The deafening groan resonated deep within the earth, a sound that seemed to claw its way up from the bowels of the reservoir. The bridge, a skeletal finger of rusted metal reaching across the abyss, buckled and trembled. Beneath their feet, flakes of decay peeled away, disappearing into the ink-black water below.
Then, it began to rise.
From the stygian depths, a monstrous figure clawed its way into existence. It was an unholy congregation of mechanical limbs grafted onto bloated, rotting flesh. Multiple red eyes, like malevolent rubies, flickered erratically across its disfigured face, a grotesque patchwork of human and machine. Wires, thick as pythons, snaked from its body, disappearing into the reservoir walls—it was as if the creature was not merely in the city, but of it.
A voice, a corrupted symphony of grinding metal and distorted whispers, boomed from its depths. It was fragmented, broken, as if spoken through speakers on the verge of collapse. "Unauthorized presence detected. Subject identities unknown. Initiating containment protocol."
Cassia stumbled back, her breath catching in her throat, a strangled sob fighting its way free. Lorian wore an exasperated look on his face. "Oh, that's just fantastic."
Izari clenched his fists. "No way I'm dying here."
Without warning, the monstrosity slammed one of its enormous, metal-clad arms onto the bridge. The impact sent a violent shockwave through the structure, a death knell for the already decaying metal.
Cracks spider webbed across the surface. Chunks of metal sheared off, plummeting into the abyss, their splashes muted by the sheer volume of the reservoir. The water churned violently below, disturbed by unseen things lurking just beneath the surface.
Rona, his face a mask of grim determination, barked orders. "MOVE!" he grabbed Cassia, dragging her forward as the bridge began to disintegrate around them.
Izari and Lorian exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them. They didn't need words. They understood. They ran.
Tendrils of rusted metal, like metallic vipers, whipped out from the monstrosity, lashing out at them. Lorian, nimble despite the treacherous footing, dodged another, narrowly avoiding being swatted into the abyss.
Izari phased, his body momentarily flickering out of existence as a massive strike pulverized the spot where he'd been standing. But in the chaos, Lorian's foot slipped on a patch of loose debris.
He teetered on the edge, his arms flailing, the void yawning beneath him. He was going down.
A hand clamped onto his arm, a vise-like grip pulling him back from the brink. He looked up to see Izari, grinning through gritted teeth, his face flushed with exertion. "Not today."
He yanked Lorian back just in time, pulling him clear as the section of bridge where he'd been standing crumbled away.
Meanwhile, on the far side of the reservoir, the situation grew even more complicated. Amara, Tamisra and the seer emerged onto a metal catwalk overlooking the scene.
The seer watched the chaos unfold, his face a rigid mask of disapproval, an enraged glint hardening his eyes. "Bring her to me now."
Amara smirked, her fingers twitching in anticipation, eager to unleash her righteous fury. She signaled Tamisra who nodded back at her. They moved, weapons primed and ready.
The survivors reached the final section of the bridge. It was barely intact, a precarious ribbon of metal stretching across the gap. One last jump and they'd be free, away from the monstrosity and the crumbling infrastructure.
Cassia froze, her legs trembling, refusing to obey her commands. The jump was too far, the fear too great. She wouldn't make it.
Izari and Rona reacted at the same time, their protective instincts kicking in.
"You have to move!" Rona yelled, his voice laced with urgency.
Izari didn't wait. He knew Cassia was paralyzed by fear. Without a word, he shoved her forward, using his own momentum to propel her across the gap.
She screamed as she tumbled through the air, a desperate, terrified sound that echoed across the reservoir.
Rona, bracing himself, caught her on the other side, his strong arm absorbing the impact.
The monstrosity let out a final, mechanical wail, a sound of grinding gears and agonizing failure. It began to sink, dragged back into the abyss from whence it came, its mechanical limbs flailing uselessly. The last remains of the bridge crumbled after it, disappearing beneath the dark surface. "Its protecting the reservoir." Lorian sighted as he jumped.
The group barely made it onto solid ground, collapsing onto the relative safety of the reinforced platform. Panting. Shaken. Alive. But not safe.
As they caught their breath, Cassia looked up, her eyes wide with a new terror. All the color drained from her face.
Amara stood before them, flanked by Tamisra, their faces grim and resolute. The air crackled with impending violence. A new fight, more brutal than the last, was about to begin.