The air turned into a solid wall of pressure. The titan, a grotesque fusion of ancient metal and pulsing violet light, stepped forward, each footprint leaving a crater of scorched earth. Deep within its chest, the figure of Muteteri Bwire remained suspended, her eyes closed, her body serving as the organic conductor for the system’s final rage.
"She’s the battery!" Nala screamed over the roar of the wind. "Leo, the locket is drawing energy from her!"
The locket in Nala’s hands was no longer just hot; it was vibrating at a frequency that made her teeth ache. The white light within it was swirling like a miniature galaxy, hungry and unstable.
Leo scrambled to his feet, his movements still jerky from the lingering Elisha infection. He looked at the titan, then at the locket, then at Nala.
