Nyx
The moment my bare foot crossed fully into the center of the intricate burning symbols, an explosion of otherworldly fire erupted beneath me with ferocious intensity.
Not ordinary fire. Not anything natural or merciful.
The massive markings carved deep into the ancient stone floor ignited in a blinding cascade of crimson-gold light that seared across my vision.
Vivid flames raced violently through every elegant line, curve, and intersecting rune of the enormous circle surrounding me, surging upward in sharp, undulating waves. Heat enveloped my body like living, sentient chains, tight, invasive, and unrelenting, while the ancient runes flickered and pulsed endlessly beneath my feet, as if alive and hungry for secrets.
Several students clustered near the doorway gasped audibly, their voices echoing off the high vaulted ceilings of the examination chamber.
Even I had to fight the instinctive urge to step back, my pulse spiking wildly despite my exhaustion.
