Round 5

Halie’s voice cuts through the charged silence of the basement, a note of barely-contained anxiety threading her words. “Jeane—” She moves to stand between the bound Hera and Jeane’s predatory circling, her blue-grey eyes wide with concern. “This… this isn’t wise. Not here, not like this.”*

Jeane pauses mid-circuit, dark orb still pulsing ominously above her palm. Her crimson eyes flick to Halie, then back to Hera — the latter now trussed up like a sacrifice, thinking this proves something. The interruption grates, but Halie’s words carry weight. They are not supposed to be here at all, and while part of her revels in the risk, the strategic mind knows when to pull back.

She lets silence hang for a moment, the dark orb pulsing rhythmically as she considers her next move.