"I have to use it!" Emma yelled in panic.
She pointed her palm at the lead hound. Ignoring Marcus's previous warning, Emma forcefully channeled her mana. The blood inside the beast instantly superheated and combusted.
A violent burst of crimson fire illuminated the dark tunnel, instantly incinerating the lead hound and terrifying the remaining pack into retreating down a side channel.
The crimson fire faded, plunging them back into total darkness, but the damage was already done.
Emma's magic flared like a beacon on the Vanguard's radar.
High above them, Torix sensed the sudden spike of thermal energy. He clicked his mandibles in satisfaction and immediately relayed the coordinates to Novus and Hawl.
Down in the aqueducts, the group stood frozen in the water. The silence felt heavier than before.
