Round 4

The tower's hunger pulses in the air long before anyone speaks it aloud. The runes aren't barriers—they're feeding tubes.

Jeane moves first, her dark wings spreading wide despite the fatigue that clings to every muscle. "I'll scout ahead with my wings," she says, her crimson eyes fixed on the tower's heights. "If they're feeding on something inside, I can trace the magical current before we commit to entry." She glances back at Halie and Seraphine, a flicker of something—maybe pride or maybe recklessness—in her expression. "Let me do this one thing—no unnecessary risks in the dark."

Halie steps forward, her fingers already moving in the air as she begins the ward spell. The silver cross at her throat catches what little sunlight filters through the surrounding trees. "I'll cast a ward over us all—something simple to keep us safe from whatever's feeding on those runes," she says, her voice steady despite the exhaustion that rounds her shoulders. "I need five minutes of quiet and focus." Her blue-grey eyes meet Jeane's for a moment, a silent plea to wait before launching into danger. "Then we have options: scout ahead with Merrin and Varrika checking the immediate perimeter for traps, or Jeane can fly up high and give us a bird's eye view of the tower's defenses."

Seraphine nods slowly, her sharp gaze never leaving the ominous stone structure looming above them. "But no rushing in until we understand what's inside those walls—and what's keeping it alive." She turns to face the group fully, her expression grave. "This is our first real test as a group. Let's pass it with brains over bravado."

The tower seems to loom larger, its hunger more palpable now that it's been named aloud. The decision hangs heavy: wait for Halie's ward and then proceed carefully, or trust Jeane's wings to give them an advantage none of the others possess. The magic in those runes pulses again, a slow, patient beat that speaks of centuries waiting for fresh prey.