Julian and Clarissa touched down at the edge of the central plaza, the ground trembling beneath their feet. The air was thick with a palpable, psychic dread. Before them was the source a massive, pulsing mound of fused flesh and corroded machinery, like a grotesque heart. From its base, thick, root-like tendrils of dark matter burrowed deep into the shattered earth, glowing with the same sickly purple energy that powered the barrier dome high above.
"The core is underground," Julian stated, his voice cutting through the low hum of the hive-mind. "Clarissa, dig. Expose it. I'll hold them off."
Clarissa didn't hesitate. She planted her feet, her eyes glowing with telekinetic power. "Understood." She thrust her hands toward the ground near the base of the mound. The earth and rubble didn't just move, it atomized under the focused force of her will, forming a swirling, drill-like vortex that bored into the soil with a deafening roar.
