Skybound Odyssey – Chapter 32: Ashes of Titanus
The desert stretched endlessly, red as dried blood and cracked like forgotten bones. Wind carried ash across rusted dunes. And beneath that scorched silence… something mechanical stirred.
Citadel Titanus—the fifth of six Reclamation engines—had begun to wake. But unlike the others, its heart was forged in war, and its throne guarded not by nature or ghosts… but by family.
---
The Wastes of Drenn
The Skywing Falcon cut low through the haze, navigating jagged canyons and fields of buried warships.
Juno frowned at the scanner. "We've got massive interference. Radio's fried, magnetic fields are off the charts. Whatever's powering Titanus… it's alive."
Ryo stood at the edge of the deck, jaw tense. "It's not just the Citadel."
Arashi, beside him, turned. "You felt it too?"
Ryo nodded. "There's someone else down there. Someone like me."
---
Flashback: The Empire's Program
Years ago—deep in the underground labs of the Empire—there were not one, but two children born of the storm.
One was Ryo.
The other… was Kael.
A perfect mirror. Smarter. Stronger. Crueler.
Raised not to rebel—but to rule.
They called him: Project Revenant.
---
Now – Titanus Throne Grounds
Kael stood atop a jagged cliff, watching the dust swirl below. His white hair danced like smoke. His eyes burned silver. Around him, a battalion of old Empire mech-soldiers hummed to life, synced to his pulse.
"Stormheart," Kael whispered, as the earth rumbled. "You always ran. Now let's see how far you've come."
Behind him, Titanus began to rise—an iron behemoth of fists and fury, armored like a walking fortress, with a drill-cannon for a heart.
---
The Crash Landing
The Falcon was hit mid-descent by a kinetic blast. Juno spun the ship hard. "Brace for crash—now!"
> BOOM!
The crew was thrown as the ship slammed into the dunes.
Dust. Smoke. Groans.
Ryo climbed out, sparks flickering from his fingers.
Kael was already waiting.
"Hello, brother."
---
The Twin Clash
Lightning met lightning.
Kael moved like a mirror—every punch, every spark, perfectly synced. Ryo had never fought an enemy who knew his every move before he made it.
"Why?" Ryo shouted, blocking a blow. "Why stay loyal to them?"
Kael's face was cold. "I didn't stay loyal. I took control. The Empire is dead. I'm what's left."
He raised his arm. The old Empire mechs swarmed forward.
Sena and Lyra rushed to cover Ryo, blasting drones and cutting down machines.
Arashi faced Kael's heat with her own fire. "He's stronger than before."
Ryo gritted his teeth. "Because he's not just syncing with Titanus. He's trying to merge with it."
---
The Final Race
The Citadel opened—a massive gate of iron jaws. Inside: the Titanus Throne. But its core was unstable, thrumming with corrupted energy.
Kael stood before it, arms wide. "I'll be the only pilot this world needs. A god made of war."
Ryo stepped forward, battered and bruised. "You don't get to decide that."
Kael sneered. "Then stop me."
---
The Sync Struggle
Ryo ran straight into the throne chamber as Kael initiated the final sync.
> "Revenant Signature Confirmed. Sync Level: 92%..."
"Warning: Sync breach detected. Second candidate interfering…"
Lightning exploded.
The throne began to collapse.
> "ERROR—TWO PILOTS—STABILITY FAILURE—"
Ryo leapt into the beam.
His memories surged—every pain, every choice, every friend.
Kael screamed. "You're not strong enough!"
Ryo replied through gritted teeth—
> "I'm not alone."
Arashi threw her crystal into the beam.
Sena uploaded the override code from Nexus.
Lyra fired her blade into the power core.
Together… they broke the sync.
---
Titanus Shutdown
The titan roared once—and fell still. The throne cracked, and Kael was thrown from it, unconscious, his sync broken.
Ryo collapsed, catching his breath.
The fifth Citadel was won.
---
Later, by the fire
Arashi handed Ryo a small piece of metal—the remains of Kael's pilot shard.
"He's still breathing," she said. "Barely."
Ryo looked into the desert wind. "I'll find a place for him. When this is over."
Sena walked up. "There's only one left."
Lyra pointed to the map.
> "The final Citadel lies beneath the sea."
"Abyssus."
---
Far below the ocean floor, black lights flickered to life.
And a voice whispered from the deep:
> "Stormheart… come to me."
"It's time you saw what you truly are."