Fenn panted on all fours, his eyes dim, his body twitching from exhaustion. His mana was gone—his magic had run dry.
That left only one.
Edwin.
He was on his knees, his body battered, his sword jammed into the dirt to keep him from
collapsing entirely. His chest heaved as if every breath was a war.
Blood dripped into one eye, blinding half his vision. His hands shook so hard that even holding the blade felt impossible.
"Damn it…" His voice cracked, raw with pain and anger. "I… I can't…"
And yet, he forced himself to rise.
His legs trembled like they would snap under his own weight, his sword barely steady in his grip, but still—he stood. The last wall between his broken team and certain death.
The Shadow Leech loomed before him, casting the clearing into deeper shadow. Its red eyes glowed across its writhing mass, every one of them locked onto Edwin.
Then its maw opened wide.
