The oppressive weight of the starlit sky pressed down on Aeliana as another wave of grotesque monsters emerged from the shadows, their guttural growls reverberating through the jagged terrain. Their twisted forms glistened faintly in the eerie light, their glowing purple eyes fixed hungrily on Luca and her.
Aeliana's breath hitched as she glanced back over Luca's shoulder. The terrain behind them was an impassable wall of jagged stone, its sharp edges and sheer incline making escape impossible. Trapped.
Her chest tightened as despair clawed its way into her heart.
'This is because of me,' she thought bitterly, her amber eyes filling with unspoken guilt. 'If I weren't here… he wouldn't be in this mess.'
Her fingers clutched at Luca's coat as her mind spiraled. 'I'm dragging him down. He could've run. He could've escaped. But because of me…'
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sound she didn't expect.
"Pffft…"