The illusion exploded forward, the ground beneath its feet splitting apart as it launched like a projectile cloaked in a storm of shadowfire. In the blink of an eye, Liam's surroundings became a blur of chaos—blades of shadow and arcs of corrupted flame slashed through the air in every direction.
Liam barely managed to twist aside, his dagger scraping against one of the incoming projectiles before deflecting it into another. The collision erupted behind him in a storm of red-black fire that illuminated the sky in eerie hues. He barely had a second to breathe before the illusion was on him again, dagger flashing toward his throat.
Liam ducked low, pivoting to the side as he swung upward, sending a blast of compressed flame directly into the illusion's midsection. The explosion went off like thunder—yet when the smoke cleared, the illusion had already vanished.
From behind—
