As Hades and Aurelia moved deeper into Ephyrae, the ruins loomed around them with crumbling structures swallowed by vines that pulsed faintly with magic.
Aurelia barely had time to react before the earth beneath them cracked open. A pulse of dark energy rippled outward, sending jagged stone bursting into the air. She stumbled back, reaching for Hades, but before she could grasp him, something huge and inhuman erupted from the shadows.
A monstrous form lunged at them. It was a creature with scales, elongated limbs, and too many jagged teeth. Its eyes gleamed with intelligence, and the moment Aurelia locked onto them, she knew this was no ordinary beast.