Elise and Yuna faced the pack of shadowy monsters in the courtyard, the air thick with tension. Their glowing red eyes pierced the darkness like coals in a furnace, bodies shifting with unnatural fluidity.
Each creature's form writhed as though not fully solid, outlines flickering as if born from living shadow. The two mages stood shoulder to shoulder, every muscle coiled, every breath shallow, not knowing what woyld happen if they made any mistake.
The first monster lunged, jaws snapping with a hollow hiss. Elise pivoted on her heel, her sword blazing with mana. The blade cut in a clean arc, slicing through the creature's torso. Its form disintegrated into a smoky wisp, vanishing with an ear-piercing shriek.
Before Elise could recover her stance, another monster darted from behind, claws raised.
