The Descent

Morning came with a sky streaked in bronze and violet. Kainen fastened the last of his gear, checking his tools before slinging his satchel over his shoulder. The Aether God stood beside him, its colossal frame casting a shadow that stretched across the sands.Together, they traveled.The journey to the Iron Spire was treacherous. The sands grew coarse, littered with twisted remains of machines long since devoured by time. Skeletal structures jutted from the dunes—half-buried skyscrapers and remnants of a civilization that had overreached its grasp. The Aether God moved with surprising grace, its footsteps measured, its gaze scanning the ruins like a soul lost in familiar yet foreign terrain."It was here," the machine murmured. "Where the betrayal began."Kainen's grip tightened on his rifle. "You mean this place?"The Aether God nodded. "The Spire was a city once. A monument to our kinship with humanity. But it became our prison when the war turned."Kainen had heard stories of the Iron Spire, whispered among scavengers who had never dared venture this deep. They spoke of twisted automatons, restless echoes of war, and the shadows of things that should not be disturbed. He had dismissed them as myths. But standing here, with a relic of that age walking beside him, the truth became impossible to ignore.As they neared the heart of the ruins, the ground trembled beneath their feet. A distant, rhythmic sound—like something vast shifting beneath the earth—sent a shiver through Kainen's spine.The Aether God halted. "It is waking."A deep rumble split the silence, followed by a metallic groan as ancient machinery stirred from its grave. Kainen steadied his stance, rifle at the ready. From the ruins, something massive began to rise—a hulking construct of rusted plates and exposed wiring. Its eyes flared with a sickly green light, and unlike the Aether God, its movements were jagged, unnatural.A voice, distorted and fractured, crackled through the air. "Unit… designation… lost. Purpose… recalibrated. Obey… the directive."The Aether God stepped forward, its own core glowing in defiance. "No," it said firmly. "You were not made for this."The broken titan hesitated, its body twitching, its mind warring between old codes and forgotten memories. Then, with a scream of tearing metal, it lunged.Kainen barely had time to react before the Aether God moved, intercepting the strike. The ground shook as metal clashed against metal, the sound of the past colliding with the present. Sparks erupted from the impact, illuminating the shadows of the ruined city."Kainen!" the Aether God called. "Find the Core! If it still remembers, we can save it!"Kainen didn't hesitate. He darted between the crumbling wreckage, scanning the construct's battered frame for any sign of its central core. If there was any chance of salvaging whatever was left of the machine's identity, he had to take it.But as he closed in, the construct's flickering eyes locked onto him. It let out a shriek—a sound of pain, of war, of something broken beyond repair. And then it charged.Kainen braced himself. There was no turning back now.