Round 6

Jeane moved forward with a practiced grace, her crimson eyes scanning the shadows beyond the gate like a predator seeking prey. The air inside Halie's barrier felt charged now—with potential yes, but also with an undercurrent of danger that made her skin prickle. "Wait," she said sharply, holding up a hand to halt anyone from rushing in. "We don't know what might be lurking just out of sight." Her gaze lingered on the intricate runes etched into the stone frame—there was something familiar about their pattern, something that tugged at her memory but refused to fully form.

Seraphine heard the sharpness in Jeane's voice and turned her attention from the runes to the gate, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of the shimmering barrier surrounding the entrance. "You're right," she said quickly, her voice barely audible over the low hum of the magic. "We shouldn't rush in blindly." Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the intricate patterns on the walls, the way the air seemed to thicken with each passing second. There was a sense of something ancient and powerful here, a feeling that made her fingers itch for more parchment and ink.

Varrika felt the ground tremble beneath her feet, the ancient magic of the tower's wards straining against their presence. "Listen up, everyone," she barked, her voice cutting through the tension like a battle cry. "This gate is unstable. If it activates its defenses fully, we could be overwhelmed before we even begin our investigation." She looked around at each member of the party in turn, her eyes hard with determination. "To Seraphine, I say," she continued, "keep working on those runes. We need to understand what..."