Echoes of the Past
The creature’s roar split the air as it lunged, its body surging forward in a blur of shadows and smoke. Kael reacted instantly, his blade slicing through the air with precision. The metal met resistance, not solid flesh, but a thick, writhing darkness that hissed and recoiled from the contact.
Zahra raised her hands instinctively, and the amulet around her neck pulsed with a sudden burst of heat. Light flared from it—a brilliant, moon-silver glow that shot through the gloom. The creature shrieked, reeling back as the light seared into its form, tearing away wisps of shadow.
“You carry more power than you understand,” it snarled, its voice rippling with fury. “But that light is borrowed. It will fade. And when it does… so will your hope.”
Zahra clenched her fists, f
