The fog wasn't moving the same way anymore.
Before, it had swirled loosely, low currents brushing along the stone floor, drifting with a casual kind of menace.
Now it clung to the walls, holding still in long, horizontal strands like something coiled, breath held.
Lucen stepped forward carefully, his boots brushing over the scorched remains of a shattered glyph pattern, and noticed how the mist resisted his motion, like it didn't want him here anymore.
Or worse, like it was trying to keep him still.
His system ticked softly behind his eyes.
[Mana: 34 / 120]
[Recovery: +2.6/sec]
[Corruption Threshold: 2%]
He rotated his wrist slowly, keeping his palm open as he traced a low-energy glyph along the inside of his sleeve, a dummy spell, harmless and quiet, just enough to check casting latency.
It lit without delay.
'Good.'
