Gauntlet

Chapter 6

Allyza’s heart pounded in her chest as her father’s presence washed over her, his glowing gauntlet still sparking from the energy that had saved her life. Tears welled up in her eyes, and for a brief moment, she forgot about the war, the death, and the rubble around her. She stood, frozen, gazing at the man she hadn’t seen in years.

“Dad…” she whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the destruction.

He didn’t say a word at first, simply walking toward her, his strong arms wrapping around her trembling body. Allyza melted into the embrace, her fear dissolving momentarily in the safety of his presence. He held her tightly, reassuring her that he was real, that after all the chaos, they were together again.

“We need to move, Allyza,” he finally said, his voice low and filled with urgency. “There could be more of them.”

She nodded, wiping the tears from her face. Her father gently pulled her from their hiding spot, and together they maneuvered through the ruins of their village. Buildings that once stood tall were now piles of smoldering debris, and the acrid smell of smoke and ash filled the air. Every few steps, Allyza glanced at her father, still half in disbelief that he was truly with her again.

They reached what remained of their home, the structure battered but still standing. Allyza felt a glimmer of hope seeing it intact, but her heart sank when a blood-curdling scream pierced the air from inside.

“Mom!” Allyza gasped, immediately breaking into a run.

Her father was right behind her as they burst through the broken door. Inside, the remnants of their home were in disarray, but the scene that met their eyes made Allyza's blood run cold. A towering war machine stood in the middle of the room, looming over her mother, who was collapsed on the floor, struggling to breathe. The machine’s metallic body gleamed in the dim light, its red eyes glowing as it prepared to strike.

“No!” Allyza screamed, her gauntlet sparking to life as she ran toward the war machine.

Her father moved faster, his green gauntlet glowing again. With a swift, practiced motion, he blasted the war machine, sending it stumbling back. The machine growled, its focus shifting from Allyza's mother to them.

Allyza’s mind raced. She’d barely survived the last encounter with one of these monstrosities. How could they defeat another one, especially one that had their mother cornered?

The war machine roared and lunged at her father, but he was ready. With his gauntlet, he deflected the first strike, sending a pulse of energy that staggered the machine. Allyza ran to her mother’s side, her hands shaking as she helped her up.

“Mom, are you okay?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Her mother coughed, her hand clutching her chest. “Allyza, you have to stop it… it’s too strong…” she wheezed.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Allyza vowed, looking over her shoulder at the battle unfolding between her father and the war machine.

The creature was relentless, swinging its massive arms and striking the ground with earth-shattering force. But Allyza’s father was agile, dodging and countering with blasts from his gauntlet. Each hit he landed chipped away at the machine’s armor, but it wasn’t enough to bring it down.

Allyza knew she had to help. She clenched her fists and activated her own gauntlet, feeling its power surge through her. She hadn’t used it much before, but this was different—this was life or death. She had to fight.

As her father dodged another blow, Allyza saw an opening. She sprinted forward and unleashed a blast from her gauntlet, hitting the war machine square in the back. The creature roared in pain, its attention now divided between her and her father.