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But what good was that harmony if it didn't keep us safe?

With each moment that passed, more creatures emerged from the shadows, horrific forms twisted by darkness. Their movements were jerky and unnatural, like marionettes with frayed strings. They surrounded us slowly, an unsettling dance of menace.

I couldn't stay hidden any longer.

"Thorn," I whispered urgently, "we need a plan."

Before he could respond, the lead creature lunged forward with a speed that belied its grotesque form. Thorn reacted instantly, drawing his sword and meeting the beast mid attack. The clash of metal rang out sharply as he deflected its swipe.

I barely had time to register his skill before another creature barreled toward me from the right. My instincts kicked in; magic surged through my veins like wildfire and a silvery fold light glowed at my fingertips.

"Be careful!" Thorn shouted as he fought off the first beast. But I was already calling upon my powers, drawing upon the dual energies within me to conjure a barrier of light.

The air shimmered as I thrust out my hands toward the advancing creature. A radiant wave surged forth and collided with its form, a blinding flash that sent it crashing backward into the underbrush.

A moment of victory filled me until another wave of dark figures closed in from all sides. The first creature roared back to its feet and charged again.

"Keep moving!" Thorn shouted through gritted teeth as he took down another attacker with a swift strike.

But they kept coming, too many to count, and dread twisted in my gut once more as I faced what seemed insurmountable. I needed more than just courage; I needed clarity amidst the chaos.

For a heartbeat, I felt paralyzed. I could see Thorn battling with the ferocity of a storm, his every movement precise and powerful. But with each creature he felled, two more seemed to emerge from the shadows. I clenched my fists tighter around the Diadem, feeling its energy pulse against my skin.

"Senara!" Thorn's voice cut through the noise. "Focus! We need to create an opening!"

I needed to fight with him, but I didn't have a weapon. Even the mental connection I had previously felt to the Moon Blades wasn't there for me. The only thing I could feel was the Diadem on my head.

He deflected another beast's strike and kicked it back in a swift motion. I could see his determination; it fueled my resolve. He fought like a warrior forged in fire, but he couldn't hold them off forever. We'd been through this too many times before for that illusion to hold any sway over me any longer.

Thorn was a phenomenal fighter, but these creatures were vicious and unnatural. He needed help, and though I could hear the music coming from Van's lute and feel the magic swelling and subsiding behind us from Volker and Wyn, it wasn't enough.

I took a deep breath, grounding myself in the magic that surged within me, the duality of light and dark, intertwining like vines. My heart raced as I concentrated, summoning memories of the Grove's magic, that radiant energy mingling with shadows.

"Here goes nothing," I murmured under my breath.

I thrust my hands forward again, this time calling upon the very essence of the Diadem's power. A wave of light erupted from my fingertips, cascading toward the nearest creatures. The brilliance pushed them back momentarily, illuminating their twisted forms in stark detail.

"Now!" Thorn shouted as he pushed forward through the opening I'd created.

With each flicker of energy, I felt more in tune with myself and my purpose: a bridge between two worlds. My heart raced with newfound confidence as I followed him through the clearing we'd carved out.

But just as we made progress, a monstrous growl reverberated through the air, a sound that turned my blood cold. The lead creature lunged once more, but this time directly at me.

"Senara!" Thorn's warning pierced through the chaos again, but time slowed as dread wrapped around me.

Instinctively, I raised my hands to shield myself. The surge of magic flowed stronger than before; it enveloped me like armor. The creature crashed into my barrier, its snarls turning to confusion as it recoiled.

I seized the moment and directed a concentrated burst at its core, an explosion of light that knocked it back and sent it sprawling into its minions.

Thorn took advantage of their disarray; he moved with lethal grace through the remnants of our attackers.

I moved closer to Thorn, feeling the Diadem's power radiating through me with each step. The corrupted fae hissed and retreated slightly, wary of the light emanating from me.

"They fear the Diadem," I realized aloud.

Thorn nodded, never taking his eyes off our enemies. "Use it."

Drawing a deep breath, I concentrated on the crown's energy. It responded instantly, warming against my skin as its glow intensified. The nearest creatures shrieked and shielded their eyes, their corrupted forms seeming to smoke where the light touched them.