The corridor split into a black cruciform and swallowed sound.
Chaewon and Tyler stood back to back.
Two shapes stepped out of the dark.
On her side, a man made beast. Shoulders like a doorframe, arms too long, jaw ticking as if relearning bite. It looked at Chaewon and never spoke.
On his side, an undead Tyler. Same height, same reach, eyes sunk and empty. It raised a spear and did not use it to attack. Black sigils crawled up its forearms like ivy.
Tyler breathed once.
\[Command: Anchor] settled on Chaewon, a quiet weight at her hips that kept balance from sliding.
The undead mirror answered with \[Mourner's Cant]. The beast's muscles tightened and healed where they should have failed.
Chaewon moved first.
\[Aquasteel] pressured the edge until the blade hummed. She set a shallow cut along the beast's forearm to mark tendons for later.
It charged. No feint. No care.
