The first silhouette stepped into the edge of the blue light.
Then another.
Then another.
The lantern hissed as the dark bent around them, and the safe zone stopped feeling safe.
Kael counted without moving his head too much. The mini-map had already done most of the work for him, but seeing bodies replace dots made the situation uglier. Climbers came out of the darkness in a loose ring, careful not to step too far from the faint lights hidden among them. Some carried weapons openly. Others kept their hands low, close to belts, pouches, or sheathed blades. A few stayed half-merged with the shadows beyond the lantern's reach, trusting the torches behind them to keep Vanitas from skinning them alive.
One of the climbers looked at Yenna and grinned.
"Found her," he called out. "Vanitas Sector One-Four. Everyone come out."
More shapes shifted.
More green dots pressed closer.
Kael turned his head slightly toward Yenna. "Friends?"
