Cliff narrowly dodged a black tendril that slammed into the ground, shattering into a rain of poisonous debris. His boots slipped on the wet soil as he pivoted, slashing another vine aiming for his left flank. But the vines seemed endless, bursting forth from the shadows as if the forest itself sought to devour him.
The hooded woman stood motionless at the center of the chaos, her hands delicately raised, controlling each tendril's movement like a puppeteer with strings. Beneath her hood, her cruel smile widened with every blow landed on Cliff, and the dark aura surrounding her bent the very trees.
Cliff feinted a charge, his blade glowing faintly, but another series of vines erupted before him, forming a dense, impenetrable barrier. A moment later, a thicker tendril struck his shoulder, sending him sprawling to the ground. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he rolled to avoid another strike, leaving a smoking crater where he had just stood.
