Youri walked toward Altopereh in silence.
The colossal machine stood in the fractured stone of Gaisen's domain, its towering frame scarred from battle. Dark, shifting hues still crawled over the damaged sections of its armor like living tar, patching fractures, sealing ruptures, reforming what had once been shattered. Every few seconds a pulse of black light ran through its limbs, proof that the restored main core was alive again—breathing, thinking, waiting.
Above them, Tartarus remained unchanged.
The crimson sky stretched endlessly in every direction, a blood-red dome cracked with distant streaks of black lightning. The desert beyond the cliffs rolled like a sea of ash, swallowing horizons whole. Somewhere far away, other domain rulers stirred, their presences like faint tremors beneath the surface of reality.
But here, for a fleeting moment, there was quiet.
Youri stopped at the foot of Altopereh's lowered cockpit hatch and looked back.
Lea remained beside Gaisen.
The massive dragon lay curled into its weakened regeneration form—a sphere of folded wings and scaled armor, breathing slowly, softly, almost peacefully. The fury that once defined it had gone dormant. For now.
Lea's gloved hand rested gently on the creature's side.
She did not look at Youri immediately.
Instead, she kept her gaze on Gaisen, her silver hair dancing in the wind beneath the hood of her black cloak.
Only after several long seconds did she speak.
"You should go," she said quietly.
Youri frowned.
"You're not coming?"
Lea finally turned.
The wooden mask reflected the crimson sky in uneven patterns.
"I never said that."
Youri exhaled through his nose, almost amused.
Then he glanced toward Gaisen.
The dragon had saved him.
More than once.
And now it was wounded because of him.
He stepped closer to Lea.
"You should come with me," he said.
Her posture stiffened.
Youri continued.
"It's safer."
Lea said nothing.
Youri looked back toward Gaisen.
"It's in no shape to fight," he said. "And I don't want him involved anymore."
That made her pause.
She turned slowly toward the dragon again.
The words struck deeper than Youri intended.
Because she understood.
Gaisen was not simply a domain ruler to her.
He was family.
Companion.
Guardian.
Perhaps the only being in all of Tartarus who had stayed beside her through endless ages.
And now, because of Youri, he had nearly died.
Lea lowered her head.
"You are right."
The words were barely louder than a whisper.
For a moment she stood still.
Then she reached out and pressed her palm gently against Gaisen's armored surface.
The dragon exhaled—a deep, rumbling sound that shook the cliff beneath them.
Its eyes opened slightly.
Two glowing amber slits.
They looked first at Lea.
Then at Youri.
No hostility.
No anger.
Only understanding.
Lea leaned forward, resting her forehead against its scales.
"I will return," she whispered.
The dragon's eyes closed again.
Its breathing deepened.
It accepted her choice.
Lea stepped back.
Then turned toward Altopereh.
"Move."
Youri blinked.
"What?"
She pointed toward the cockpit.
"You invited me."
He smirked.
"Right."
Together they approached the giant machine.
As they climbed the sloped plating toward the open hatch, Altopereh's voice echoed inside Youri's mind.
"So she's coming."
The tone was amused.
Youri ignored it.
Lea stopped midway up the hull.
Her gloved hand touched the black armor.
She froze.
For the first time since meeting her, Youri saw something like fear.
"What is it?" he asked.
Lea looked at her fingertips.
Dark residue clung to them.
"It's alive," she whispered.
Youri looked confused.
"It's always been alive."
Lea slowly turned toward him.
"No," she said. "You don't understand."
Her eyes narrowed behind the mask.
"This metal is not inert."
She tapped the plating again.
"It remembers."
Youri frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Lea resumed climbing.
"It means your machine is not a machine."
Altopereh laughed inside his head.
"Oh, I like her."
Youri rolled his eyes.
When they finally entered the cockpit, Lea stopped dead.
She had expected complexity.
Buttons.
Levers.
Displays.
Instead—
It was a cathedral.
The cockpit of Altopereh was enormous.
Far larger than any normal Orbiton cockpit.
Dark polished surfaces curved around them like obsidian bone.
Holographic systems floated in the air in layered rings.
Ancient runes pulsed beneath transparent panels.
The pilot's chair sat at the center, suspended above a glowing circular floor panel, connected by black cables that resembled veins.
At the center of everything floated the core.
A sphere of impossible darkness.
Alive.
Breathing.
Watching.
Lea took an involuntary step back.
"This is wrong."
Youri climbed into the chair.
"No," he said.
"It's just Altopereh."
"That thing," Lea replied, pointing at the core, "is older than your empire."
Altopereh's voice boomed.
"Much older."
Lea spun.
"Can he hear me?"
"Yes," said Youri.
"Can he always hear me?"
"Yes."
Altopereh chuckled.
"She's nervous."
"I am not nervous," Lea snapped.
"You smell nervous," said Altopereh.
Youri almost laughed.
"Can we not do this?"
Lea glared upward.
"I liked you better when you were sealed."
Altopereh sounded delighted.
"Oh, now I definitely like her."
Youri activated the systems.
The cockpit came alive.
Power cascaded outward.
The displays lit one after another.
MAIN CORE — STABLESECONDARY BRION CORE — ACTIVENEO MODE — DISENGAGEDFULL COMBAT MODE — AVAILABLE
The machine hummed beneath them.
Outside, massive engines ignited.
The cliffside trembled.
Lea gripped the side rail instinctively.
"Warn me next time."
"You'll get used to it." said Youri.
"I sincerely doubt that." replied Lea.
Youri placed both hands on the controls.
"Destination?"
Lea crossed her arms.
"Kalian's domain."
Altopereh spoke immediately.
"The Spear."
Lea looked upward.
"You know him?"
"I know all ten."
That shut her up.
Youri tilted the machine forward.
The hatch sealed.
The cockpit darkened.
Then—
With a deafening roar—
Altopereh launched.
The giant machine burst from Gaisen's cliffs like a missile.
Stone shattered beneath its feet.
Snow and ash exploded behind it.
Within seconds they cleared the domain boundary.
Ahead lay the endless desert.
Almosis' domain.
It stretched forever.
Dunes like mountains.
Storms of red sand.
Cracks in the sky.
The moment Altopereh crossed the boundary, the crimson sky reacted.
A pulse.
A line of glowing red light formed overhead.
Lea noticed immediately.
"The signal."
Youri remembered her warning.
"When someone enters the desert, the sky reveals them."
She nodded grimly.
"Yes."
Altopereh accelerated.
The machine tore across the desert.
Sand exploded beneath its thrusters.
Hours passed.
Or perhaps minutes.
Time in Tartarus never obeyed rules.
Eventually Youri noticed it.
Far ahead.
A shimmer.
Not heat.
Not light.
Metal.
Something enormous reflected the crimson sky.
Lea stepped closer to the display.
"There."
Youri narrowed his eyes.
At first it looked like mountains.
Then—
He understood.
They were spears.
Millions of them.
A forest of colossal metallic spires rising from the desert.
Each one larger than cities.
Each one forged from silver-black metal.
They pierced the sky like the bones of dead gods.
"Kalian's domain," Lea whispered.
As they approached, the air changed.
Magnetism filled the atmosphere.
Systems flickered.
Altopereh growled.
"I hate this place."
"Why?" asked Youri.
"Because he's insufferable."
The moment he finished speaking—
Something moved.
One spear bent.
Then another.
Then thousands.
They rotated.
Shifted.
Realigned.
Until the entire landscape became one enormous mechanism.
And at the center—
A figure rose.
Humanoid.
Massive.
Forged entirely of silver metal.
Its body was elegant and sharp.
Its limbs were long and spear-like.
Its head crowned with a blade that pointed skyward.
Its eyes glowed blue.
Its voice echoed like steel striking steel.
"Altopereh."
The god unit stopped.
The desert went silent.
"You return."
Altopereh's voice deepened.
"Kalian."
The ruler stepped forward.
Each movement made the spear forest tremble.
"You bring a mortal."
Youri stood.
"I need your help."
Kalian's glowing eyes shifted to him.
"And why," it asked, "would I help something so temporary?"
Lea stepped forward.
"Because Atlantis has awakened."
That changed everything.
The spear ruler froze.
Its eyes narrowed.
"You speak that name too easily."
Lea lifted her chin.
"I was once a Sacrosian."
Kalian studied her.
Then slowly turned back to Youri.
"And you seek passage there."
"Yes." replied Lea.
"To leave Tartarus."
"Yes." said Lea.
Kalian raised one metallic hand.
The entire domain shook.
Spears rose higher.
"You may pass."
Youri blinked.
"That easily?"
"No."
The metal giant pointed at Altopereh.
"But first…"
Its eyes burned brighter.
"I repair the broken king."
Around them—
The entire spear forest moved.
Millions of shards launched into the sky.
Racing toward Altopereh.
Lea stared upward.
Youri tightened his grip.
And Altopereh laughed.
"Oh yes," it said.
"Now this is going to hurt."