The burning crater stretched across what used to be a dense section of forest south of Manila. Trees had been flattened outward from the impact zone like grass hit by a bomb blast. Fires spread across shattered roads and broken terrain while smoke climbed into the night sky in thick black columns.
Inside the command center, everyone stared at the thermal feed.
The massive heat signature inside the crater shifted again.
Slowly.
But undeniably.
"It's trying to stand," one of the analysts said quietly.
Adrian narrowed his eyes at the screen.
"Zoom in."
The drone camera adjusted immediately, lowering altitude while focusing on the impact site.
The image stabilized.
Then the operators saw it clearly.
One enormous wing pushed upward through the smoke first.
Burning.
Damaged.
Torn apart in several sections.
Then a claw emerged from beneath the debris, digging into the crater wall as the creature tried dragging itself upward.
"Jesus Christ…" Falcon One muttered over comms.
