We’re running out of time

The shadows pressed in around us, their movements barely visible at first, but then unmistakable, as they grew from the surrounding darkness. I could feel their eyes—or whatever they used to watch us—locked onto our group. My heart pounded in time with the crystal's pulsing energy, and I sensed the threat before I could see it. They were everywhere, silent and menacing.

"We're surrounded," Raven muttered, her hand tightening around her sword. Her voice was tense, and I didn't need to look at her to know what she was thinking. The mistrust that had been building between us since the trial was practically tangible now.

Leif took a step toward me, his eyes scanning the shadows. "What are they waiting for?" he asked. There was no immediate threat, but the air crackled with tension, like the calm before a storm.