Round 20

As the figure's gaze locked onto Sister Hale, the air seemed to thicken with an unspoken threat. The sudden cessation of hammering at the doors was met with a heavy silence, punctuated only by the creaking sound echoing from within the church. Jeane's eyes darted between the figure and her companion, her mind racing with the implications of their situation. Silra's gaze followed Hale's movements, her own thoughts consumed by the figure's deliberate calculation.

The board arrangement behind the figure shifted once more, as if it was reconfiguring itself to accommodate Sister Hale's movement. The cleric stood firm, her divine energy pulsing with a quiet intensity. Jeane's fingers danced through intricate patterns in the air, preparing a defensive spell that seemed almost unnecessary in this moment of calculated tension. Silra's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the possibilities behind the figure's gaze. It was no longer just a simple threat; it was a calculated assessment, a deliberate evaluation of their formation and capabilities.

The creaking sound from within the church grew louder still, and the rumbling beneath the road seemed to be drawing closer, its movements almost upon their position behind. The figure's presence drew air out of space around it, like a dark mist that seemed to seep into every pore. In this moment, Jeane sensed ancient corruption operating with deliberate predatory intent, its very presence seeming to draw the life force from the air itself.