Round 76

The ancient stones groaned like a beast awakening from long slumber, their very timbers creaking under the strain of power unleashed. Seraphine's portal pulsed with desperate energy, a shimmering gateway that seemed to beg for passage even as it threatened to collapse. Jeane hovered at the precipice, her wings beating slowly to maintain altitude, crimson eyes fixed on the swirling darkness below where Zha'thik awaited. "Descend into the chasm," she commanded, voice sharp and cold enough to freeze the air itself. "Find Merrin and Varrika—bring them back alive or don't bother returning at all." The demon's energies responded, coiling and uncoiling like a serpent eager to obey its new master.

Merrin crouched in the shadows far below, her rogue's instincts screaming warnings even as she tracked the conversation above. The fall had left her bruised but mobile, no obvious injuries save for her pride after stumbling into this predicament. She checked her crossbow again—five bolts remaining—and cursed under her breath. "Come on, Varrika," she whispered, more prayer than statement. "Find me before something else does."

Seraphine nodded, already preparing the necessary arcane defenses for such a perilous journey into the heart of corruption. The air was thick with power, the very stones humming—ward may be active and hostile. "Stay close," she warned Zha'thik, voice tight with barely contained fear. "And if you betray us, I'll make sure your next hundred years are far less comfortable than the last."

The demon hissed in what might have been amusement or agreement before descending into the chasm's depths. Jeane watched it go, her expression unreadable. "Let's hope that works," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "And if not... well, at least we tried something."