Round 53

The heavy stone door groans open, revealing a chamber beyond that is even darker and more foreboding than the one they just left behind. Serrine staggers forward, her hands trembling as she tries to maintain her balance. The blue light from the counter-seal begins to fade, and the ground shakes violently beneath their feet. Suddenly, the seal shudders and collapses, its fragments crashing to the floor with a deafening roar. The sound sends a chill down Merrin's spine, and she quickly helps Serrine to stand.

Varrika's eyes scan the darkness for any sign of movement, her crossbow still strung and loaded. I help Serrine to her feet, my heart pounding in my chest as I survey the damage around us. The seal has collapsed, leaving only fragments of broken stone and the faint glow of fading magic. Varrika's eyes scan the darkness, her crossbow at the ready, but there's no sign of any immediate threat. Serrine staggers, her robes hanging in tatters around her shoulders. "I... I don't know what happened," she gasps out, her voice hoarse with exhaustion. "The seal... it was drawing power from so..."