The attack started with silence.
That was the first wrong thing. Shadow beasts usually announced themselves with sounds. Growls or screams or something. These were completely quiet.
"Something's wrong," I whispered, manifesting my shade instinctively.
"I feel it too. We're being watched."
Then they emerged from every shadow simultaneously. Not one or two beasts. Dozens. More than I'd ever seen manifest at once.
"Defensive positions!" I shouted to our forces. "Stay together! Don't let them separate you!"
The beasts moved with disturbing coordination. Surrounding us. Cutting off escape routes. Working together in ways shadow beasts shouldn't be capable of.
My shade lashed out, destroying one beast. Two more immediately took its place.
"They're multiplying!" Kael's own shade was fully manifested, protecting our people. "Every one we kill spawns more!"
"Then stop killing them! Just defend! Push them back without destroying them!"
