The shadow engulfed the battlefield like a stormcloud, plunging the area into an eerie twilight. The massive form rising from the sea cast its oppressive presence over the platforms, and a bone-chilling roar vibrated through the air, freezing every adventurer in place.
Elara, still slumped on the ground, barely managed to lift her head as a colossal tentacle arced upward, its glossy surface reflecting the dim light. Her breath hitched as the monstrous appendage descended with terrifying speed, aimed directly at her position.
She tried to move, her hands scrambling weakly for her staff, but her body refused to obey. Her mana reserves were too low, her limbs too heavy. The realization struck her like ice in her veins—she couldn't escape.
The tentacle crashed down with a deafening BOOM, the platform beneath it shuddering violently. Splinters of wood and icy shards flew in every direction as the force of the impact rippled outward.