When casting this spell, you brandish your melee weapon and make an attack, on a hit the blade is coated in black energy and it falls into your shadow. When your initial attack hits, the energy from the attack leaps out of either your shadow or the shadow of an enemy within 45 ft. of you to attack a different creature within 5 ft. of either yourself or them. This attack leaps out of the shadow and the target takes necrotic damage equal to your spellcasting modifier.
This spell’s damage increases when you reach certain levels. At 5th level, the melee attack deals an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target on a hit, and the necrotic damage to the second creature increases to 1d6 + your spellcasting ability modifier. Both damage rolls increase by 1d6 at 11th level (2d6 and 2d6) and 17th level (3d6 and 3d6).
* - (a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp)