The Shape on the Horizon

The closer they got, the clearer the “big thing” became. It was massive—easily larger than anything Dren had ever seen before—but its shape was hard to define. It seemed to shift as he moved, parts of it disappearing into the heat haze only to reappear elsewhere.

“Okay, not gonna lie,” Dren said, shading his eyes. “This is starting to freak me out a little.”

The construct stopped abruptly, letting out a sharp, high-pitched tone.

“What? What is it?” Dren asked, spinning around.

The construct’s gaze was fixed on the horizon, where the faint outline of the “big thing” now seemed to pulse with light. Dren followed its gaze, squinting.

“Is it… calling to us?” he whispered, half to himself.

For the first time, the construct turned to face him directly, its single, glowing eye locking onto his.

“Okay, yeah, I get it. Less talking, more walking,” Dren said, hopping back onto its back. “Let’s go, buddy.”