The first thing Kelly felt was a chill, a primal sense of danger crawling up her spine as terror gripped her mind and made it hard to breathe.
From Elyndra erupted a black mist that spread like a dome, swallowing everything in its depths. The gloomy sky above vanished, replaced by an inky darkness that seemed to consume the world itself.
The fighting stopped. Everyone froze, trembling under the weight of fear that sank into their bones.
Then the shadows came.
Human-shaped, arms outstretched, bodies made of pure darkness, they appeared behind the teenagers they fought, wrapping around them with a grip that was cold and unyielding. Their voices echoed together, deep and hollow:
"I am death. Come into my embrace."
Kelly watched in horror as the teenagers' bodies began to rot while they screamed, begging for it to stop. But the shadows' grip was unbreakable. One by one, they wailed, decaying in agonizing torment.
