Silvia’s POV

  The air grew thick with dust as Silvia and her team descended into the underground tunnels. The remnants of Titan’s retreating forces had left behind the scent of burned metal and scorched earth. Every footstep echoed against the metallic walls, the only illumination coming from the emergency lights flickering along the ceiling.

  Dragon walked beside her, his golden eyes scanning their surroundings. "Something doesn’t feel right."

  Silvia adjusted her grip on her weapon. "That’s because it isn’t. They didn’t just retreat. They’re leading us into something."

  Garrik’s voice came through the comms. "Scanners are picking up movement ahead. Multiple heat signatures."

  Silvia halted the group, raising her hand for silence. In the distance, a low, guttural growl reverberated through the tunnels. Not human.

  Tarren pulled out her rifle, aiming down the narrow corridor. "Great. More surprises."

  A series of heavy thuds echoed, shaking the ground beneath them. Silvia narrowed her eyes. That wasn’t a normal Titan war machine.

  "We move in carefully," she said. "We’re in their territory now."

  The Ambush

  They hadn’t gone more than a hundred yards before the walls themselves seemed to come alive. Panels slid open, revealing hidden alcoves where monstrous figures lurked—not Titan soldiers, but something else.

  Silvia barely had time to react before a creature lunged, its black, sinewy body stretching unnaturally, its glowing red eyes locked onto her. She blasted fire from her palms, but the creature twisted in the air, dodging her flames with impossible speed.

  Dragon reacted first, shifting mid-air, his claws raking across the creature’s chest. It let out a shriek but barely staggered.

  "It’s not just them!" Garrik shouted, firing at more creatures emerging from the tunnels. "Titan’s been keeping something else down here!"

  The realization settled like ice in Silvia’s veins. These weren’t Titan’s reinforcements. They were something older. Something forgotten.

  The battle intensified, but as Silvia fought, she noticed something strange—the creatures weren’t attacking blindly. They were protecting something. Every time one of them fell, the others moved to close ranks, as if shielding a deeper part of the tunnels.

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  Dragon seemed to notice it too. He glanced at Silvia, his expression sharp. "They’re not just defending themselves. They’re guarding something important."

  "Then we need to find out what it is," Silvia replied, throwing another blast of fire at an advancing creature.

  Revelations in the Dark

  The battle raged in the narrow corridors, explosions lighting up the tunnel system as the resistance fought against the creatures. The walls groaned, the underground structure barely holding together from the sheer force of the fight.

  Silvia threw out another blast of fire, searing one of the creatures as it lunged at her. The scent of burned flesh filled the tunnel, but the thing kept coming. It wasn’t just strong—it was resilient.

  Tarren’s voice cut through the noise. "Commander! We found something! You need to see this!"

  Silvia exchanged a look with Dragon before pushing through the battlefield toward Tarren’s position. When she arrived, she found herself standing before a massive door—one that bore symbols she had never seen before. The surface was covered in ancient carvings, their glow pulsating like a heartbeat.

  Dragon’s expression darkened. "That’s not Titan tech."

  Silvia’s pulse quickened. Then what is it?

  She reached out, pressing a hand against the door. Instantly, the symbols began to glow, ancient energy pulsing beneath her fingertips. The creatures behind them let out a collective screech, retreating into the shadows as if in fear.

  Garrik stared. "What did you just do?"

  Silvia swallowed hard. "I think we just found what Titan was really hiding."

  The door rumbled, shifting as it slowly began to open, revealing an abyss of darkness beyond.

  A gust of air rushed past them, carrying with it the scent of something untouched for centuries. The tunnel walls vibrated, and a deep, resonating hum filled the space. It was as if the very ground was alive.

  Dragon tensed beside her. "Whatever’s in there… we’re not going to like it."

  The others gathered behind Silvia, their weapons raised as the darkness beyond the door revealed its secrets. Towering structures loomed in the distance, their metallic forms shimmering in the dim light of the cavern. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like the fangs of a massive beast, dripping condensation onto the stone floor below.

  It wasn’t just a tunnel—it was an entire underground city, hidden beneath the battlefield.

  Tarren whistled low. "What the hell is this place?"

  Garrik shook his head. "Titan’s been hiding this? For how long?"

  Silvia stepped forward cautiously, her senses on high alert. The cavern stretched endlessly, massive bridges connecting platforms built into the walls. Strange, flickering blue lights hovered in the air, as if they were being watched.

  Dragon exhaled sharply. "This isn’t Titan’s. It’s older than them."

  Silvia felt the weight of history pressing in around her. Titan had been here, yes—but they hadn’t built this place. They had simply taken it for themselves. And now, she feared, they had awakened something that should have remained undisturbed.

  "Spread out," Silvia ordered. "Find out what Titan was doing down here."

  As her team moved cautiously into the underground city, a deep, guttural voice rumbled from the darkness ahead.

  "You should not have come here."

  Silvia’s blood ran cold. They were not alone.

  She raised her weapon, but Dragon stepped in front of her protectively. The darkness shifted, and massive figures emerged from the shadows—tall, armored beings unlike anything they had ever encountered before.

  Dragon’s claws flexed. "I hate being right."

  The leader of the figures stepped forward, his piercing gaze locking onto Silvia. "Turn back now, or face annihilation."

  Silvia held her ground. "We’re not leaving."

  The being exhaled slowly, almost regretfully. "Then you have chosen death."

  And with that, the cavern erupted into chaos.