Leo lunged forward, his weapon clutched tightly in his hands. The artifact's energy surged through him, granting him speed and strength beyond his usual limits. The massive creature—a towering amalgamation of stone and bone—turned its attention toward him, its eyes burning with a fierce red glow.
The other Reclaimers were pinned down, struggling to find an opening in the creature's defenses. Sofia was shouting orders, but the beast's relentless assault made it difficult for the team to regroup.
Leo ducked under a massive swipe of the creature's clawed limb, rolling to the side to avoid a crushing blow. He came up firing, his shots finding weak points in the creature's stony hide. Each impact shattered pieces of rock, causing the creature to roar in pain and frustration.
"Rivers, what are you doing?" Sofia called out, her voice a mix of surprise and concern. "Fall back!"
But Leo couldn't afford to fall back. The creature's attention was entirely on him, and he knew this was their best chance to turn the tide of the battle. He moved with agility he didn't know he possessed, dodging and weaving around the creature's attacks.
As the beast swung its tail toward him, Leo leaped into the air, flipping over the incoming strike. He landed on the creature's back, holding on as it thrashed about. With the artifact's power coursing through him, he drove his weapon into the creature's exposed neck, channeling energy into the strike.
The creature let out a deafening roar, collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash. The other Reclaimers watched in stunned silence as Leo slid down from the creature's back, breathing heavily but unharmed.
"Did you see that?" Owen Carter, the team's tech expert, exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Leo just took down a Titan-class beast by himself!"
Sofia approached Leo, her expression a mix of awe and caution. "How did you do that?" she asked, her voice low.
Leo glanced at the artifact in his hand. It was no longer glowing as intensely, but he could still feel its energy within him. "I'm not sure," he replied, his own voice tinged with uncertainty. "It just... happened."
Sofia narrowed her eyes, studying him carefully. "This isn't normal, Rivers. We need to get you back to base and figure out what's going on."
Leo nodded, knowing that he couldn't ignore what had just occurred. He had changed, and he needed answers. But as the team prepared to leave, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.