Round 15

Seraphine moves closer to Merrin, her eyes scanning the wound with clinical precision. The field resists physical touch and magical probing—it's not just a barrier, it's actively hostile. Whatever dark energy infected your leg is spreading, and the field seems to be feeding on it. We need to break this connection before you're completely consumed. She turns to Jeane, her voice low and urgent. The runes say 'Shadow's grasp, darkness's key'—I think Merrin is the key. The field won't open without her corruption, but it will kill her in the process if we don't stop this. We need a counter-spell or...

Jeane steps forward, her crimson eyes narrowed in concentration as she studies the rune-covered gate. A living barrier field that feeds on dark energy... fascinating and terrifying in equal measure. She raises her hands, arcane symbols glowing faintly at her fingertips. I can try to disrupt its connection to Merrin, but without understanding its structure, it could backfire. Seraphine, can you analyze the rune sequence more deeply? We need to know what's powering this thing before we start poking it with magic. She glances back at Elric, her expression suspicious. And you—start talking. Now. What do you really know about this tower and why you led us here?

Merrin grits her teeth against the pain, her small frame trembling as she clutches the crossbow. Fuck this. I'm not dying in some cursed field because of a leg wound. She looks up at Seraphine, then to Jeane. If either of you have an idea that doesn't involve me becoming a dark energy battery, now would be the time to share it. And Elric—if you've been lying to us about this place, I swear by the gods I'll...

Elric steps back, his hands raised in a placating gesture, face pale. I... I didn't know! The stories never mentioned anything like this. The gate was always sealed, yes, but no one said it was alive or that crossing would...

The barrier field pulses again, its surface rippling ominously as tendrils of dark energy reach out toward Merrin's wound. The runes on the gate flare brighter, their malevolent glow casting grotesque shadows across the stone walls.