"Hold onto the rock wall or the wave will drag us into the abyss!" Silas roared, digging his fingers deep into the granite cliffside.The colossal wall of purple water slammed into the rocky shoreline with the force of a falling mountain. Violent spray exploded fifty feet into the air, soaking the alliance warriors in warm, violet tinged foam. But instead of sweeping them off their feet, the massive wave suddenly drained away into deep seabed fissures, leaving behind a terrifying sight.A massive bridge of ancient, black stone spires and geometric archways had risen directly out of the seafloor. It locked into the granite cliffs right below their boots, stretching three miles straight across the boiling gulf to the glowing heart of the sunken city."The sea floor moved!" Toby cried out, wiping salt water from his eyes as he peered over the edge. "It made a path!""It is a land bridge!" Lyra shouted, her hand gripping the hilt of her dagger. "The fourth anchor point lifted the whole an

"Cover your mouth with a wet cloth before that yellow smoke reaches your lungs!" Lyra screamed, pulling Marcus behind a tall golden pillar.A heavy metal canister landed on the polished stone floor with a sharp clatter, spraying a thick cloud of acrid, mustard colored gas into the air. The chemical stink hissed as it expanded, corroding the ancient geometric patterns carved into the surrounding walls."It is the High Council shock troops!" Marcus coughed, his voice hoarse as he pressed his sleeve against his face. "They breached the outer spires before the bridge fell!"Beyond the haze of the yellow gas, heavy iron boots slammed against the stone floor in a rapid, disciplined march. Five elite soldiers in polished bronze armor stepped out from the archway, holding long pneumatic rifles fitted with glass tubes of glowing alchemical fluid."Clear every chamber!" the lead commander ordered, his voice echoing under the high, vaulted ceiling. "The High Mage wants the central lock secured b

"Get down behind me right now, Marcus!" Lyra screamed, stepping directly into the path of the flying mirror shards.She activated her guardian armor, and a pale gold sheen flared across her leather suit, but the sheer force of the diamond crystal explosion was too intense. Millions of razor sharp glass pieces rained through the air like a lethal storm. The golden light flickered and snapped under the violent impact. Several long shards sliced right through her back plates, leaving deep, bloody gasps as she threw her body over Marcus to shield his face and chest from the razor shower."Lyra!" Marcus roared, catching her as she collapsed against his chest.Fresh red blood soaked through the back of her leather vest, dripping down onto the slick, dissolving floor. She gasped for air, her fingers clutching his coat sleeve tightly while her teeth ground together in pain."I am fine..." Lyra wheezed, her voice shaking violently as she forced a ragged breath out. "Just... do not let the glas

"Jump now before the platform drops us into the void!" Marcus screamed, his voice ringing across the vast black stone chamber.Marcus and Lyra leaped together off the stone ledge, throwing their bodies across the open gap toward the central iron platform. They landed hard on the grated metal floor, skidding through slick pools of rising dark matter just as a massive wave of black energy shot out from the spinning eye overhead."You think your weak limbs can stop the convergence?" Alden Vance roared, turning toward them with a wild, distorted expression.Alden raised his mutated left hand, waving his tendril covered fingers through the air. A thin, jagged slit opened in space right in front of him, glowing with a sickly purple light."Cover me, Marcus!" Lyra yelled, her cloth bandages soaked with blood as she drew her dagger and sprinted straight for the central control panel.Marcus lunged forward, thrusting his pale, ice encrusted right fist directly at his grand uncle's chest. A thi

"Grab the winch cable before the entire spire goes under!" Silas roared, his loud voice booming down through the open hatch of the falling airship.A wave of icy green water crashed over the broken stone balcony, burying Marcus and Lyra up to their chests. The massive black towers of the risen alien city were sliding fast into the ocean depths, dragging thousands of tons of stone and sea water down into a giant whirlpool."Over here!" Lyra screamed, her soaked hair plastered against her face as she wrapped one arm around Marcus's chest. "His legs are dead! He cannot swim!"Above them, the broad canvas hull of the alliance flagship hovered twenty feet above the churning ocean waves. Its side propellers groaned under the extreme pull of the wind, spraying white water across the deck as cargo ropes swung wild across the gap."Drop the cargo net now!" Silas bellowed to the deck crew behind him. "Jax, hold the steam winch tight!"A heavy, thick hemp rope net dropped from the airship door,