Zoe slashed through a tendril with her blade, her movements swift and deliberate. "Mia, whatever you're doing, we need you to hurry up!" She shouted, her voice strained as she fought to protect her sister. Another tendril lashed out at her, grazing her arm and leaving a faint, smoking trail on her jacket.
Mia pressed her glowing hands firmly against the monolith, her brow furrowed in concentration. The energy flowing from her palms pulsed in time with the carvings on the stone, their light growing stronger with each second. The monolith seemed to hum with an otherworldly resonance, and the ground beneath them trembled.
The Shadow's voice cut through the chaos, low and menacing. "You waste your strength, child. This power was never meant for you." His towering form advanced, tendrils coiling protectively around him as he moved closer to Mia.
