"Sssthhrreee—" the creature hissed, its voice an unholy mix of shattered crystal and grating metal. It hurt to hear, slicing invisibly at my eardrums, pulling a cold shiver up the back of my neck. I flinched, eyes narrowing as it stepped further into view. Its movements cracked the ice beneath its feet, splintering the ground with each measured stride.
Then the mist stirred with soft, pale light that flowed around its form like living frost. For a brief moment, it resembled liquid nitrogen spilling into the air, instantly freezing the space around it. The haze distorted its body, swallowing its shape into eerie blue smoke. Chilly tendrils wrapped around my arms, tightening like a promise.
I didn't hesitate. My hand curled, and the {Surgeon's Scalpel} manifested at my fingertips. A razor-thin blade of blood, sharp and trembling, born of my own veins. My heart pulsed, pushing crimson along its edge.
I steadied my breath.
Whoosh
It attacked without warning.
