Round 16

The air in here is thick with decay, each breath a struggle against the corruption choking Halie's lungs. The tower's magic is wrong, actively fighting back—her last spell fizzled like water on hot stone, leaving her exposed. She can hear Jeane shouting from below, but the sorcerer's voice is too far away to make out details. Focus. What they need now isn't more magic that dies the moment it leaves her lips; what they need is understanding. These runes... they're not just defensive patterns. They're a language—...