. Do you understand what that means? That cannon gives them complete control over Cloud Pass. They could level our strongholds in minutes.”

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“I know,” Rez said, his voice firm. “And I’m going to find out why the explosives failed.”

Eren finally spoke, his voice low and measured. “You’re saying something interfered with the detonation?”

Rez nodded. “It wasn’t just a malfunction. There was something else at play.” His gaze flicked to Lyra. “We need to figure out what it was.”

Mira studied him for a long moment before shaking her head. “You have one chance to make this right,” she said, then turned on her heel and walked away.

Eren lingered for a second longer. “Don’t waste it.” Then he followed her.

Rez exhaled and turned to Lyra. “Come on. We need a workspace.”

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Deep in the hideout, Rez and Lyra cleared a makeshift table, spreading out schematics and notes. He pulled a fragment of the failed explosive from his belt pouch—a small metal device lined with alchemical compounds.

“This should’ve worked,” he muttered, frowning.

Lyra hovered her hands over the fragment, whispering an incantation. A faint pulse of energy rippled from the device, only to flicker and die. She frowned. “There’s something unnatural suppressing it.”

Rez tapped his fingers against the table. “A dampening field?”

She nodded. “I think the pirates are using corrupted Etherium to create an interference field. It’s like…a blanket that smothers magic and alchemical reactions.”

Rez cursed under his breath. “That would explain why the explosives failed.” He paced. “They must have some kind of generator on board The Iron Tempest.”

Lyra bit her lip. “If we’re going to counter it, we need something strong enough to disrupt the corrupted Etherium’s influence.”

Rez stopped pacing. “Then we make something stronger.”

A slow grin spread across Lyra’s face. “I like the way you think.”

Rez rolled up his sleeves. “Let’s get to work.”