Chapter 2: The Nightmare
In the city below...
The inhabitants had gathered in emergency shelters. Surveillance drones filmed the scene in real-time, projecting red alerts onto buildings. Transportation had halted. Children cried, and parents tried to calm them. The authorities’ loudspeakers repeated the instructions: "Fissure detected – Immediate evacuation – Threat level unknown."
In the center of the square, a heavy silence preceded the horror.
The fissure widened further. Two legs emerged. Black, smooth, oozing with organic matter. A massive torso followed, covered in red eyes, all moving, observing in every direction. Two maws opened, drooling black liquid. Four tentacles burst from its back, ending in sharp blades vibrating with instability.
The colossus stood several hundred meters tall.
Nadir squinted.
—"Level 4."
It would be a tough fight. But he had seen worse. He had killed hundreds of level fives. But he hoped there weren’t any of that level in the fissure yet.
He lowered his spear. His energy concentrated in his armor. He would strike first.
A shrill alarm split the air, followed by the sudden appearance of a shock squad.
The Hearts of the Universal Guardian materialized in a flash of white light, landing in perfect formation on the trembling ground of Kepler 23b5. Each was equipped with synthetic armor, ionic halberds, and support drones. They formed the tactical shield of the galactic organization, the first line of defense for a planet. But that day, their bravery weighed nothing against the power of this nightmare.