The bloody moon glowed ominously overhead, staining the forest in shades of crimson. Shadows seemed to stretch unnaturally long, and the air grew heavier, as though the night itself was holding its breath.
Yu Xuan's eyes narrowed. "Sister, wait. Don't charge at them."
Lingluo, though itching to strike, nodded and remained at his back, her aura suppressed. The soft crunch of approaching footsteps echoed faintly through the silence… and then, just as suddenly, vanished.
Both siblings stiffened.
Yu Xuan immediately activated his sight. Through layers of trees and shifting shadows, he caught glimpses of them — figures moving silently, like phantoms.
They were tall, close to six feet, their arms unnaturally elongated, hands gripping jagged daggers that gleamed faintly under the bloody moonlight. Their faces, disturbingly handsome, bore no humanity in their expressions. From their sockets glowed a sickly, bloody red light that made Yu Xuan's chest tighten.
