Shadows fell deeper around them as the dark forms stepped forward, their twisted bodies emerging from the bottom of the chasm. The air vibrated with the strength of their presence, a low, vibrating hum resonating in Elira's chest. Kael stepped ahead, his tense body braced for battle, but his gaze flew to Elira with an unspoken request: stay close. Her heart faltered as she nodded, drawing strength from their bond.
They couldn't help but face the terror that was unfolding before them.
"Don't look away," Kael whispered to himself. "If you do, they'll get you."
Elira's breath froze as the creatures emerged from the shadows fully, their horrid bodies becoming more defined by the second. They were not creatures of any world she had ever known—monsters not of any world, their deformed bodies twisted into impossible forms, their eyes dark holes, their eyes starving and cold.
