Round 5

As the pressure plate beneath the rune was triggered, Merrin's fingers tracing its jagged edges, a sudden burst of icy wind erupted from the gate, slashing her forearm with razor-sharp shards of cold and sending her tumbling to the ground. The wind rattled the exposed bone fragments of the nearby skeletons, causing them to lurch forward in a snarling horde. Jeane's demonic eyes narrowed as she studied the rune patterns, her voice carrying the weight of centuries of study: "The geometry is exquisite, designed to channel arcane energies into a defensive ward." Halie's eyes snapped open from her prayer, her gaze fixed on the ancient stone as she realized with a jolt of understanding that the rune was not a lock, but a soul-trap, ensnaring anyone who dared to attempt to open it.