"We can't keep this up!" I snarled, voice echoing through the haze. "We need to break through to the next chamber—maybe we can force a manual override on the wards there!"
Kyrion nodded sharply. "Agreed. The longer we stay, the more reinforcements they'll send."
My heart hammered. Through the swirling steam and the crackling arcs of magical discharge, I spotted an opening where part of a ward had begun to weaken, the barrier shimmering like fractured glass. Without hesitation, I channeled the power of the Devil's Pen, allowing its dark magic to wrap around my arms in a violent, pulsing swirl of negativity. With one hard slash, I sent a wave of concentrated malevolent energy toward the shimmering barrier. It shattered with a high-pitched wail, leaving behind a ragged, crackling gap just wide enough for us to squeeze through.
