Chapter 120: Home Front
ARIA POV
"Get down!" Mira screamed at me.
I dove to the ground just as a blast of dark energy shot over my head. Where I’d been standing, a tree burst into splinters.
"Mira!" I rolled toward my best friend, relief rushing through me. She was alive, covered in dirt and blood, but living.
"Aria, thank the Goddess!" She pulled me behind a fallen log. "I thought you were dead when we lost contact through the network."
"I’m here now," I said, checking her for major injuries. "What’s the situation?"
"Bad," she panted. "Really bad. These aren’t just dark creatures, Aria. They’re something else. Something that knows all our flaws."
As if called by her words, one of the unknown creatures stepped into view. My breath caught in my throat. It looked almost human, but wrong in every way. Too tall, too thin, with joints that bent in places they shouldn’t. Its face was blank except for two holes where eyes should be.
"What is that thing?" Zara whispered beside me.
"I don’t know," I admitted. "But I can feel wisdom from it. These aren’t dumb monsters."
The creature turned its head toward us, even though it had no eyes. When it spoke, its voice was like grinding stone.