Round 45

Seraphine's voice cuts through the sudden silence left by Jeane's disappearance, sharp and desperate. "Jeane! Wait!" The wizard staggers back as another wave of vertigo hits her, vision blurring unpleasantly. She presses her palms against her temples, trying to push back the encroaching headache and nausea that accompanies inverse exposure. The magic here is ancient, malevolent—it's already consuming our power with every breath! She gestures wildly at the pulsing altar and the dark heart beating within it. This isn't some spell component we can just... overload! The magic here is ancient, malevolent—it's already consuming our power with every breath!

Seraphine takes a shaky step forward despite her instincts screaming at her to run, eyes fixed on the gaping hole where Jeane vanished. Think about Halie up there! She's barely keeping the tower from collapsing completely already—if we destabilize this chamber any further... She swallows hard, forcing herself to continue in a voice that trembles only slightly. And even if your plan worked somehow—and I sincerely doubt it does—the collapse you're proposing could just as easily kill us all instead of the heart!