Chapter 13
Darkness clung to the edges of Aloy's vision as she drifted between consciousness and oblivion. The last thing she remembered was the Proving—the screams, the Eclipse ambush, Bast's death, and the masked figure with the green Focus. Then, nothing.
A low hum filled her ears, distant and rhythmic, like a heartbeat deep within the mountain. Slowly, she forced her eyes open.
She was lying on a stone slab inside a dimly lit chamber. The air smelled of burning herbs, and shadows flickered on the walls.
Aloy's gaze settled on a figure beside her. High Matriarch Teersa sat cross-legged, watching her with a mixture of relief and sorrow.
"You have awakened, child," Teersa said gently. "We feared you would not."
Aloy groaned as she pushed herself upright. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she ignored the pain. "What happened?"
Teersa's face darkened. "The Proving was attacked. Many were lost."
Aloy's stomach twisted. "Alana—where is she?"
Teersa hesitated before answering. "She was taken… by the masked boy."
Aloy clenched her fists. "I know."
Teersa blinked in surprise. "You do?"
Aloy nodded. "Before he disappeared, he told me where I could find her. He's taking her to Meridian."
Teersa's expression remained unreadable. "And you believe him?"
Aloy met her gaze, determination burning behind her eyes. "I don't have a choice. If there's a chance she's alive, I have to go after her."
Teersa studied her for a long moment before nodding. "Then the Matriarchs have spoken. By their will, you are granted the title of Seeker."
Aloy froze. "A… Seeker?"
Teersa nodded. "It means you are free to go beyond the Embrace. To find those responsible. To find the truth."
Aloy barely heard the rest. The tribe that had shunned her now gave her the highest honor a warrior could receive. Ironic.
Then, another voice—deep, familiar.
Rost.
She turned sharply to find him standing at the doorway. He was no longer clad in an outcast's rags. Instead, he wore Nora sentry armor—the mark of a warrior returned to the tribe.
Aloy swallowed the lump in her throat. "They let you back?"
Rost exhaled, stepping closer. "For now." His voice was gruff, but there was warmth behind it.
Aloy felt something uncoil in her chest. It wasn't fair. All those years, and now they accepted him? But she pushed the bitterness aside.
Rost lowered his voice. "Aloy, I need you to be careful."
"I have to find Alana."
Rost's expression darkened. "Who took her?"
Aloy hesitated. He had no name—only a masked figure with a green-glowing Focus.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But he told me to find him in Meridian."
Rost's hand rested on her shoulder, firm but gentle. "Then go. Bring her back."
Aloy nodded, determination settling in her chest.
She would.
Aloy had barely left the Mother's mountain when the horns of alarm sounded through Mother's Watch.
An attack.
Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the gates, the pain in her limbs forgotten. The watchtower guards shouted warnings, arrows already loosed toward the beast crawling toward the settlement.
A Corruptor.
The machine lurched forward, its spindly legs digging into the earth, its tentacle-like appendages twitching as it scanned the battlefield. Behind it, several Watchers—their eyes glowing a sickly red.
Aloy dove into cover, assessing the battlefield. The Corruptor was massive, faster than anything she had faced before. Head-on combat would be suicide.
Traps. She needed traps.
She moved silently through the tall grass, planting tripwires between the rocks. The Corruptor's glowing eyes turned toward her, but she kept low, her heartbeat steady.
Then, she whistled.
The machine screeched, turning sharply—right into the first tripwire.
BOOM. A blast of fire engulfed its side, making it stagger.
Another step—another explosion.
The Corruptor shook violently, its metal plating now charred, but it wasn't done. It whipped its tentacle toward her, slamming into the ground as Aloy rolled away just in time.
She drew her spear, narrowed her eyes, and rushed forward.
The Corruptor lurched, trying to turn—too late.
Aloy leapt onto its back, using the exposed wiring as a foothold. With a shout, she plunged her spear into its control core, twisting hard.
The machine convulsed, sparks flying—and then collapsed.
The battlefield fell silent.
Aloy pulled her spear free, breathing hard, her hands shaking.
Her Focus flickered, scanning the remains.
Data flooded her vision. Corruption signals, override protocols... the way the Corruptor bent machines to its will.
Aloy's gaze dropped to the twisted override module in its wreckage.
Slowly, she ripped it free—and attached it to her spear.
A new power.
A new weapon.
A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"You're really something, you know that?"
Aloy turned to see Vala standing at the edge of the battlefield, arms crossed, eyes full of admiration.
Aloy smirked. "Took you this long to notice?"
Vala laughed. "What the hell was that? That was a Corruptor, Aloy."
"I noticed."
Vala shook her head, smiling despite herself. "Where are you going now?"
Aloy took a breath. "I need a strider."
The tall grass rustled as Aloy crept forward, eyes locked on the herd of Striders grazing in the distance. She moved with calculated precision, watching the way they shifted, the way they reacted to the world around them.
Her Focus pulsed, highlighting a weak point at the base of their necks.
She moved.
One swift motion—Override activated.
The Strider shuddered beneath her hands, its eyes flickering blue.
Aloy swung onto its back.
The machine didn't resist.
She gave a small, satisfied grin before clicking her heels against its sides. The Strider charged forward, hooves pounding the earth as she rode toward the gates of the Embrace.
She had three goals now.
• Find Alana.
• Find Olin.
• Find the truth.
As the wind rushed past her, she knew one thing for certain—this was only the beginning.
Meanwhile, Deep in the Wilds…
Adal crouched beside a fire, his face set inconcentration. He ground a handful of herbs between his fingers, mixing them into a thick paste. The scent of crushed roots and bitter medicine filled the air.
Alana lay unconscious nearby, wrapped in a thick fur cloak. Her face was pale, beads of sweat forming on her brow. The wound at her side was deep,dangerously close to infection.
Adal pressed the mixture against the wound, hisfingers precise. She stirred slightly, a pained groan escaping her lips.
"Stay still," he muttered.
He wasn't sure why he had saved her. It had been reckless. The Eclipse were already hunting him, and now he had drawn even more attention.
A soft chime sounded in his ear. His Focus flickered to life.
"Incoming transmission," a calm, mechanical voice announced.
Juno.
Adal sighed. "What is it?"
The AI's voice remained steady. "Your actions have disrupted predicted outcomes. Alana's survival introduces a new variable."
"I know," Adal muttered, securing a fresh bandage over Alana's wound.
"HADES will not ignore this. It has already adjusted its strategy."
Adal tensed. "How do you know that?"
"Intercepted transmissions. It is adapting. The Proving was only the beginning."
A new voice cut in, sharper and laced with irritation. "You've compromised yourself."
Sylens.
Adal exhaled sharply. "I did what was necessary."
"Necessary?" Sylens scoffed. "You took a dying girl from a battlefield. And now what? Are you going to nurse her back to health? "
Adal ignored him, focusing on stabilizing Alana's breathing.
"This is a distraction," Sylens continued. "You have more important things to do than play hero."
Juno spoke again. "Alana's presence creates statistical uncertainty, but dismissing her as irrelevant is illogical. She is now part of the equation."
Adal glanced at her. "She would have died."
"And now you might die for her."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Sylens sighed. "Fine. Do what you will. But don't expect me to save you when it all falls apart."
The transmission ended.
Adal leaned back, staring into the fire, thoughts racing.
Aloy was still out there. The Eclipse wouldn't stop hunting her. And neither would he.
To be continued ...