Raven did not wait for Magnus to speak. The moment her boots touched the ritual chamber floor, the air pressure shifted violently, as if the room itself had inhaled in shock.
Her aura unfolded with an immense and terrifying precision that made all the Abyssal lights stutter and the blood sigils dotted around falter for the very first time since the ritual began.
"Albedo," she said, voice sharp, controlled, already layered with calculation, "Study the array and Break it as fast as you can. I'll buy you time."
Magnus recovered quickly, his earlier flicker of surprise hardening into something vicious. He spread his arms slightly, cloak rippling as the elders regrouped around him, their auras knitting together again under the ritual's reinforcement.
"You?" Magnus scoffed. "You think you can stop this? This rite is anchored to the Abyss itself. Even if you kill us all, the sacrifice will complete."
Several elders laughed softly, the sound wrong, distorted by Abyssal resonance.
