76: Careful Consideration - Part 2

Elias crouched behind a stone pillar, his sharp eyes locked onto the intricate magical array forming on the cold ground. A deep crimson glow pulsed from the center of the ritual site, where hooded figures murmured in unison, their voices weaving into an eerie chant. At the head of them stood the Viscount, his presence commanding yet sinister.

Elias had to stop them. If this ritual succeeded, Prince Aedric would fall under their control, becoming nothing more than a puppet for their scheme. He couldn't allow that to happen.

His fingers twitched, and with practiced ease, he traced a small rune against the stone floor—a silent spell designed to distort the flow of mana in the room. A simple disruption wouldn't completely destroy the ritual, but it would cause enough instability to slow them down.