The Coreborn

Torhelm was stunned.

The city held its breath. A terrible, weighty silence settled over the walls, stretching long enough for dread to take root. No hum of the Core. No reassuring crackle of the Tesla defences. Just stillness.

Then a shout. It came from the eastern wall, then another, and another, rolling outward like a shockwave, shattering the silence.

Guards scrambled to their positions, hands flying over levers and switches, activating what defences they could without power. Reinforced barricades groaned as they slid into place, ammunition was hauled to the walls, and long-range ballistae were cranked back, ready for whatever horror the mists might spit forth. From the ramparts, Sentinel Captains barked orders, their soldiers moving with the precision of a force that had trained for this moment every day of their lives. The Core failing was unheard of, but an attack on the city? That was a drill the Sentinels knew by heart.

Alyssa’s father was already moving, voice cutting through the chaos. Engineers surged around him, springing into action. Alyssa turned to where he stood, locked in tense discussion with three other engineers.

“Thomas, run to the reactor. Find out what’s happened. Tell the team that I’ll be there as soon as I get a read on the Tesla emplacements. Right now, our priority is getting the walls and defences back online, but I want them ready for me.”

Thomas gave a sharp nod and sprinted in the direction of the mountain.

“Jarvis, find Marek. I need him here now.”

The second engineer vanished into the crowd. Alyssa’s father turned to the last, an auburn-haired woman standing rigidly at attention.

“Sarah, you’re with me. We might be able to reroute power from the backups, at least enough to give us a fighting chance.” He gestured toward the swirling mists beyond the wall. “If we can’t… well, let’s just hope we can.”

Alyssa stepped forward. “What can I do, Da?”

He turned to her, his expression softening, but only just. “You can get off the wall, Alyssa. This is no place for you. Go to Lyra’s. You’ll be safe in the Heights.”

Lyra, the daughter of the Head Councillor, had been her closest friend for as long as she could remember. A couple of years younger, she’d always felt more like a little sister than a peer. But right then, being at her house was the last place Alyssa wanted to be. Her chest tightened.

“But I can help -”

“I know you can, girl.” His voice was firm but not unkind. “But I can’t be worrying about you while I’m trying to keep this city standing. I need to focus. And with you here, I can’t.”

He rested a hand on her shoulder, just for a moment. “Please, Alyssa. Go.”

Her fists clenched at her sides, but she nodded. She grabbed her kit from that morning’s work round and turned away.

One glance back, but her father was already striding toward the power station. Run and hide? The thought burned in her mind. Not a chance. What good would she be, shut away in Lyra’s mansion while the city fought for its life? While her father and the wall garrison stood against whatever horror was coming? Absolutely not.

Jaw set, she turned and ran, not toward the mountain, but along the wall, in the opposite direction. She had no plan, no idea what she could do, but doing something was better than doing nothing. She’d just have to figure it out along the way.

If she wanted to escape notice, she’d have to be careful, as any Sentinel Wardens who spotted her would send her straight off the wall, unwilling to be responsible for a young engineer’s injury, or worse, her death.

Keeping low, Alyssa moved toward the nearest Tesla emplacement, its tall, imposing column piercing the skyline of the wastelands beyond. Thirty-two emplacements lined the wall, their power alone holding back the chaos of the Corelands for decades. Their creation had marked the first time that Torhelm had seemed safe, but without them, the city suddenly felt exposed. Defenceless.

Excerpt from The Defences of Torhelm by Willem Harrow

Tesla Emplacements (n.) – Reverse-engineered from pre-catastrophe technology, the Tesla emplacements harness the power of the fusion reactor itself, unleashing devastating arcs of energy capable of bringing down even the largest of threats.

A captain’s bellow rang out across the wall, “HOLD”. The Wardens stood tense, ready, waiting for the next command. Thankfully, this meant that they faced away from the rest of the wall’s walkway and gave Alyssa an easier route through.

She slipped through the Tesla relay’s door, easing it shut behind her. Pulling out her console, she scanned the readings from the core connectors, the intricate web of conduits that drew power from the Core and distributed it across the city. A faint pulse ran through the backup grid, but that was only meant to sustain necessities – water, lighting, and basic infrastructure. It was never designed to power the Tesla network.

A flicker of movement beyond the wall caught her eye. Alyssa leaned toward the viewport, peering into the shifting haze.

She froze.

Beyond the wall, something moved within the mist, massive, hulking. Just a shadow at first, then details began to emerge. A pair of enormous tusks. A towering frame, thick with muscle and armoured hide. It was a Ferox Behemoth.

This was no ordinary threat. It was a city-killer, a creature of devastation and legend. Few had ever seen one and lived to tell of it. Nearly 100 feet tall, it was still dwarfed by Torhelm’s 300-foot walls, but what did that matter if it reached the gates? If the walls fell, if the city’s defences buckled, it wouldn’t just be the Behemoth they’d have to face. Everything in the Corelands would come for them.

Excerpt from Bestiary of the Corelands by Willem Hargrave

Ferox Behemoth (n.) A Behemoth is not just a beast. It is calamity given form. Its hide is thick, as strong as steel, gnarled and scarred from battles it has never lost. Bones jut from its back like broken spears. And its eyes burn with a promise to bring ruin to any who stand in its way.

It threw its head back and bellowed, the sound reverberating through the stone beneath Alyssa’s feet. Energy crackled in its eyes, surging through its monstrous form. With each step, the ground trembled. In the old world, stories said that it had been called an elephant, but it had been warped, twisted, and remade.

Tides, how could something that big even exist? What could they possibly hope to do against it?

Her breath came in sharp, shallow bursts, fingers digging into the viewing panel, her knuckles turning white. Move. Think. Do something. But her body refused to obey, terror’s firm grip holding her still. The behemoth swung its colossal head, a baleful eye locking onto the city, and then, with slow, earth-shaking steps, it began its approach. This was the end. How could it not be?

The wall erupted with shouts from the wardens lining its edge. Alyssa’s brow furrowed. They didn’t sound like cries of fear? It almost sounded like they were…..cheering. A nightmare incarnate was marching toward them, and they were cheering?

She darted to the door, pressing herself against the frame and peered through a narrow gap. At the centre of the wall, ten figures stood, surrounded by sentinels pounding their breastplates in a steady rythym, welcoming their saviours. Power rippled around them like a heat haze, their forms illuminated by a soft, pulsing glow. The Coreborn had arrived.

She had glimpsed Coreborn before, but standing before them now, poised for battle, was an entirely different thing.

Alyssa’s gaze swept over each of them, taking in their heroic stature. One, a walking fortress, held an impressive shield and hammer, arcs of energy crackling along the metal. Another stood poised with a sleek rifle, its core faintly glowing, while a lean warrior shifted at their side, twin blades catching the light. Others wielded polearms, gauntlets sparking with raw energy. All of them fixed on the Behemoth with unwavering focus.

Excerpt from The Coreborn Doctrine by Magnus Veyne
Coreborn are not simply soldiers. They are weapons. Each class serves a distinct purpose on the battlefield, and together, they are the strongest defence humanity has left.

Titan Coreborn – “Titan Coreborn possess enhanced physical strength, capable of feats well beyond human limits. They are trained in close-quarters combat, excelling with heavy weaponry such as war hammers, greatswords, and shields. Their strikes can fracture stone, dent reinforced steel, and overpower most Ferox in direct combat.”

Phantom Coreborn – “Phantom Coreborn are the fastest combatants on the field, their reflexes and agility honed to near-instantaneous reactions. They specialise in precision strikes, wielding dual blades, daggers, and light weaponry to overwhelm enemies before they can react. Their ability to evade and reposition makes them invaluable for high-risk engagements.”

Aegis Coreborn – “Aegis Coreborn reinforce their bodies with internalised energy, increasing durability and accelerating their healing. They can withstand significant trauma, making them ideal for frontline defence. Many wield shields and heavy armour, acting as living bulwarks against enemy forces.”

Ascendant Coreborn – “Ascendant Coreborn are ranged specialists, capable of projecting their energy outward through weapons or direct blasts. They are trained with rifles, bows, and other ranged weaponry, using their energy to enhance firepower. Their precision and adaptability allow them to control battlefields from a distance.”

But ten? There should be more. The Coreborn were Torhelm’s strongest line of defence. Where the hell were the rest?

The answer hit her. The power was down and without it, the automated alarms wouldn’t have sounded at the Coreborn barracks. Anyone stationed farther from the wall would have to make it here on foot.

A message woud have been sent and she knew they would be on their way, but would they come fast enough? Would ten be enough to face down the awful monstrosity bearing down on the city? Surely they needed more.

The behemoth let out a deafening bellow.

The Coreborn did not flinch.

Then, moving as one, with a single, fluid motion, they leapt. Three hundred feet, straight down. They hit the ground, landing with explosive force, stone cracking beneath their feet, dust billowing out. None hesitated, even for an instant. The giant lifted his shield, hammer sparking with raw energy. The twin-bladed warrior vanished, reappearing at the behemoth’s flank.

All at once, they charged.

Come on. Come on. Alyssa clenched her fists, willing them on.

The first to strike was the giant. His shield met the behemoth’s foreleg with a thunderous crack, the impact shaking the air. Alyssa braced for the worst – an ant colliding with a mountain. But instead, the beast howled in agony. Its massive frame shuddered, recoiling as it reared back. Then- slam – it brought its immense  feet down, a wave of pure force rippling outward. The Coreborn was hurled backwards, twisting midair before smashing his hammer into the ground, slowing his fall. He skidded to a stop, shield already raised, charging again before the dust had even settled.

The battle unfolded in a blur of impossible movement.

A streak of silver, the twin-bladed warrior, danced between the behemoth’s tree-trunk legs, striking and vanishing in the space between heartbeats before landing in a crouch and blurring away once more.

To their left, a rifleman took aim, energy pulsing along the barrel. They fired. A bolt of raw power lanced through the air, exploding against the behemoth’s shoulder in a crackling burst of blue-white light. A scorched wound marked its hide and the beast recoiled before swinging its head, glaring at the creatures that dared defy it.

The behemoth’s titanic trunk lashed downward, whipping toward a lone Coreborn standing firm in its path. The green-eyed warrior didn’t move. They didn’t need to. The strike hit but stopped. The air shimmered around them, luminescent blue streaking across their skin as their reinforced body absorbed the impact, boots skidding inches back before they locked back into place.

Above, a projectile wielder took their opening, leaping into the air. They twisted and drew their bow, an arrow of pure energy crackling in their grip. Release. The shot cut through the sky, striking deep into the behemoth’s side. It howled again, its monstrous body jerking in torment.

In the same instant, another Coreborn surged forward, polearm spinning, aiming for the behemoth’s knees, seeking to sever tendons and bring it crashing down. Their strike met flesh, bit deep, but they were met with a powerful kick, sending them flying back through the air.

Alyssa watched, letting out a long whooshing breath. By the core, this was what it meant to be a Coreborn. A relentless, seamless force, each fighter an extension of the other, striking in perfect sync. Surely, even a titan like this would fall before them.

And yet, it wasn’t enough.

The behemoth pulled back, its colossal frame shifting, not in pain, but in calculation. Alyssa’s breath caught. It was thinking.

A low hum built along its tusks, subtle at first, a glimmer appearing at their centre. A feeling of wrongness seemed to emanate from it. As the glow intensified, the eerie light surged, racing across their surface. The Coreborn faltered, pulling themselves up, clearly sensing that something awful was coming. They turned to leap away. Alyssa’s eyes widened in recognition. “Move -”

The air cracked apart. A shockwave ripped outward, not a wild burst, but a precise counterstrike. The Coreborn barely had time to react. The force hurled them from their feet, their armour shearing like paper. Though far away, Alyssa knew some would never rise again. Even the green-eyed warrior, the one who had stood unshaken against the mighty blow, lay groaning, a jagged wound slashed across his torso.

The survivors staggered to their feet, weapons raised, but the behemoth was still moving. It seemed invincible as it thudded inexorably towards the walls. Nothing would be able to stop it now.

Alyssa’s heart pounded. She was just an engineer. She knew that. She was supposed to run. But how could she? The Coreborn were heroes, throwing themselves against an immense foe to protect her, to protect Torhelm. Her fingers clenched at her side. And then…..heat? Something pressed against her, tingling even through the fabric of her trousers. Frowning, she reached into her pocket. It was the bracer.

She pulled it free, staring at it. It was glowing, the warmth she had felt before feeling hotter now. Faint light ran through the strange symbols etched along its surface, flickering like a heartbeat. At its core, the crystal shimmered with an internal luminescence, shifting inside. Was it reacting to something? It almost felt familiar as she peered closer.

Alyssa’s breath hitched. No. It couldn’t be. Her hands shook as she yanked her scanner from her bag, running it over the device. Numbers flickered across the screen. Power levels. High ones. Readings she’d only ever seen in one place before – the fusion reactor.

She raced to the Tesla hub, hands trembling as she yanked out two of the cables connecting to the core conduit. This wouldn’t work. This little bracer couldn’t possibly hold enough power. Could it? Through the viewport, the Behemoth loomed closer, its great chest rising and falling, steam hissing from its maw. No time.

Alyssa sprinted to the console, fingers flying over the controls as she entered the override codes. The turret switched to manual.

Please, please, please.

She slammed the ignition lever forward.

10%. 20%. 50%. The power gauge climbed impossibly higher.

75%. 100%!

Her fist slammed into the firing trigger –

Nothing.

For one horrible second, the world held still.

Then –

BOOM.

The Tesla surged to life, a bolt of blinding lightning lancing through the air and striking the Behemoth square in the chest. The monster reared back, its agonised bellow shaking the walls.

BOOM.

Another strike, this time, the beast crashed to its knees.

Alyssa’s breath came in ragged puffs. It worked. She actually did it –

The console flickered. The power levels plummeted.

No. No, no, no, Tides, no.

Her gaze snapped to the screen. The Tesla was draining the bracer’s power too fast. The energy reserves were vanishing.

Through the viewport, the Behemoth moved. Slowly, impossibly, it rose to its feet. It wasn’t enough. Torhelm was going to fall.

And then, the power roared back to life.

Alyssa gasped.

Electricity flooded the walls, the beautiful, wonderful hum buzzing through the air. The Tesla towers reactivated.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Lightning rained down, the strikes relentless, each one hammering into the beast, sending shudders rippling through its towering frame. The snarls turned to screeches. The Behemoth staggered, its hulking body burning with raw energy. It turned, no longer seeing a weakened prey, but a fortress, and with a final, furious bellow, it lurched away, crippled by the awesome power of the wall.

Alyssa sagged against the console, breath hitching. She hadn’t even realised she was holding it. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed onto the cold concrete floor, her hands shaking uncontrollably.

This close.

They had been this close to destruction.

A trembling laugh slipped from her lips, but it died quickly. The hum of power had returned. The city was safe. However, the wall was silent. Alyssa swallowed, turning toward the viewport. The Behemoth was gone, but the battlefield in all of its horror remained.

The ground outside the walls was scarred, deep gouges carved into the earth where massive feet had torn through the soil. Chunks of stone and splintered debris littered the battlefield, remnants of the Behemoth’s rampage. The air still hummed with residual static, the lingering ghost of the Tesla strikes. And the Coreborn….

Her stomach twisted. Some were rising, gathering, pulling each other to their feet. Others lay still.

Far below, a lone figure remained unmoving, their weapon buried in the dirt beside them. A Sentinel knelt next to them, shoulders hunched. No victory cheers. No celebration. The weight of loss lay heavy across the wall.

She forced herself up, legs still trembling, and staggered to the exit. She couldn’t stay here. She had to go – before anyone saw her, before her father found out.

She pushed through the door, heading straight for the lift. Her limbs felt heavy, her head feeling dizztly – but she couldn’t stop.

Relief flooded through her when the machine whirred to life, and only when the doors slid shut did she let out another shaking breath. The hum of the lift filled the silence. The battle was over, but the echoes of it clung to her – the crack of lightning, the Behemoth’s screams, the bodies that hadn’t moved.

She pressed a hand to her forehead, exhaling slowly. Later. She’d process it later. Right now, she had to go.

The lift jolted to a stop. Alyssa forced her legs to move, stepping out into a city that buzzed with frantic energy. People huddled in worried clusters, pointing toward the wall, voices hushed but anxious. They didn’t know. Not really. She swallowed hard and pushed forward. She needed to get to Lyra’s house before her father realised she’d never gone straight there.

As she reached the station, she nearly sagged with relief. A tram bound for the Heights still sat there, not yet restarted on its rounds after the power outage. She leapt aboard, flicking a drab toward the driver before slumping into a seat and pressing her forehead against the cool glass of the window. The city rolled past – groups of citizens talking in hushed, frantic tones, their gazes darting between each other and the wall.

She closed her eyes. Calm down.

By the time the tram reached the Heights, Alyssa had steadied herself. She jumped off and made her way to Lyra’s house, her steps quick but no longer frantic. It was easy to spot – the head councillor’s home was a jewel even among the grand estates of the district.

Excerpt from The Heights: Torhelm’s Pillars of Power by Camilla Roe
“The Head Councillor’s estate is no mere home—it is a monument. A fortress of stone and glass, rising above the Heights as a symbol of leadership and stability. To the people of Torhelm, it stands as both a beacon of guidance and a testament to the city’s enduring strength.”

As she stepped through the gates, a voice rang out from the doorway.

“Oh my god, Alyssa – where the hell have you been?”

Lyra launched herself forward, nearly knocking Alyssa off her feet as she threw her arms around her.

“Your father sent word that you were supposed to come straight here!” Lyra pulled back, looking her up and down. “And then with the power going out, what was that about by the way, and the attack on the walls,” She shook her head, eyes wild. “When you didn’t show up, I thought the worst. Don’t ever do that again.”

Alyssa held up her hands. “Okay, okay – Lyra, breathe.”

Lyra glared.

“I’m sorry! I got caught up, and I just made it here. But please, don’t say anything to my Da. If you think the hell on the walls was bad, wait till you see what happens if he finds out I didn’t come straight here.”

“Don’t be stupid, Alyssa. Of course I won’t say anything. I’ve always got your back.” Lyra crossed her arms, but an eager gleam lit her eyes. “As long as you tell me everything that happened. Leave out a single detail, and I swear to god, I will kick you so hard your leg will fall off.”

Alyssa huffed a tired laugh. “As if I wouldn’t. Come on, let’s go inside. I’ve never felt this exhausted in my life.”

Lyra led the way upstairs to her room, the space as familiar to Alyssa as her own home. They had known each other for so long, there had never been secrets between them.

Alyssa recounted the events of the morning, sparing no detail. The power outage. The wall. The Behemoth. The Coreborns. Lyra gasped when Alyssa described the ferocity of the battle, cringing when she recounted the monster’s counterattack. But when it came to the bracer, Alyssa wavered. She didn’t know what it meant yet. Didn’t know how to explain it. So instead, she skipped ahead to the power returning, letting the rest of the story unfold as if nothing had been left out.

Lyra flopped back onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. “I can’t believe all of that happened. I swear the power was only out for an hour. And here I was, just annoyed that I couldn’t have a hot shower.”

Alyssa smirked, but Lyra’s expression darkened.

“Still, though… don’t you think it’s weird?” She sat up again, frowning. “The power dies, and a Behemoth just happens to show up? It’s ridiculous. The council was already arguing about power failures last week, and now this?”

Alyssa hadn’t thought about that. But now that she did, Lyra had a point.

She chewed her lip. “It’s never safe anywhere these days. Is it that unlikely that a powerful Ferox beast just happened to be nearby?”

Even as she said it, doubt crept in. It wasn’t just any Ferox beast. It was a Behemoth. A city-killer. And it hadn’t just been nearby. It had attacked right then. Her stomach twisted. It was only midday, and yet it felt like an entire lifetime had passed. She felt utterly drained, like she’d run a marathon she couldn’t remember running.

Alyssa let out a slow breath, allowing herself a moment of quiet, a moment to believe it was over. But as she stared at the ceiling, the words stuck in her mind. A freak occurrence. It didn’t feel like one. Something about it, the timing, the behemoth, the way the Core had failed, itched at the back of her mind. She turned her head toward Lyra, who had started rambling about the council’s politics, completely at ease. Alyssa wanted to let it go. She really did. But deep down, she knew.

This wasn’t over.