Axelius didn't wait. He stepped quietly toward the shadow under the tree, scanning it with each step, eyes locked on the shifting darkness. But before he could get close enough, the shadow moved again—this time jumping from the ground to the shadow on a bush nearby, like a fish swimming through water, quick and silent.
"There!" Axelius said, pointing. "It moved again!"
Owen followed the movement with his eyes. "It's using natural shadows to jump places… We might be dealing with a Shadewalker-type."
Axelius reached into his inner coat, pulling out a small crystal that gave off faint light, and tossed it toward the bush's shadow.
"Let's see if light can drive it out," he muttered.
The crystal hit the ground, glowing slowly—but nothing happened Then a shape flickered for half a second, like a thin hand pulling back from the edge of light.
"It's watching us," Owen whispered.
Axelius stood tall now, eyes serious.
