The buzzing of the airship took away Ember's ability to think, a metallic hum vibrating through the metal. Like a heart beating behind the walls. The electromagnetic coils became almost deafening with each rotation. All mixed with the chatter of her fellow cadets. Sitting in the back row, her gloved hands in her lap, she tried to calm her own heartbeat with her breathing. Just as Lightara had taught her over the past month. She took slow, deep breaths, her diaphragm contracting to draw air into her lungs.

The seat sucked her in like a vacuum cleaner. Its ergonomic structure had taken her shape as soon as she sat down. It felt like she was in a protective cocoon designed to absorb even the most intense vibrations. Getting back up was not going to be easy.

She could feel her heart slowing down little by little until it stabilized. With a sigh, Ember ran a hand through her hair, pulled it back, and focused on the rest of her team.

The low-frequency electroluminescent tubes on the ceiling cast a bluish light on the cadets' faces. They highlighted every sign of fatigue, every flaw in their skin.

Mark was as far away from her as possible, with his reinforced uniform and confident grin on his face. "I was the one who found the ancient Ysnian technological weapon," he boasted, and the others around him nodded enthusiastically.

Jason didn't, he stood with his arms folded and his eyes lost in the void. He made a small snort with the side of his mouth at Mark's words, but did not interrupt him. Perhaps his friend was taking credit where none was due?

Since that day in the dorm, Ember had felt a mixture of fascination, hatred, and fear for Jason. She never missed an opportunity to watch him from a distance. She had learned to recognize the boy's gestures, the way he pulled back in his chair or seat and detached himself from the conversation when he had nothing to add, the way the corners of his lips turned up when he tried to hide irritation, or the way he constantly puffed his hair out of his eyes. But through it all, he had never shown any signs of having anything else on his mind besides classes, training, and that idiot Mark.

The dark metallic walls of the airship vibrated with each turn. Ember ran her tongue between her lips and averted her attention before anyone noticed her staring at Jason. All she needed was for Ciel to find her and start making idiotic comments.

Lightara sat opposite her, next to General Phoenix. She had a watchful gaze, scanning the cadets as if studying them. Ember found herself smiling.

"General, what is the purpose of this mission?" Armand asked, a cadet with a square jaw and close-cropped blond hair.

Phoenix revived right away. He thrived on the attention of his cadets, so Lightara always said with a half snort. "Remember the weapon we found from the Ysnians?"

"The one in the ruins?" Oscar asked, a dark-skinned cadet. Originally from the Alyandra Islands, he was more muscular than the Valestrians. Over time, Ember had noticed Ciel whistling around him. Oscar had to be the boy from the woods, the one Ciel had decided to avoid since that day because she was too embarrassed.

When she had shared the theory with Viola, Viola had agreed.

"The one I found, yes," Mark said in triumph.

Lightara rolled her eyes. Ember bit her lip to hold back a smile. When the Sergeant met her gaze, she shook her head in silent reproach; it would have been more effective had it not been for the hint of a smile on her face.

Phoenix slapped his palms on his knees. "Exactly that. Well, after much experimentation, we've figured out what its function is and how to use it."

Ciel, sitting between Ember and Viola, crossed her legs. "And what would that be, General?"

Phoenix raised his finger, his lips parted, ready to speak. But seconds passed, and he seemed frozen in that fragment of time. Finally, he cleared his throat. "Ferun, your turn."

Lightara raised her fingers to her forehead. "Don't tell me you forgot again."

"I haven't forgotten. It's just that it's one thing to know and another to explain. You know I'm not the explaining type. I'm an action hero, you know." He winked at his subordinates.

The cadets laughed. Ember merely smiled, but her attention was drawn more to Lightara's exasperated expression. She could almost hear her complaining in a grumpy tone about her colleague's lack of seriousness.

"Niaran, the Ysnian city also known as 'the city of two worlds,' is almost entirely ours." Lightara's voice rang out, deep and calm, bringing an atmosphere of attention. Ember noticed a holographic map of the city scrolling across the main table. "Our mission today is a takeover: we need to clear out the last remaining Ysnian machines and make sure there are no enemy soldiers lurking. Magic receivers have already been placed around, apparently needed for the new weapon to work."

Ember listened in silence. Ciel nudged her elbow to get her attention; she said nothing, just gave a mischievous smile.

Ember turned the back of her head the other way to hide the blush on her cheeks; Ciel enjoyed catching her 'heart-eyed staring at the Sergeant' every time. Something that was happening more and more, unfortunately.

Hope Lightara didn't notice or you're in trouble.

Of course she noticed. You look like a mullet in love every time you look at her.

"The main purpose," the Sergeant continued, "is to test the weapon and clear the city of enemies. The provisional name of the weapon is Destroyer," and here she turned to cast a fierce look at Phoenix, who chuckled.

"My bad. It sounded like a tough name to me."

Lightara made no comment. "The Destroyer is a device that combines mechanics with ancient Ysnian magic. It is capable of creating fields that slow down enemy movement, thanks to receivers placed around the city. If it works, defeating the last machines should be a piece of cake."

"And it's all thanks to me!" Mark puffed out his chest. He was like a peacock, always ready to turn on his ass and show off the wide variety of colors in his tail. Too bad he only made a fool of himself.

The rest of the journey was uneventful. Ember kept quiet most of the time. She would occasionally intervene in the skirmishes between Ciel and Viola - Ember had quickly learned to play the role of the middle, the glue that tried to appease the two warring parties without taking sides. Most of all, she often sought Lightara's attention, even if unconsciously. And when the Sergeant addressed her with a stunted half-smile or a nod, Ember's heart took flight.

When the airship landed, with a din that drowned out all other noise, they all rose from their seats to retrieve their weapons and stream out.

The city of Niaran was built on the side of a mountain range. From the beginning, Ember had been enchanted by the tall, slender iron towers that stood in the center of the city; azure gleams adorned their facades. Huge eyes watched the citizens, ready to judge or strike. They reminded her of the Vylian. Suspended bridges connected the towers, almost creating a floating world of its own.

Signs of war, however, were not lacking. Some buildings were collapsed or damaged. Plumes of smoke rose from one point. Ember leaned out of a balustrade of rock and iron. Niaran's main square was huge, square-shaped, at the lowest point of the city. Smoke came from there.

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Lightara rested her hands on the balustrade beside her. "This should be an easy mission," she said in a low voice. She pointed the deep blue of her eyes at Ember. "But be careful. Always be ready to contact me if anything happens," she pointed to the bracelet on the girl's wrist, "and keep an eye on Jason."

"Do you still think he could be dangerous?"

"I don't know, but if in doubt, be careful."

The rest of the cadets gathered near a large machine. It looked like a coil encased in a glass capsule. It was turned off. Phoenix and a private whose name Ember didn't know caught everyone's attention with a show of hands. Lightara joined them, while Ember slipped among her comrades. Ciel and Viola greeted her with a hand on her back as soon as they saw her approach.

The soldier had an ugly scar running down the left side of his head. No hair grew there anymore. In his hands he held a small mechanical device that shone a blue light like the ones on the towers.

"So this little guy is the Destroyer," Phoenix said. He patted the soldier on the shoulder. "Yirul, what's the situation here?"

"We have eliminated most of the threats, sir. Only the last few machines remain, mostly scattered in the underground labyrinths." The soldier paused before continuing. "The only real threat is the Kravyrian."

"The what?" muttered Ciel.

"I have no idea, but the name doesn't sound friendly," Viola replied.

"I'm pretty sure that name is code for 'you're going to get your ass kicked,'" Ember said. The other two giggled.

Phoenix nodded, a hand on his chin. "That shouldn't be a problem. With the Destroyer, it should be a little lamb, right?"

The soldier shrugged. He had the air of someone who had long since lost the energy to show emotion. Would Ember and all the others be like that? "In theory."

"No more wasting time then."

At Phoenix's command, Yirul turned his back on the cadets and faced the square. He pressed something on the Destroyer, some keys, and let the beep of each interaction ring through the air. When the object began to vibrate strongly, Yirul gripped it more tightly.

A few moments later, the coil inside the glass began to pulsate. A living, blue energy drove it. The coil began to spin on itself, suspended in the glass. Ember felt a wave of heat wash over her bones.

"Theoretically, the machines should be weaker now," Yirul said.

"Is that all?" Ciel scratched the back of her head. "And I was hoping for some more fireworks or something."

Viola patted her head to shut her up. Ember just smiled.

They waited a few seconds while Yirul talked to someone through a bracelet. It was like Ember's and Lightara's. Ember turned her attention to the gray sky. Although it was still daylight, the sun was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds.

Yirul turned to mutter something to the General. Lightara brought her head closer to eavesdrop. Ember and the cadets stood motionless, waiting to understand what was happening.

Their time had come, had it not?

"What do you mean the machines have become more aggressive?" Phoenix blurted out.

A hubbub of voices immediately arose. The cadets muttered to each other. Armand went pale while Mark clenched his fists at his sides. Jason seemed impassive, only lowering his gaze to his hand, as if looking for an explanation in his own palm. Ciel and Viola went crazy, tugging at each other's arms, their eyes shining with fear.

Ember ignored them as they tried to call out to her. She kept her gaze locked with Lightara's.

They spoke to each other without words.

There was the rumble of thunder without lightning. It was enough to silence the cadets. Yirul looked up just as another thunderclap ripped through the air.

And then the roar turned into a deafening din. A huge skein of metal approached. Spikes appeared first, black silhouettes against the gray sky. A promise of pain and agony. Clouds of smoke accompanied a huge mass of iron, two bright red dots piercing the mist. Two mechanical eyes, watching for prey.

Despite its size, the monster was quick. It charged at them before anyone had time to realize what was happening. Ember felt her muscles tense and her heart pound in her temples as she came face to face with the gaping jaws of that machine: the substitute of a mouth, with metal fangs big enough to crush a train car.

"What the fuck is that?"

"Help, we're dead!"

"Move!"

The cadets yelled in panic. Ember felt Ciel and Viola grab her by the shoulders and drag her away.

A low hiss went through the machine. The first shot went off. The roar shook the ground. Oscar fell to the ground. Armand tried to grab his arm and pull him up. He managed to push Oscar up at the last second, but an iron spike landed before Armand could get out of the way.

It crushed him underneath. A splash of blood reached Ember's shoes. The rest of Armand was scattered among splatters and pieces of mangled brains or fingers.

All hell broke loose.

The other cadets screamed, breaking ranks to run for cover. Lightara and Phoenix drew their swords and stood shield-like in front of the metal creature.

"The Kravyrian," Phoenix hissed through clenched teeth. "Shouldn't it have been weakened?"

"It was a trap," Lightara said.

The Ysnians had wanted them to find the Destroyer. They had led the Valestrian army to believe that its function was to weaken the magic that drove the machines, when its true effect was the opposite. It was making them stronger and more aggressive.

But how had the Valestrians switched the two functions?

Ember searched for the figure of Jason. She found him crouched behind a crate of supplies, along with Mark.

The Kravyrian moved, its armored wheels squeaking on the ground. It let out a mighty yell, and thunder ripped through the sky.

"We have to retreat!" Lightara shouted. "It's too dangerous for the cadets."

Phoenix shook his head. "There is no need. You and I will take care of the behemoth." He turned to the cadets. "You guys do a search of the city for magical receivers and destroy them!"

He's crazy.

Ember drew her sword and rolled the metal cube between her fingers. Lumen awoke with a hum of wings.

The others prepared to follow orders. No one dared look at the spike anchored in the ground, surrounded by Armand's blood. All that remained of their comrade were scattered fragments. Any of them could have met the same end.

You will die next.

The Kravyrian moved again. It shot three spikes from its back. But instead of falling to the ground, they flew towards the buildings around them. They exploded in a cloud of dust. The debris came down in a concentrated avalanche.

But the explosion had not been random.

Lightara and Phoenix were caught in the middle. They both raised their electromagnetic shields, but the debris dragged them over the balustrade. Down, down, toward the plaza and beyond.

Ember ran to the edge of the road. "Sarge!" her cry rang out in unison with Mark's, calling for the General. She felt tears fill her eyes, blurring her vision.

Please. Please tell me they are alive.

But she couldn't wait for a sign.

The Kravyrian thundered again, ready to strike. Ember clutched the hilt of her sword so hard it hurt. She didn't care. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and whispered, "Sarge, are you there?" near her bracelet. She got no answer.

They were alone.

Mark screamed, his face turning purple. He drew his sword in front of him. "Bring it on, you son of a bitch!"

Despite her hatred for him, Ember recognized in him an uncommon tenacity and courage. She closed her eyes for a moment, silently praying that Lightara would be all right. Then she flanked Mark.

They were alone. But they were not going to give up.