Chapter 16: The Reckoning

The storm above the Harbor roared like a beast untethered, its winds howling through the jagged spires and fractured streets below. Lightning split the sky in violent bursts, illuminating the veins that now crisscrossed the city like living rivers. Their golden glow pulsed with an intensity that made the Harbor feel less like a place and more like a living entity, writhing and breaking free of its own restraints.

Coza stood on the edge of the ruined square, the sphere in his hand cool and still, yet it thrummed faintly, like a heartbeat lingering beneath a surface of stone. Edna was pacing a short distance away, her movements sharp and frustrated. She occasionally glanced toward the horizon, where the Titan’s hulking silhouette loomed, its tendrils of energy tearing through the skyline.

“We can’t outrun that thing,” she said finally, breaking the tense silence. Her voice carried an edge that seemed to cut through the chaos. “And we sure as hell can’t fight it.”

“Then what?” Coza asked, his words tinged with a desperation he didn’t bother to hide. “What’s the plan?”

Edna stopped pacing, her expression unreadable. “The Harbor’s systems are waking up. Whatever you triggered, it’s spiraling out of control. If we can find the source—another forge, maybe—we might be able to shut it down.”

Coza shook his head. “The last forge nearly killed me. How do we know this won’t end the same way?”

“We don’t,” Edna said flatly. “But if you don’t act, the Harbor’s done. And if it goes, it’s taking everything with it.”

The veins led them deeper into the city, their glow carving a path through the wreckage. The once-bustling streets were now eerily quiet, save for the occasional creak of collapsing structures or the distant rumble of the Titan’s steps. Coza followed Edna in silence, his mind a tangled web of doubt and fear.

The veins’ light grew brighter as they moved, casting long shadows against the cracked walls. Coza felt the sphere responding, its pulse growing stronger with each step. The sensation was unsettling, as though the artifact was guiding him, its intentions opaque but undeniable.

As they turned a corner, the street opened into a wide avenue lined with shattered storefronts and overturned vehicles. The veins here pulsed erratically, their light flickering like a failing heartbeat. In the center of the avenue, a massive fissure had torn through the ground, its edges glowing faintly.

Edna approached the fissure cautiously, her weapon raised. “This wasn’t here before.”

Coza peered into the crack, his breath catching as he saw what lay beneath. The fissure wasn’t just a break in the ground—it was a window into something far older. Beneath the surface, the veins twisted and coiled like roots, their light converging on a massive structure buried deep within the earth. Its surface gleamed faintly, etched with the same symbols he’d seen in the forge.

“It’s another nexus,” Coza said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Edna nodded, her gaze fixed on the glowing structure. “And it’s active.”

Before either of them could move, the fissure trembled. A low, guttural roar echoed from the depths, and the veins flared violently. Coza stumbled back as the ground beneath him shifted, the energy from the fissure surging upward like a geyser.

From the light, a figure emerged. It was smaller than the Titan but no less menacing—a Herald, its form fluid and jagged, its eyes glowing with an intensity that made Coza’s chest tighten. The air around it crackled with energy, and the veins beneath its feet pulsed in rhythm with its movements.

Edna fired without hesitation, her weapon’s burst striking the Herald squarely in the chest. The creature staggered but didn’t fall. Instead, it raised an arm, and a wave of golden energy surged toward them.

“Move!” Edna shouted, diving behind a fallen beam.

Coza scrambled for cover, the energy blast narrowly missing him as it struck the ground. The force of the impact sent shards of stone flying, the debris cutting shallow lines across his face. He clutched the sphere tightly, its pulse now matching the frantic beating of his heart.

The Herald advanced, its movements unnaturally smooth. Edna fired again, her shots precise but seemingly ineffective. The creature absorbed the impacts with ease, its golden veins glowing brighter with each strike.

“It’s feeding off the veins,” Edna said through gritted teeth. “We’re just making it stronger.”

Coza glanced at the sphere in his hand, its light flickering faintly. The artifact seemed to hum with energy, as though it were reacting to the Herald. An idea formed in his mind, reckless and half-formed, but it was all he had.

“I think I can stop it,” he said, his voice shaking.

Edna shot him a sharp look. “What are you talking about?”

“The sphere,” Coza said, holding it up. “It’s connected to the veins, just like the Herald. If I can channel its energy—”

“Are you insane?” Edna interrupted. “You don’t even know what that thing will do to you.”

“I don’t have to,” Coza said. “I just have to know what it’ll do to them.”

Before Edna could stop him, Coza stepped into the open, the sphere in his hand glowing brighter with each step. The Herald turned its gaze toward him, its movements halting as though it recognized the artifact. The air grew heavy, charged with a crackling energy that made Coza’s skin prickle.

The Herald raised an arm, golden energy crackling along its jagged fingers. Coza held his ground, the sphere’s glow intensifying until it matched the creature’s. The veins beneath his feet pulsed in time with the artifact, their light spreading outward in a radiant wave.

The creature hesitated, its form flickering as the sphere’s energy surged toward it. Coza felt the artifact grow hot in his hand, its hum rising to a deafening crescendo. The light engulfed him, blinding and searing, as the sphere unleashed its full power.

The Herald emitted a piercing screech, its form unraveling as the energy consumed it. Golden tendrils snaked across its body, tearing it apart piece by piece until it dissolved into a cloud of shimmering mist. The fissure beneath them flared one last time before the light faded, leaving the street eerily quiet.

Coza collapsed to his knees, the sphere cool and still in his hand. His chest heaved, his body trembling from the strain. Edna approached cautiously, her weapon still raised.

“You’re lucky that worked,” she said, her tone sharp but tinged with relief.

Coza managed a weak smile. “It wasn’t luck.”

Edna rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She offered him a hand, pulling him to his feet. The veins beneath them pulsed faintly, their light steady once more. But the storm above raged on, a reminder that their fight was far from over.

As they turned toward the distant horizon, the Titan’s silhouette loomed larger than ever, its golden tendrils carving new fissures into the Harbor’s fractured streets.