Round 68

Jeane stands at the edge of the arcane ward she just cast, her crimson eyes fixed on Halie as the young woman prepares to step through the portal. This is madness. We don't know what's beyond that threshold—Halie, wait! Her voice is sharp with command but undercut by genuine concern. The demoness takes a step forward, her dark wings rustling in agitation.

Merrin's eyes dart between Halie and the growling creature, her heart pounding in her chest. The air is thick with tension, the ancient magic of the tower seeming to pulse around them. But even as the fear rises in her throat, Merrin knows that she can't turn back now. Not after everything they've been through, not with Halie's safety at stake. She takes a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her dagger.

Varrika feels her heart lurch as Halie's cry echoes off the stones. I can't let her face this alone, not after everything we've been through. She takes a step forward, her heavy boots thudding against the floor, and levels her crossbow at the snarling creature. "Halie! Hold on!" she shouts, her voice echoing off the crumbling walls. The beast lunges forward, its fangs glinting in the pulsing green light from the portal behind her. Varrika looses an arrow, the bolt finding purchase in the creature's shoulder.*

Jeane mutters under her breath as Merrin starts to move. Gods, what have you done? Her gaze flickers between the approaching threat and the portal that now stands open, a gateway to unknown horrors. We need to close this before something worse gets through. She raises her hands, arcane energy crackling around her fingers as she begins to weave another spell.

Merrin freezes mid-step as Jeane's warning cuts through the air. Wait—what do you mean, something worse? But even as she speaks, the creature before them snarls again, its form seeming to grow more substantial by the second. The halfling swallows hard, her hand tightening on her dagger.

The entity before them snarls once more, its form seeming to grow more substantial by the second. You have disturbed the sacred threshold, little ones. Now, you will pay the price for your sacrilege. Its voice echoes through the chamber, each word dripping with ancient malice.