Round 20

The air grew thick with ancient power as Halie’s aura pulsed in sync with the gate symbols, their runes flaring to life with hungry light. The ground rumbled beneath their feet like a beast waking from slumber, and a voice spoke—whispery, curious, malevolent—from within the stone itself. “Why do you disturb the balance? What is it that you seek?” The words slithered through the air, carrying the stench of decay and old blood.

Merrin felt her stomach twist with apprehension as she watched Halie’s aura dance with the gate magic. This wasn’t some mindless undead—this thing had intelligence, hunger, purpose. She backed away slowly, eyes darting between the glowing symbols and Jeane’s frustrated attempts to cast without her usual tools. Seraphine stood motionless, deep in scrying concentration, while Varrika scanned the treacherous woods for movement.

Jeane growled under her breath as her spell components failed to materialize. “Great timing,” she muttered, gripping her staff tighter. This was exactly why she preferred working with proper equipment—now they were relying on half-assed improvised magic in a situation that demanded precision and power. She focused her will, trying to weave a protective ward around the group despite her lack of proper components.

The gate’s symbols pulsed faster now, their light casting grotesque shadows across Halie’s face as she communed with the entity within. Her eyes remained closed, lips moving silently in prayer or negotiation—it was hard to tell which. The air grew heavy with anticipation, thick with the promise of violence or worse.

Merrin felt a cold sweat trickle down her spine. This was beyond simple undead—the hunger she sensed wasn’t just for life, but for souls, for essence, for something fundamental that no living creature should possess. And Halie was dancing right on the edge of that abyss, her aura intertwined with the thing’s power.

Jeane caught Merrin’s eye and shook her head slightly—a silent warning to maintain distance. The rogue nodded almost imperceptibly, already moving to position herself between Halie and the treeline without seeming to shift her stance at all. Varrika noticed the subtle movement and fell into formation on Merrin’s other side, mace ready.

The ground rumbled again, harder this time, and something like laughter echoed from within the stone. The gate’s symbols pulsed once more, then dimmed—except for one that burned brighter than before, a sickly green hue spreading across its surface. Whatever Halie had agreed to, whatever bargain she’d struck, it seemed the ancient guardian was... pleased.

Seraphine’s eyes snapped open, her face pale even in the gloom. “We need to move,” she said, voice tight with urgency. “Now.”