章 160: The Aftermath

The stillness in the air was palpable as Emily surveyed the aftermath of their grueling battle. The shadow creature had been vanquished, its formless body dissipating into the air like smoke, but the toll it had taken on her and the group was evident. Injuries, both visible and internal, weighed heavy on each of them. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, eyes darting nervously around the chamber, as if expecting the creature to reassemble itself from the darkness that seemed to pool at the corners of the room.

Emily leaned against a jagged stone wall, wiping the sweat from her brow. The blood on her arm had dried in dark streaks, but the ache in her muscles persisted. She glanced at her companions, seeing the exhaustion mirrored in their faces. Valen was nursing a wound on his side, Darius had a limp, and Lira's hand trembled slightly, whether from shock or fatigue, Emily couldn't tell.

"That was close," Darius muttered, wincing as he adjusted his weight. "Too close."