The creature lunged, cold and suffocating. Elian
dodged, but the shadow was fast. His staff
shattered under a blow. He was cornered against the statue.
The whispers in his head turned into a deafening roar. In that moment of absolute terror, Elian didn't look at the shadow; he looked at the Sunstone. Herealized the stone didn'tjust hold light, it amplified
it.
It's not just about what you hear, it's about what you give, he thought.
Elian placed both hands on the Sunstone statue, not trying to take the energy, but to activate it.The silver patch on his head flared briiantly. A beam of white light erupted from the statue,
passing through Elian and hitting the shadow creature.
The creature shrieked-a sound of shattering glass—and disintegrated into the mist.