The scream had barely faded when the first tremor rippled through the cavern. Dust rained from the ceiling, stones groaning as though the mountain itself was about to split apart.
“Form ranks!” Damian barked, his sword flashing as he drew it. The warriors scrambled into formation, their training instinctively kicking in, but the fear in their eyes was unmistakable.
Kael’s smirk sharpened as he unsheathed his blade. “Finally. Something to kill.”
Zaria lifted her flame, the golden fire answering her call with a force that rattled the air. But even with its brilliance, the cavern seemed to darken, the light devoured by something vast that crept closer.
The shadows moved first.
They poured into the cavern mouth like smoke given claws, a tide of writhing figures with eyes that burned like
