The shadowed corridor pulsed with danger. No matter how many they cut down, more emerged—clawing from cracks in the walls, seeping out of the floor like tar given form.
Luca's breaths were steady, blades slick with smoke and shadow ichor.
Lilliane stood beside him, wand glowing faintly, her spells a storm of ice, flame, and light.
But it wasn't enough.
The darkness crept closer.
That voice returned, slithering through the air like maggots through flesh.
"Jjijiejeijee…"
Luca's grip tightened. That laugh again.
It wasn't just mocking—it enjoyed this. Watching them struggle. Like a child ripping wings off a trapped butterfly.
Suddenly—
"Hey…"
A voice, small—fragile—cut through the chaos beside him.
"Wh-why d-did you come to save me-e?" Lilliane asked, her voice trembling even as her wand launched a streak of fire into an approaching figure.
Luca spun and sliced another creature down in a single motion.
