Round 6

As the trapdoor creaks open, the air within is heavy with the scent of decay and forgotten centuries. Halie's eyes narrow as she inspects the runes etched into the metal, her silver holy symbol at the ready. The pulsing energy emanating from the seals seems to thrum in time with her own racing heart, a reminder that this is no ordinary binding magic.

Merrin's hands tremble with each pick strike, the ancient mechanism groaning in protest as it yields to her careful manipulation. As the mechanism clicks into place, the runes on the trapdoor writhe like living serpents, their power coursing through Merrin's veins like a cold, dark river. The air around them seems to vibrate with anticipation, as if the very fabric of reality is waiting to be torn asunder.