The beach fell into a stunned hush the moment the goblin's head hit the sand as something sharp and extremely fast, went through his existence.
*THUD.* And someone landed right beside me.
His body crumpled forward a second later, knees buckling, rusty sword clattering uselessly beside him. Blood sprayed in a short, bright arc and soaked into the wet sand. The head rolled once, twice, then stopped facing the ocean, yellow eyes wide and empty.
A ripple of silence spread outward like a dropped stone in water.
Someone at the back whispered, "Someone came?"
Another voice, higher, nervous: "What was that? I didn't even see it…"
The dust cloud from the impact hung low for a few seconds, swirling in the cold sea breeze. Then it began to thin.
I stood still, boots planted wide in the damp sand, black sword resting loose at my side. My coat hung torn and heavy with saltwater and grit. I could feel every eye on the beach locked on the settling haze—monsters, humans, everyone.
