The bang that jolted Kyle awake wasn't just loud—it was felt.
A deep, stomach-churning thud that echoed through metal and bone alike.
He sat up with a grunt, the shift nearly tossing Ollie off his chest if not for him bracing the blonde in time. Only for the mop to let out a quiet snore before flopping back down, completely unaware of all the banging and the looming threat.
Another BANG—closer this time. It wasn't random. It had rhythm. Intent.
Something was moving beneath them.
Kyle's hand darted to the cockpit console, pulling up seismic readings. His screen was blinking red, but the cause remained a mystery.
It was like a targeted earthquake, for visually, nothing was shaking, nothing remotely close to how they were being thrown here and there by the quake caused by the roots.
But Kyle wasn't the only pilot awakened by this forsaken clamor.
