The ground split beneath the Titan's weight as it lumbered forward, each step like a drumbeat against the earth. Eight meters tall, its body looked hewn from the desert itself—rocky plates layered over sinew that pulsed with molten cracks, glowing faintly under its skin. Its eyes burned a sickly yellow, glaring down at them with predatory intent.
The shockwave of its roar rippled through the clearing, rattling branches and shaking loose the last of their hastily built camp. Marcus planted his feet and slammed his palm to the ground, shouting, "Stoneguard!" Rock erupted upward, a barrier catching the first quake before it could flatten them. Clara raised both arms, streams of water weaving into a shimmering dome that steadied the ground around them.
"Biggest thing we've seen so far," Marcus muttered, sweat already forming on his brow.
