The Void Stalker struck with the fury of a creature that had finally recognized a true threat. Six shadow limbs lashed out in perfect coordination while its massive form lunged forward, that nightmare maw stretching wide enough to swallow Alex whole. The darkness didn't just attack—it consumed, trying to drain the very light from his flames.
Alex's Combat Echo kicked into overdrive, his borrowed instincts reading the creature's attack pattern in the split second before impact. The beast was committing everything to this assault, abandoning defense for raw overwhelming force. 'A mistake born of desperation,' he thought.
Instead of dodging backward as the creature expected, Alex stepped forward into the attack. Phantom Step activated again, draining his already depleted stamina as his body flickered out of phase. The shadow claws passed through empty air where he'd been standing, and he rematerialized directly beneath the Stalker's extended form.
