Chapter 24 · Iron God Falls

"Get your hands off me, you idiot!" Lyra’s voice was a jagged rasp, barely audible over the screech of twisting metal.

Darek didn't let go. He had her pinned against a buckled bulkhead, his mechanical arm humming with a violent, erratic frequency. He could feel her pulse hammering against his forearm—fast, terrified, and stubborn.

"Stay down," Darek snapped, his voice strained. "Unless you want to be a grease stain on the floor."

Above them, the Titan roared. It wasn't a sound—it was a vibration that rattled teeth and shook the very marrow of their bones. The massive machine, a nightmare of brass and forbidden aether, lurched forward, its foot crushing a support pillar like it was a soda can.

"I can still fight," Lyra spat, trying to shove him away. Her armor was cracked, a jagged line of crimson leaking from her shoulder. "I'm not some damsel in a scrap heap. Let me up!"

"You can't even stand straight, Lyra!" Darek yelled back, his eyes darting to the ceiling. The Titan's core was glowing a sickly, pulsing violet. "Look up. The feedback loop is hitting critical. If I don't rip that core out now, this whole sector becomes a crater."