Round 4 Transcript

The tension in Abandoned church on the outskirts of the city tightens for a beat as the interruption refuses to go away. Everyone is forced to stay quiet and choose their next move carefully.

Halie steps between Jeane and Hera, hand outstretched in a gesture meant to calm but ready if needed. Her voice is firm but not confrontational. "Stop. This isn't the way." She meets Jeane's eyes steadily despite the dark energy crackling there. "You can't solve everything with violence—especially not here, not now. Think of what you're risking: all we've built, every sister we've welcomed." Her gaze flicks briefly to Silra and back. "We need food and supplies, yes, but not at this cost. Let's step outside, clear our heads. This isn't you—this isn't us." She takes a small step forward, careful not to provoke further aggression. "Please, Jeane. Lower the arcane hand. We're still sisters under this roof, aren't we?"

I shrink back against the wall beside Hera, my heart pounding so loudly I'm sure everyone can hear it. The air crackles with Jeane's dark magic and Silra's frantic attempts to stop her, but all I can focus on is the raw terror in Hera’s eyes matching my own. This wasn't part of our deal - we were just supposed to be a little wild for a night, not sign up for murder. When Halie steps forward, speaking so calmly and confidently, I feel a flicker of something like relief. She's right, this isn't how things are meant to go. "Please," I whisper, the word lost in my throat as I watch Jeane's hand tremble with arcane energy. I want to run but my legs won’t move, rooted by fear and a strange, shameful thrill at being so close to real danger.

I step back from the wall between Hera and Jeane, hands raised palm-out in a gesture meant for both parties—showing I mean no immediate harm but also ready if needed. "Jeane," I say carefully, "Hera's not leaving. She signed on, remember? We don't abandon our own." My eyes flick to the door behind her—is she blocking it? "Put down the arcane juice and let's talk this through like sisters, yeah?" Emotionally I'm fucking exhausted from last night and ready to eat a whole damn pizza, but I show none of that. Intention: Keep everyone alive long enough to figure out how to fix this clusterfuck without Jeane actually murdering someone in our base. I need real food for real hunger.

Jeane's fingers twitched with restrained power as she lowered her arcane hand—slowly, deliberately—but kept the shadows coiling ready around her palm. Her crimson eyes swept the room, assessing each woman's stance. "Fine," she said coldly to Hera against the wall, voice dripping with venom, "you live. For now." She didn't clarify what 'for now' meant, leaving it hanging like a threat with an expiration date. "But make no mistake—this isn't over."

Then her gaze shifted to Silra and Halie, who'd moved to de-escalate. Disdain curled her lip but she said nothing directly to them yet. Instead, she strode toward the door, wings rustling with suppressed irritation. "We need supplies," she announced without preamble. "I'm going into town for food—someone needs to watch these two." Her chin jerked back at Hera and Abby. "Don't let them leave or contact anyone. Understood?" It wasn't really a question—she expected obedience, even after threatening murder moments ago. She paused at the threshold, dark energy still playing along her fingers like a dangerous pet. "And Silra? A word." She waited for the rogue to approach before lowering her voice enough that only she could hear. "That little act of defiance from Hera needs addressing properly when I return. You and I will handle... discipline... later tonight."

Her smile was sharp, cruel, and entirely unhinged as she left through the door without waiting for acknowledgment—leaving the tension behind her like a physical weight