The sky didn’t just get dark—it disappeared.
Inside the silver tower, June felt a chill run right through the metal floor. Being the “heart” of the engine meant she didn’t just see the danger, she felt it. Like a thousand needles poking her all at once. Her golden wires started flickering, fast and uneven.
“They’re here,” June whispered. Her voice didn’t come from her mouth. It echoed from the speakers in the walls, crackled through radios on the streets, even slipped quietly into the minds of everyone in the flying city.
“Who’s here?” Dante shouted. He rushed to the giant glass window, grabbing the silver ledge so hard his metal fingers turned white.
Out there, the stars were vanishing. Huge black shapes—bigger than cities—slipped in from deep space. They looked like oil spreading on
