The clang of metal against bone echoed through the narrow corridor as Layla drove her shield into the maw of a burrowing beast that had erupted from the wall beside her. Its jagged, chitin-covered limbs scraped furiously against her armguard, trying to force its way around her block—but she held firm, teeth clenched, knees locked.
A burst of light surged from behind.
Sylvie's glyph pulsed outward, reinforcing Layla's leg strength just in time to prevent a full collapse.
"Still holding," Layla grunted, though her breath hitched with strain.
Jasmine, just to her right, spun in a tight arc, her blade dragging sparks across the ground before she severed a second crawler lunging from the ceiling. She panted hard, sweat streaking down her jawline. "Too many angles—walls, floor, ceiling. They're everywhere."
