Round 106 Transcript

Halie steps forward, tracing the binding symbols with her fingers as she mutters prayers in Common under her breath. The air around her seems to thicken, and the greenish mist swirling below the platform appears to take on a life of its own, tendrils of fog reaching out like grasping fingers. Suddenly, the Bound Spirit's writhing form surges forward, its coal-black eyes blazing with an otherworldly intensity.

Seraphine watches Halie approach the writhing spirit, her heart hammering in her chest. The air crackles with an arcane energy she has only ever read about in ancient tomes. "This is dangerous," she murmurs, her voice almost lost in the groaning of the shifting stone around them. Her fingers tighten around the hilt of her mace as she moves to stand near Merrin, ready to defend or flee if necessary. The green mist swirling below seems to call to something deep within her, a dark curiosity that she has struggled to suppress throughout their journey.
The spirit's eyes lock onto Halie, and Seraphine feels a chill trace its way down her spine as she sees the pure malevolence contained within them. She takes an involuntary step back, her mind racing with the implications of releasing such a being. The binding circle on the floor pulses with an unnatural light, its edges fraying like torn parchment.
She looks to Merrin, then to Halie again, her expression conflicted. "Are you sure about this? We don't know what kind of power we're dealing with here." Her gaze drops to the tattered piece of parchment on the ground, the cryptic message scrawled upon it: "Beyond the shadows lies the Test". Seraphine feels a flicker of unease, wondering if this is indeed the test they were warned about.*