"Ignis Nova!"
A surge of fire erupted outward, a dome of scorching heat expanding across the battlefield.
FWOOSH!
The flames collided with her earlier wind spell, fusing into a concentrated stream of roaring fire, all of it aimed straight at the swirling black mist.
The inferno engulfed it, light and heat devouring the shadow.
For a brief moment, the darkness writhed, twisting and thrashing violently inside the firestorm.
Then—it moved.
From within the smoke, the Alpha's voice rumbled, low and chilling. "Too late."
Ben's stomach dropped. The black mass lurched forward, its movement unnatural, oily, like something that didn't belong in the physical world.
Suddenly, a tendril of solidified shadow burst from the mist, twisting mid-air as it lashed toward Elvira.
"Move!" Ben shouted.
Elvira leapt back, barely evading as the tendril slammed into the ground, carving deep, jagged fissures into the scorched earth.
