"They're going in," Miranda muttered, her gaze fixed on Mirabella and Carl, who had vanished into the skull-filled entrance without hesitation.
Before she could move, Ethan grabbed her wrist, pressing his fingers to his lips to shush her. Miranda stared at him, confused, as he turned to the six new members of their guild standing behind him.
"Okay, let's go. Three of you," he pointed quickly at Miranda, Alice, and Angela. "You three will stay back and keep watch. The seven of us will go and check it out."
The three girls exchanged looks and nodded. They had agreed earlier that rushing in after Mirabella was foolish. Though they considered her weak in combat, her mind was sharp—she had survived the entire Beginner Round alone, and her cat familiar was a known threat.
Ethan led the group of six toward the Devil's Grave entrance, taking the very last position in the line. The three girls hid, maintaining watch.
