They hit them like a wave. The first demon slammed into a stack of crates, shattering wood and sending debris flying. Ryan fired without hesitation, the shot exploding through its chest in a burst of black vapour. Another creature lunged at him, eyes flat, skin stretched thin over bone. He swung his arm, catching it with the barrel of his gun and sending it spinning to the ground."Keep your head down!" he barked, already moving toward the next one.Xena wasn't the type to need saving, but fighting humans was one thing—these were something else. Their movements were erratic, unpredictable, every strike laced with the wild, unrestrained energy of chaos. She sliced one across the throat, dark fluid spraying across the concrete, only for two more to rush her. Her blade flashed again, but she was not fast enough.One grabbed her arm, another struck from behind."Ryan!" she shouted.He turned, instincts snapping to life. The mark under his sleeve burned, and the world slowed just enough fo