Kenji's grip tightened on his sword as he and Vieira crouched behind an overturned hospital cart. The hallway was dimly lit, shadows stretching unnaturally across the floor.
At the far end of the corridor, a figure stood still.
It was wrong. Its body flickered, unstable, shifting between forms...a mass of tendrils one second, a humanoid shape the next. The air around it crackled, heavy with malice.
A Shadow.
Vieira gulped. Is this the Emerged Shadow?
The creature's head snapped toward them.
Its soulless eyes locked onto Vieira.
It had seen them.
"Shit," Kenji muttered. With a swift motion, he unsheathed his sword and slashed downward, sending a wave of compressed soul energy streaking toward the creature. The glowing arc of energy ripped through the hallway, hitting the Shadow's side.
It didn't even flinch.
"RUN!" Kenji yelled.
Vieira didn't argue. They bolted down the hallway, the creature shrieking behind them as it gave chase.
"Is that the Emerged Shadow?!" Vieira asked between breaths.
"I don't know!" Kenji shot back.
Their boots slammed against the cold tile floor, weaving through debris and abandoned gurneys. But then.....they hit a dead end.
A collapsed wall blocked their escape.
Kenji turned, sword ready, stance firm. Vieira clenched his fists, heart pounding.
But when they looked back...
The Shadow was gone.
A heavy silence fell between them.
"Did we lose it?" Vieira asked.
Kenji narrowed his eyes, stepping forward cautiously. The hallway felt empty, but the air was wrong.
Something was here.
They crept back toward the main corridor, Kenji keeping his sword raised. As they rounded a corner...
They saw it.
The Shadow that had chased them was suspended in the air...twisting, convulsing.
Something was tearing it apart.
No...someone.
Another Shadow loomed over it.
Its hand was inside the first Shadow's chest, clawed fingers gripping something bright. The dying Shadow let out a final, gurgling shriek as its body collapsed into mist.
Kenji and Vieira froze.
Slowly, the new Shadow turned its head toward them.
For the first time, it spoke.
"How irritating."