Shadow Eyes and Xanor stood back-to-back, utterly spent. Dust and the acrid stench of burnt buildings clung to the air. Their armor was scored with countless white claw marks. Before them, the Wendigos closed in, their icy breath fogging the already dim light.
"How many minutes more, Shadow? I'm nearing my limit," Xanor asked, his voice strained, a genuine confusion clouding his exhaustion.
"Five more, give or take," Shadow Eyes grunted, her dagger a blur as it cut open a leaping Wendigo. The beast's carcass turned instantly dropped dead on the ground.
Her gaze swept over the relentless tide of monsters. Her mind was racing, calculating the spiritual toll of her ultimate move against the near-certainty of being overwhelmed. She made her decision, the last, most desperate one.
"Xanor," she said, her voice dropping to a low, intense whisper. "Stay close to me. Right now."
