Round 61

Merrin's grip on her staff tightened as she stared into the darkness beyond the flickering torchlight. The air was thick with decay and something else—something metallic and wrong that made her skin crawl. She could feel it in her bones, this place wasn't meant for living things. A low growl echoed through the chamber, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

"Did you hear that?" she hissed to Seraphine beside her. The elf woman nodded, her sharp eyes scanning the shadows with barely concealed fear. "We need to move," Seraphine said, her voice tight. "And we need to find Varrika before whatever's making that noise does."

Jeane hovered near the pit entrance above, her wings folded tightly against her back as she watched the proceedings below. The magical currents she'd mapped showed three distinct signatures—Merrin and Varrika together, but separated from Halie who had moved deeper into the tower since her... incident. A third signature pulsed with ancient power, something awakened by their presence here.

"This place is crawling with magic," Jeane called down, her voice carrying a warning edge. "And I don't think it's friendly."