They already knew what would happen next. The moment the red text appeared none of them panicked. They had expected a fight. They had entered and prepared for it.
Their breathing remained steady. Their formation tightened naturally.
Lilian narrowed her eyes toward the far end of the chamber.
"In front there is something moving. The trial will begin shortly. Be ready," she said calmly.
They all nodded. Each of them adjusted their grip. Ether circulated through their cores in controlled currents. Muscles tensed. No one spoke further.
A shape detached itself from the darkness.
At first it looked like a distortion in the air. Then it stepped forward.
The creature stood nearly three meters tall. It possessed two elongated heads growing from a single thick neck, each head crowned with jagged mandibles that clicked softly against one another.
