The atmosphere shifted in a heartbeat. Where my warriors had once stood, a dense, oily black fog now billowed, swallowing the light. It wasn't just smoke; it was alive.
Through the murk, their bodies appeared to be wreathed in a violent purple fire—dancing threads of arcane energy that crackled and pulsed beneath the shroud of fog.
If they had looked brutal before, they were now truly monstrous. From the centre of their smoky, featureless heads, three elliptical red eyes ignited. They glowed with a predatory hunger, casting a crimson wash over the deck.
Even I, their master, felt a prickle of goosebumps crawl up my arms. The air grew cold, smelling of ozone and old graves.
"What... what are they?" Angelica whispered. Curiosity briefly overrode her fear as she stepped toward one of the shifting forms. She reached out a hand, her fingers trembling.
