The sting of that blade forces a final sharp breath from Erik as his head slides backward right off his shoulders in a spray of crimson. It rolls to one side and comes to a rest, but it isn't quite silent. There's a very quiet "Fuck" uttered from the floor.

The now headless body will fall limp in the grip of those shadows, but soon enough the blood will stop flowing from the wound, and the wound itself will start to close over.