Round 63

Seraphine grits her teeth, the magical barrier around them flickering under the strain as she fights to maintain it. The air is thick with power, the very stones humming—ward may be active and hostile. "No," she hisses aloud, more to herself than anyone else. She can't abandon Varrika, not when the other woman's life hangs in the balance. Besides, Merrin's voice still echoes from below—they need to find a way down, to help him too.

Her fingers move in intricate patterns as she begins weaving another spell, this one designed to pierce through solid matter and reveal what lies beneath. "I'm not leaving them," she thinks back to Jeane, her voice firm despite the terror clutching at her heart. The magical ward shimmers around them, a fragile shield against the encroaching darkness.