Round 3

As Jeane's crimson eyes locked onto the intricate runes, her mind whirled with possibilities. Seraphine's excitement was contagious, but Halie's unease lingered, a palpable tension that Merrin couldn't quite shake. The air was heavy with anticipation, the group's collective unease a living, breathing entity that pulsed with every heartbeat. Seraphine's slender fingers danced across the runes, her dark elegance a stark contrast to the rough-hewn stone of the gate. "This isn't just any locking mechanism," she murmured, her voice a low thrum that seemed to vibrate through the ancient stones themselves. The group held its collective breath, the silence broken only by the soft rustle of leaves in the fading light.