Before either could relax further, a low rumble echoed through the ruins, and the ground cracked beneath their feet. Both of them froze, instincts kicking in again. From the smoke and molten rock, a shadow emerged, larger than before, its outline jagged and trembling with barely contained power.
Elesch whispered, more to herself than to Adam, "Looks like we just woke the real one."
Adam's claws flexed automatically. "Guess we're not done yet," he said.
The new presence radiated an oppressive energy, blacker and hotter than anything they had faced. Flames licked the edges of the battlefield, and the air seemed to warp around it. The shadow moved closer, and in its wake, the ruins trembled as if bowing to its power.
Elesch tightened her grip on her rapier, void energy flaring wildly. Adam crouched low, spikes bristling along his back, wings flexing, tail coiled like a spring.
