***
Varnok's eyes flashed with a fiery intensity, and he thundered, "You think your little tricks caught me off guard, Matterinna? Think again!"
With an agility that seemed to defy the bulk of his mechanical frame, Varnok lunged at her. Before any of us could react, his mechanical tail, glistening in the ambient glow of the Aiyakan structures, slammed into Matterinna with a force that sent her skidding across the icy ground.
I felt Lucianna's hand clutch mine, her fingers trembling, while Laira whispered, "We need to get help." The three of us, propelled by desperation, raced into Antrodos' room, our frantic steps echoing through the crystalline hallway.
