The creature that emerged was unlike anything we had faced before—its body was an amalgamation of shadows and steel, pulsating with a dark, violet glow. It towered above the mansion ruins, each step sending shockwaves that rippled through the earth. I could feel its energy trying to consume the surroundings, a corrosive force that smelled like sulfur and decay.
"Lea," Hugo called, his voice deep and commanding. "It's feeding off the residual energy from the rift. We can't let it reach the core."
"I know," I breathed, summoning the cool surge within me. Mint-scented mist began to swirl around my body, a translucent shield forming as droplets lifted into the air, glimmering under the crimson sky. The moment my pheromone spread, it mixed with Hugo's lime scent, igniting a faint spark between us.
He shot me a quick glance, his lips curving into that familiar half-smirk. "You ready, my partner?"
"Always."
Then we moved.
