The circle's collapse

The darkness surged around us like a living entity, twisting and curling in a dance of malevolence. I could feel the weight of it pressing down on my shoulders, suffocating and heavy. But even in the midst of chaos, one thought consumed my mind: the fracture within our ranks was about to become a chasm, and we were all teetering on the edge.

“Emilia!” Asher’s voice cut through the shadows, snapping me back to reality. “We need to regroup! We can’t let the darkness consume us!”

I turned to him, my heart racing. “But Rory—he’s—”

“I know,” he interrupted, his expression fierce and resolute. “But right now, we need to focus on keeping everyone safe. If we don’t get out of this, we’ll lose more than just Rory.”

Nodding, I felt the urgency in his words settle deep within me. We had to fight back, to push through this darkness and find a way to emerge intact. I summoned my magic, feeling it surge through my veins like fire, and turned to face the shadows that swirled around us.