Round 7

As the party readies themselves for their new approach, the scuttling noise beneath the street grows louder, echoing off the ash-choked road with an unsettling intensity. The air is heavy with anticipation, and Sister Hale's grip on the rusted key clutched in her hand seems to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Jeane's Enhanced Light Zone stretches out before them, illuminating a narrow path through the rubble-strewn street, casting flickering shadows that seemed to writhe like living things.

Silra takes position on the right flank, her teal eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of movement as she whispers a swift rebuke under her breath. "This is exactly what I warned against," she mutters, "letting immediate fear drive action rather than tactical sense." Her gaze snaps to Jeane, who leaps back into her light zone with a fluid motion, and then to Sister Hale, whose face sets in a determined expression.

Sister Hale's grip tightens around the unholy symbol, its metal suddenly searing hot against her palm. "Faith," she says quietly, more statement than prayer, as she holds it higher, letting its dark power flare outward like a challenge to whatever unnatural horror just burst from beneath Gravehill's cursed streets. "Silra! Wait!" Her voice carries across the road, a stark contrast to Jeane's sharp call, which cuts through the air with a commanding tone.

Jeane's crimson eyes narrow as she watches Sister Hale channel dark energy through the rusted key, her expression a mixture of awe and concern. The creature stumbles back from the invocation, momentarily stunned, and Jeane doesn't hesitate. Her free hand raises in a sharp gesture, and arcane symbols flare to life along her fingers as she begins weaving a spell. "Silra!" she calls out, her voice carrying across the road, as the scuttling noise grows louder, threatening to engulf them all.