The towering figure loomed before them, a gargantuan mass of jagged stone and glowing red eyes. Its form was like a crude sculpture, shaped by an ancient hand but left unfinished, as though its creator had been interrupted. The ground around it cracked and groaned, the earth itself trembling at its presence. Amira’s pulse quickened as she took in the creature's massive size.
"Okay," Alex said, his voice tight with apprehension. "This one looks like it’s going to be a bit more... challenging."
Amira nodded, her mind racing. "It’s made of stone," she muttered to herself. "If it's like the last Echo, there must be a core we can destroy, but how are we supposed to break through that ?" She motioned toward the creature’s massive, armored body, which seemed impervious to any sort of attack.
The Echo’s red eyes locked onto them, and its mouth opened with a grinding noise, as if the stones themselves were unwilling to move. "You dare defy the earth?" it boomed, its voice a low, guttural rumble that sent vibrations through the ground. "You have no place here."
Amira didn’t flinch. "We don’t have a choice. We're here to stop the disaster tearing apart our world," she said, her voice steady. She glanced at Alex, who was already checking his weapon for any weaknesses. "Let’s make this quick."
Before they could strategize further, the creature lifted one massive arm, the stone creaking as it swung toward them with terrifying speed.
"Move!" Alex shouted, grabbing Amira by the wrist and pulling her to the side. The stone fist collided with the ground where they’d been standing just seconds ago, sending debris flying. Alex barely managed to duck out of the way of the falling rubble, and Amira did the same.
"Okay, plan B: Run," Alex said, panting as he backed away from the creature.
Amira shook her head. "No running. We need to find its weakness, like before." She glanced up at the stone creature. It was enormous, but there had to be something they could use to their advantage.
The creature was now towering over them, its glowing eyes narrowing. "You cannot defeat me," it growled, stepping forward with each word. "I am the foundation of the world itself."
"Oh great," Alex muttered. "It thinks it's the boss of geology." He raised his weapon, but the stone Echo moved faster than expected, swinging its massive arm down toward them once more.
"Watch out!" Amira screamed, tackling Alex to the ground as the creature’s fist crashed into the ground just inches from where they had been standing. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the ground, knocking them both off their feet. Alex’s head hit the rocky ground hard, stars exploding in his vision.
"Not... ideal," he groaned, pushing himself up.
Amira was already back on her feet, scanning the creature’s body. She saw the glowing core embedded deep within its chest, but it was surrounded by layers of impenetrable stone.
"Focus on the core!" she shouted to Alex. "We have to find a way to expose it."
"Sure, no problem," Alex said, rolling his eyes as he stood and steadied himself. "Just as soon as I figure out how to break through a mountain of stone."
Amira’s mind raced. The stone Echo wasn’t going to stop. They had to think quickly.
She spotted a large rock formation nearby, a jagged piece of the island that had been broken away during the creature's assault. The rock was solid, but it was angled in a way that might give them the leverage they needed.
"I’ve got an idea!" she said, pointing toward the rock. "Get to that formation! We can use the environment against it."
Alex followed her lead without question, and they sprinted toward the rock formation, narrowly avoiding another swipe from the creature. The stone monstrosity roared, its voice shaking the earth.
"Do you have a real plan?" Alex asked as they reached the base of the formation, panting heavily.
"I do now," Amira replied with a determined grin. "We’re going to collapse it onto the creature and expose its core. It won’t be able to withstand its own weight."
"Sounds insane," Alex said, but there was a spark of hope in his eyes. "I’m in."
The two of them quickly surveyed the rock formation, looking for any weak points. Amira spotted a series of smaller stones wedged between the larger boulders. With a quick motion, she pulled a small explosive from her belt and planted it at the base of the formation.
"Cover your ears," she said, as she set the timer.
"Wait," Alex said, his eyes widening. "You’re blowing this thing up? Are you insane?"
"We’re already being attacked by a giant stone monster. I think we’ve moved beyond the realm of sanity," Amira shot back with a grin.
Alex muttered something about her being insane, but he didn’t argue. They scrambled behind the nearest cover as the countdown on the explosive reached its final seconds.
"Three, two, one—"
The explosion rang out, and the rock formation cracked. Massive boulders tumbled, cascading down toward the stone Echo. The ground shook violently as the stones collided with the creature, forcing it to stagger back. The sheer weight of the falling rocks was too much for the creature to withstand, and with a mighty roar, it was crushed beneath the debris.
For a moment, there was nothing but the echo of the rocks settling, dust hanging in the air. Amira and Alex peeked from behind the cover, their hearts pounding.
Did they succeed?
The smoke slowly cleared, revealing the massive, broken form of the creature. It was still twitching, its enormous body half-buried beneath the rubble. Its glowing red eyes flickered weakly, but it wasn’t moving.
“We did it,” Amira breathed. “We actually did it.”
Alex let out a relieved sigh. “I’ll never complain about rock concerts again.”
But as they approached cautiously, the ground beneath them rumbled once more, a tremor shaking through the air. This time, it wasn’t the stone Echo that was stirring.
“No way,” Alex groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
From the ruins of the stone creature’s body, a new figure emerged—smaller, but just as dangerous. It was a being made of crystal, its sharp edges gleaming in the light. The crystals hummed with an eerie resonance, and as it stood, its form began to shift, fracturing and reforming in strange, unpredictable patterns.
“It’s not over,” Amira muttered, stepping back. “This is the next Echo.”
Alex looked at her, then at the crystal creature. “I really hope it’s a good listener.”
The crystal creature raised one of its jagged arms, and as it did, the crystals around them began to vibrate in unison, glowing with a menacing light.
“Here we go again,” Alex said, his voice grim but filled with determination. “Ready?”
Amira didn’t hesitate. She lifted her weapon, her grip steady.
“Always.”