The Frog and the flying horses hovered above the city square, watching the thick clouds of smoke, raging fires, shattered buildings, the deafening roars of monsters echoing throughout the city, and the wailing of emergency sirens.
The Frog called out, "Sialy! Vizela! Activate your half-mechanical vision systems and look down. Tell us what you see. Describe the monsters!"
The two half-mechanical beings looked toward the ground. After a few moments, they raised their heads and said, "What a terrible battle! Everyone is gathered there—machines and monsters alike—destroying everything in their path. They are waiting for us: the Wild Cat, the Flying Eyes, the Kraken, Magis, the Savage Wolves, and the Burning Birds!"
Along the city's perimeter, security forces were launching missiles and combat drones in a desperate attempt to stop the invasion.
There were two clocks. One stood inside the palace, running counterclockwise as it neared its final explosion. The other stood in the center of the city, its hands spinning faster and faster with every passing second.
One clock sought to drag humanity back to the Stone Age, while the other sought to thrust it into the Age of Machines.