We found a new spot on a ridge overlooking the valley. It was defensible, dry, and surprisingly quiet.
We set up the magical barrier stones Cassandra had given us. A faint hum signaled that the perimeter was secure against low-level beasts.
"I'm taking the first watch," I repeated my earlier order. "Martin, sleep. Alicia, stop complaining and sleep. Emily... you look pale."
Emily was sitting by the fire, but she wasn't warming up. Her skin was alabaster white, almost translucent. Her lips had a faint blue tint.
"I'm fine," she said, her teeth chattering slightly. "Just... mana rebound."
"Rebound?" I walked over to her.
I placed the back of my hand against her forehead.
It was freezing. Not just cold—ice cold. Like touching a corpse.
"You overused your Ice Magic," I diagnosed instantly. "That last spell—the thermal shock. You drew mana directly from your core without filtering it through your circuits. You have Mana Hypothermia."
