Guess training's over...
Lilith's whip coiled tightly in her hand as she scanned the area. "Tell me that's just the mountain settling."
"It's not," Eris said grimly, her emerald eyes darting toward the shadows. "Something's coming."
From the fissures in the ground, a dark, viscous substance began to ooze, spreading like ink across the rocky terrain. The air grew colder, and an oppressive energy settled over the group.
Adrian tightened his grip on his sword, his fiery chains reigniting with a fierce glow. "Everyone, get ready."
The goddesses formed a loose circle around him, their banter forgotten as they prepared for whatever was emerging from the darkness. The shadows coalesced, taking shape into something massive and menacing.
And then, with a deafening roar, it rose—a monstrous, multi-limbed creature with glowing red eyes and a body that seemed to shift and writhe like living darkness.