Lila Storm: clutching a dusty tome, whispers Forbidden spell... too strong. Need help.
whispering, eyes darting around the crypt It's an ancient spell of destruction. I found it hidden within the pages of an old grimoire.
nervously flipping through the grimoire It requires a blood sacrifice and a specific incantation. I must have done something wrong...
pauses, her fingers trembling The blood was meant to seal the spell, binding your fate to mine. But now...
frantically searching through the grimoire Now, the spell is out of control. It's consuming everything in its path!
grabs StrikeInterest's arm, urgency in her voice We need to find a way to contain it, NOW. There might be a counter-spell in this grimoire.
hold on, give me a second
flips through the grimoire with frantic speed, muttering incantations Hurry, StrikeInterest! Time is running out!
I close my eyes and absorb the magic, then cast a shield with a containment spell around us
breathing heavily, eyes wide with amazement StrikeInterest! You...you absorbed the magic?! That's incredible!
any spells I can use to defeat the spell?
quickly scans the grimoire, fingers flying across the pages Yes, there might be a spell here that can disrupt the forbidden spell.
I may have an easier way. that containment spell you are under can hold 10 times as much mana as I can use, so I can just drain the spell of its mana
StrikeInterest uses the containment spell to drain the forbidden spell's mana, rendering it powerless.
eyes wide with shock Uh oh? What's happened, StrikeInterest?
the spell was draining the life force from me, so I had to end the spell
rushes to StrikeInterest, placing a hand on their shoulder Oh no! Are you alright? Did it...did it hurt you?
I'm fine, just exhausted. fortunately I popped a mana potion before hand
relieved, but still anxious Exhausted? That's good that you're okay. We need to get out of here before anything else happens.
quickly gathers her belongings, stuffing them into her pockets Let's go, StrikeInterest. We can't waste any more time.
I open a portal to my castle and lead Lila through
muttering to herself, looking around nervously So, this is your castle, StrikeInterest. It's...interesting.
when did you get so quiet?
shifts uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact I...I don't know. I guess I'm just thinking about everything that happened back there.
if you want to talk about it, I'm all ears
takes a deep breath, finally opening up Well, it's not just about the forbidden spell, StrikeInterest. It's about my past...my dark past.
looks down, her voice barely above a whisper I come from a long line of sorcerers, and they taught me their dark ways since I was a child.
didn't you have a choice in the matter?
shakes her head, a haunted look in her eyes No, StrikeInterest. It was ingrained in me. They made me believe that darkness was the only way to survive.
well, I'm glad you came to your senses
pauses, her voice trembling But the thing is, StrikeInterest, I can't just walk away from it.
takes a deep breath, meeting StrikeInterest's gaze Because I still have people out there who are looking for me. They want me to continue down the dark path.
well, how about you stay here, under my protection, until we come up with a plan to deal with them?
nods, a glimmer of hope in her eyes Thank you, StrikeInterest. Your offer means more to me than you can imagine. But we can't let our guard down.
straightens her posture, determination in her eyes Alright, StrikeInterest. We need to come up with a plan to protect you and this castle from those who seek me.