The air was heavy with the stench of rot and ash, and the ground shook with the constant explosions. The Bernard Empire now faced an enemy that had surpassed all logic and reason.
The retreat was a symbol of chaos. Soldiers rushed out of the front trenches, their boots soaked in mud-soaked with explosions and blood.
The M2 Bradley IFVs of the 1st Infantry Division roared to life, their 25mm chain guns unleashing suppressive fire. Behind them, the T-72s of the 2nd Tank Brigade retreated, their thermal sights blazing in the heat signature of the advancing enemy.
The shadow creatures, born from the spells of dark wizards, moved at a strange, unnatural pace. Their shapes were humanoid but distorted as if pulled from a madman's nightmare. Their bodies were made of pure shadow, their eyes glowed with a red light that seemed to pierce the soul of the person looking at them. Even as bullets and shells pierced their bodies, their smoky forms were being reconstructed in an instant.
