"Mara, stick close!" Nina whispered urgently, her hand moving to activate the lightning rune.
Brilliant illumination flooded outward, pushing back the suffocating darkness as light claimed dominance over the space.
Nina and Mara's eyes widened as they found themselves standing in a chamber completely filled with cobwebs. Thick strands stretched across every surface, glistening with a liquid they couldn't quite recognize.
Their eyes scanned frantically left to right, searching for the beast that had created this lair.
But there was nothing. No sound except their own rapid breathing.
The chamber appeared empty despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
"N-Nina... Look up!" Mara's voice cracked with pure terror as she forced down a mouthful of saliva, her staff pointing toward the ceiling.
Nina's gaze snapped upward.
The sight before her made her blood run cold.
