Chapter 63: Reckoning

Chapter 63: Reckoning

Silvia's POV

The battlefield was still smoldering when Silvia led her forces forward. The Titan forces had retreated, but that didn't mean they were beaten. They were regrouping, waiting for the next chance to strike.

She wasn't going to give them one.

"Push forward," she commanded. "Secure the wreckage, and make sure no stragglers are left behind."

Dragon stepped up beside her, arms crossed. "You're getting more ruthless."

She didn't look at him. "I'm getting smarter."

He let out a low chuckle. "Smarter would be resting before the next battle."

"Smarter would be making sure there isn't one."

The wasteland stretched far beyond the remnants of their battlefield, scorched earth and ruins of cities that had once thrived. This world was no longer what it had been. The remains of old skyscrapers loomed in the distance, skeletal remains of a forgotten past swallowed by time and war. Smoke curled into the sky from unseen fires, and the smell of burning metal clung to everything.

Garrik and Tarren approached, their expressions grim. "We've got a problem," Tarren said. "Scouts picked up movement from the west. It looks like Titan's sending reinforcements sooner than expected."

Silvia clenched her jaw. Of course they were.

"How many?" she asked.

Garrik sighed. "Enough that we're going to need a miracle to hold this ground."

Silvia exhaled sharply. "Then let's make our own miracle."

The Last Stand Before Dawn

As the night deepened, the resistance forces fortified their position. They set up makeshift barricades, reinforced weapon placements, and gathered what little supplies they had left. It wasn't much, but it had to be enough.

Dragon leaned against a broken piece of Titan armor, watching Silvia as she paced. "You're thinking too much again."

She stopped, glancing at him. "You always say that."

"Because it's always true."

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "This isn't sustainable. We can't keep fighting battle after battle. We need a real plan."

Dragon tilted his head. "So, what's the plan?"

Silvia looked over the battlefield, over the makeshift camp that had become her home. "We don't fight them forever. We take the fight to them."

Dragon's grin widened. "Now that, I like."

A Moment of Reflection

The fires crackled as the resistance fighters gathered, their exhaustion evident. Garrik passed out rations while Tarren sat in the shadows, cleaning her rifle in silence.

Silvia sat beside Dragon, the warmth of the fire contrasting the cold air around them. "They're scared."

Dragon nodded. "They should be. But that's what makes them dangerous. Fear can push people to do the impossible."

Silvia looked around at her soldiers—her people. "They deserve better than this endless war."

Dragon exhaled, stretching his legs. "Then let's end it."

She turned to him, studying his face. "You say that like it's easy."

He smirked. "Nothing worth doing ever is."

A soldier ran up to them, his face pale. "Commander! We've spotted Titan scouts moving in fast. They'll be here within the hour."

Silvia shot to her feet. "Then we don't wait for them. We strike first."

A Preemptive Attack

Silvia led a strike team toward the approaching Titan scouts, moving swiftly under the cover of darkness. The plan was simple: Take them out before they could report back.

She signaled for silence, then raised her hand. In a split second, her fire ignited, sending a precise burst of flames toward the first scout. He crumpled without a sound.

Dragon lunged, shifting briefly into his panther form, his claws slicing through another enemy before he returned to his human shape. "Four down, two left."

Tarren fired from the ridge above, her sniper shot taking out one. The last scout tried to flee, but Silvia caught him first, slamming him against a tree.

He struggled, fear in his eyes. "You can't stop it. Titan will come. They always do."

Silvia's grip tightened. "Not this time."

She didn't hesitate. Fire engulfed her hands, and in seconds, he was gone.

Dragon watched her, his gaze unreadable. "You're different now."

She turned to him. "I don't have a choice."

Dawn and the Future

By the time they returned, the sun was rising over the ruined battlefield. The Titan scouts were gone.

Garrik met them at the entrance. "That was reckless."

Silvia nodded. "But necessary. We need to keep moving. Titan won't stop, so neither will we."

Tarren slung her rifle over her shoulder. "Where to next?"

Silvia looked at the horizon, determination in her eyes. The wind howled through the ruins, dust sweeping across the remnants of what had once been a prosperous world. In the distance, the remains of an abandoned city loomed—one of the many relics of humanity's downfall. It was a reminder of everything they had lost, and everything they were still fighting for.

"To Titan's stronghold," she said. "We take this war to them. No more waiting."

Dragon grinned. "Now you're talking."

She turned back to her people, raising her voice. "We have fought long enough to survive. Now, we fight to take back what's ours!"

The roar of agreement echoed through the ruins, and for the first time in a long time, Silvia felt something close to hope.

The war wasn't over. But this time, they weren't just defending.

They were going to win.