The shadows coalesced into jagged, humanoid forms, their edges fraying like burnt paper. They possessed no faces, only swirling voids where eyes should have been, and they moved with an unnatural, fluid grace that defied the laws of anatomy. My companions fanned out instinctively, forming a defensive perimeter around me.
"Selene, leave them to me," I commanded, my voice deeper than usual, resonating with a metallic edge. "These are not soldiers. They are manifestations of the void I just helped seal. They are hungry for the tether we share."
Nyra hesitated, her hand trembling on the hilt of her blade. "Lucien, they look like extensions of you. If you strike them, will it hurt you?"
I did not answer. I simply stepped forward, the floorboards groaning under the sudden surge of pressure ra
