Chapter 418: The Call Beneath the Stone
Sophia's lungs burned.
Every breath came out in short, ragged bursts, her chest rising and falling too fast, too shallow, as if the air itself had grown thin and heavy around her. Sweat clung to her skin beneath her clothes, strands of hair sticking to her temples and neck. Her legs trembled each time she shifted her weight, the dull ache in her muscles screaming for rest she didn't have the luxury to take.
The battlefield around them was a wreck of torn earth, broken stone, and fallen beast bodies.
Trihydras lay scattered across the clearing — some still twitching weakly, others completely still, their massive frames collapsed in awkward angles. The sharp metallic scent of blood saturated the air, mixing with the snow and damp earth and the faint sulfuric tang that always followed those creatures.
Sophia tightened her grip on her weapon, forcing her aching fingers to hold steady.
She couldn't stop yet.
