Katrina~
The distant rumble grew into a cacophony of pounding footsteps and snapping branches, shaking the dew-kissed leaves around us like an impending storm. My pulse thundered in my ears as I dropped my fighting stance, the celestial light fading from my fingertips in erratic flickers. Vincent's shadows retracted instantly, coiling back into his form like protective serpents, while Nicholas froze mid-dodge, his vampire speed halting so abruptly it left afterimages in the misty air. Winter's nightmare illusions dissolved with a whisper, the grotesque shapes melting into harmless wisps that blended with the forest's ethereal fog.
