Chapter 56: Fallout

Chapter 56: Fallout

Silvia's POV

The glow of the destroyed weapons depot still painted the sky as Silvia and her team moved swiftly through the wasteland. The battle had been won, but the war was far from over. Titan had suffered a massive loss, and that meant one thing—they would retaliate. Hard.

Garrik jogged up beside her, his expression grim. "We hit them where it hurt. But they're going to hit back. We need to be ready."

Silvia nodded. "Then we don't stop moving. We regroup, find the next weak point, and strike before they do."

Dragon walked just behind her, unusually quiet. His golden eyes flicked between the horizon and Silvia, as if searching for threats she hadn't yet seen. Finally, he spoke. "Something feels off."

Silvia frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dragon's sharp gaze swept across the battlefield they'd left behind. "Titan isn't just a machine of war. It's a system. We just shattered one of its gears, but systems adapt. This feels too… easy."

Tarren adjusted her rifle. "You think they wanted us to take the depot? That they let this happen?"

Dragon exhaled. "I don't know. But I do know they're not done."

Retreat and Reflection

Hours later, they reached a temporary hideout deep within the ruins of an old industrial city, its buildings hollowed-out skeletons of a long-forgotten era. The resistance had used it before, but tonight, it served as a place to rest and prepare.

Silvia stood on the rooftop of their base, looking out at the fractured skyline. This war was different from anything the world had seen before. Titan didn't fight with desperation—it fought with precision. Everything they did had a purpose, and that made them all the more dangerous.

Dragon joined her, stepping up beside her with an ease that made her more aware of his presence than usual. He didn't speak for a long moment, simply watching the stars.

"You think they're going to chase us down?" Silvia finally asked.

Dragon's smirk was faint. "Not just chase. They're going to make an example out of us."

She exhaled, her breath visible in the cold air. "Then we hit first. Again."

Dragon turned toward her, his gaze unreadable. "You really don't know when to stop, do you?"

Silvia smirked. "Not until this war is over."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them. Then Dragon reached out, his fingers brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "That's what I like about you."

Silvia's breath hitched slightly, but she didn't pull away. She should have—this wasn't the time for distractions. But with Dragon, it never felt like a distraction. It felt like the only real thing in the middle of chaos.

Then, before either of them could say anything else, the warning sirens blared.

Titan was coming.

The Battle Begins Again

Garrik stormed up the stairs to the rooftop. "We've got incoming. Titan must have tracked our retreat. They're coming fast."

Silvia spun around, her mind already calculating their next move. "How many?"

"Enough to level this place. They're bringing heavy artillery. We don't have time to pack up. We fight."

Silvia's pulse quickened, not with fear, but with adrenaline. "Then let's give them a fight they'll never forget."

Dragon's grin sharpened. "Now you're speaking my language."

As the first Titan drones appeared on the horizon, Silvia raised her hands, energy crackling at her fingertips. This war wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about making sure Titan fell, no matter the cost.

Dragon's POV

Dragon's instincts went sharp as the first wave of Titan drones swarmed in, their glowing red eyes slicing through the darkness. He had seen Titan react before, but this was faster—calculated. They were waiting for this.

"This isn't just retaliation," he growled. "They knew exactly where we'd be."

Silvia gritted her teeth as she hurled a bolt of energy at the leading drone, watching it explode in midair. "Then we make them regret it."

Dragon shifted, his form elongating into his monstrous self, claws extending as he leaped onto the first wave of Titan enforcers that had dropped from the ships above. He slashed through their armor, but these were different—stronger, reinforced with something tougher than what he had faced before. Upgraded.

Garrik and his warriors held the perimeter, firing into the ranks of Titan's soldiers as they flooded into the city ruins. Explosions lit up the streets below as Tarren picked off enemies from her sniper's nest, her shots echoing through the night.

But they were losing ground.

Dragon landed beside Silvia as she fought off an advancing mech suit, her flames melting its thick plating, but it kept coming. He grabbed the machine's arm, wrenching it free with a violent twist before tossing the wreckage aside.

"We need to get out of here!" Dragon barked.

Silvia didn't stop, summoning another blast of energy. "Not yet!"

"Silvia—"

Before Dragon could argue further, a heavy impact sent him flying into a crumbling building. The world spun as he landed hard, debris collapsing around him. When he opened his eyes, Silvia was still fighting, still pushing forward as if the weight of the entire war rested on her alone.

She didn't see the enemy moving behind her.

"Silvia!"

Time slowed as Dragon launched forward, his entire body reacting before his mind could catch up. He slammed into the Titan soldier that had raised its weapon against her, tearing into it before it could strike.

Silvia turned, breathless, realization dawning in her eyes. "Dragon…"

He was breathing heavily, adrenaline coursing through him. Too close.

Silvia stared at him for a beat too long, something unspoken passing between them. Then she turned back to the battle, her energy flaring again. "We end this. Now."

The Escape

The fight had lasted longer than they could afford. Silvia called the retreat, knowing they couldn't hold their ground forever. The resistance moved swiftly, slipping through the ruins and into the underground tunnels that would take them deeper into hiding.

As the last of their forces disappeared into the shadows, Silvia turned back for a final glance at the battlefield. Titan stood victorious here, but they hadn't won. Not yet.

Dragon placed a clawed hand on her shoulder, his touch grounding. "We fight another day."

She nodded, but her jaw was set. "And next time, we don't just fight. We finish this."