{Alea}

Alea stood watch with the others.

Her gaze, sharpened by recent revelations, scanned the surroundings with heightened awareness.

Despite the daytime tranquility, Alea's senses remained attuned to those subtle movements in the distance.

She could still see them, even now. The shadows crawled, slithered, and floated from one place to another.

Seeing enemies, so close and so far, felt strange.

As she monitored the tree line and distant shadows, Alea's attention inadvertently drifted towards Rin, who was nearby.

She was warming up alongside Eve and Sara, stretching and doing a few exercises to get the blood flowing.

Alea's eyes traced the outline of Rin's figure as she moved through her warm-up routine.

The gold-eyed girl was wearing a sports bra, some running shoes, and shorts. The morning light filtered through the trees, casting a soft glow on Rin's form and highlighting her abs, which flexed and relaxed with every stretch. Her arms, her calves, her thighs. It felt like every part of Rin's body could crush skulls.

"... Hmph."

Lost in her thoughts, Alea's stare lingered longer than intended, a fact Rin didn't fail to notice.

Rin's raised brow and the slight quirk of her lips hinted at both curiosity and amusement. She tilted her head ever so slightly, a silent question in her gaze.

Caught off guard by Rin's reaction, Alea quickly averted her eyes, a faint flush coloring her cheeks.

She busied herself with adjusting her position, scanning the surroundings slightly more fervently than before.

For a while, nothing happened.

But, then, the air around Alea took on an icy chill.

[Huh?]

Those shadows in the distance began to grow darker. Gone was the beacon-like orange hue that surrounded them. Now, they were turning an ominous silver as they began to converge in the distance.

Alea's heart raced with urgency, and she wasted no time in raising the alarm.

"E-Everyone, get ready! We have incoming shadows!" Alea's voice rang out clear and urgent, cutting through the casual bustle of the camp.

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Her cry was met with confusion and disbelief.

Alea's warning was brushed off. Just the ramblings of someone who was clearly cracking under the pressure.

The workers continued their tasks, some exchanging skeptical glances at Alea's apparent anxiety.

However, her warning was not in vain.

Soon enough, the distant shadows began to materialize, their sinister forms becoming unmistakably clear as they slithered closer with malicious intent.

The realization dawned on the camp as panic set in.

People scrambled for weapons, shouts and cries filling the air as the threat became undeniable.

In the midst of the chaos, only two figures reacted swiftly.

Maria and Rin.

Maria's eyes narrowed in determination as she surveyed the approaching shadows, while Rin's stance shifted seamlessly into a defensive posture, muscles coiled and ready to strike.

Maria's authoritative voice cut through the rising panic.

"Form up! Protect the workers and keep them safe!" Her decisive command rallied those who hesitated, instilling a sense of order amid the chaos.

As the shadows drew nearer, Alea focused her mind.

She channeled her essence, drawing practiced spellsigns in the are quickly to weave spells of protection and offense.

Falling back into mechanical, borderline automatic motions, she conjured barriers and launched magical projectiles toward the encroaching darkness.

The first clash was swift and fierce.

The shadows, ethereal yet dangerously tangible, lashed out with tendrils of darkness, their forms shifting unpredictably.

Workers armed with makeshift weapons joined the fray, their faces a mix of fear and determination.

Rin, a whirlwind of white flame thanks to that weird spell of hers, landed calculated strikes and evasive maneuvers, moving with grace and precision amidst the chaos.

Sara soon focused up as well, her sword splitting the shadows in half.

[What is that thing made of?] Alea couldn't help but wonder. [It's definitely not an ordinary sword.]

Alea, though initially shaken by the gravity of the situation, found her focus in the heat of battle.

Her magical prowess grew more potent with each spell cast, bolstering the group's defenses and targeting the shadows' vulnerabilities.

The skirmish was intense, the clash of forces echoing through the forest clearing. Yet, with coordinated efforts and unwavering determination, the camp's defenders gradually gained ground.

All without having to use Xhez's voice, who hadn't even come out to fight.

[She said something about needing to rest in between uses of that spell of hers that took the shadows out last time. We should buy as much time for her as we can.]

Explosions of magic and bursts of martial prowess illuminated the darkness as the battle raged on.

Alea's barriers held firm against the shadows' assaults, providing crucial cover for the fighters.

Through gritted teeth and furrowed brows, Alea maintained her concentration, adjusting her tactics as the situation evolved.

Her eyes flickered between allies and adversaries, calculating her next moves with precision honed through training and necessity.

Despite the odds, the defenders refused to yield. Each strike, each spell, was a testament to their resilience and unity in the face of a formidable foe.

As the last echoes of battle subsided and the shadows dissipated into wisps of darkness, a collective breath of relief swept through the camp.

Once more, most of them lived to see another day.

But, the few casualties that did happen did not go unnoticed.

She couldn't help but overhear the raw anguish in a man's voice as he mourned the loss of his brother. Nearby, a female fighter clasped the hand of her wounded lover, her eyes reflecting the pain she felt as she looked at the blood that spread on his shirt.

She shared a glance with Maria, their eyes meeting in silent acknowledgment of the grim truth they faced.

There was no end to these shadows. Even now, Alea could see them gathering in the distance.

Something needed to be done. If this mission just kept going, one by one, they'd likely all fall to them.