The barrier shuddered again.
Light along its surface wavered, no longer flowing smoothly. Sections dimmed, then flared in uneven pulses as if the spell itself was struggling to breathe.
But, at the same time…
The battle below was no longer a total rout for the Ravenshade defenders.
Undead lines that had surged through the outer districts were slowing, their advance breaking into uneven pockets of resistance. Streets that had been choked with panic now held some structure again. Barricades were being rebuilt from rubble. Signal flares burned steady instead of frantic.
More importantly, the pressure on the settlement's defenders was easing.
Mages were being pulled free from emergency triage one by one. Some staggered, some were carried, but they were alive and casting again. Their focus shifted outward. Threads of mana fed back into the barrier, reinforcing weak points, smoothing fractures before they could spread.
