The biggest portal yet ripped open right above their heads.
This one was different. Instead of purple or red light, it was completely black. And the darkness wasn't empty—it was moving. Writhing like it was alive.
"Run!" Lyra screamed, but there was nowhere to go.
Creatures poured out of the shadow portal like water from a broken dam. But these weren't like the other monsters. These looked exactly like people they knew, except their eyes were hollow black holes and they moved wrong—too fast, too smooth, like they were floating instead of walking.
Emma gasped as she saw herself step out of the portal. Shadow Emma had the same silver hair, the same small hands, but when she smiled, her teeth were sharp as knives.
"Hello, little light," Shadow Emma said in a voice that sounded like Emma's but backwards. "I've been waiting so long to meet you."
