As the ritual progressed, I noticed the bronze bowl being carefully moved away, revealing something underneath. My breath caught in my throat as I saw what had been hidden beneath it—a large pentagram, meticulously engraved into the stone floor.

The lines of the pentagram seemed to pulse faintly, as if it had a life of its own, waiting for the right moment to reveal its true power.

Elward’s voice broke through the mounting tension, steady and commanding.

“Now, we ...