The old steel door groaned open.
Creeeeaaaak—
A thick gust of air rushed out, carrying the coppery tang of blood and the acrid sting of burning magic.
Before Rufus, Jessy, Clara, Jake, and Alex could step in, they froze.
CLANG!
WHOOSH!
CRACK!!
The sound of steel crashing against steel echoed up the stairwell, followed by a muffled groan—Raven's groan.
They could tell his voice apart from all that destruction.
"What the hell...?" Jake muttered, his calm breaking for the first time, his body already moving.
All five bolted down the winding stone stairs, their boots slamming against the cold steps.
Every second brought louder echoes of swords slicing through the air, elemental energy rippling like waves in a storm, and walls shuddering with impacts.
When they reached the bottom—
BOOM!
The iron walls trembled, the ceiling creaking.
It seemed even a large underground prison completely made of iron couldn't withstand the weight of whatever was happening.
