Crimson light flooded the corridor as Nicholas arrived, his runic blade intercepting Myrith's dagger with perfect timing. The impact created a shockwave that cracked the stone floor beneath them, amber and crimson energies colliding in a blinding flash that threw both combatants back several paces.
"Nicholas?" Alexandra gasped, recognizing her unexpected ally despite the glowing runic patterns covering his exposed skin.
Nicholas didn't take his eyes off Myrith, whose expression had shifted from confidence to wary calculation. "Get to the chamber," he instructed Alexandra, his voice steady despite the crimson energy coursing visibly through the runic pathways beneath his skin. "I'll handle her."
"The Ancestral Circuit," Myrith observed, genuine surprise evident in her voice. "A technique lost since the Third Age." Her eyes narrowed, studying the precise patterns that covered his exposed skin. "How does one so young possess such forbidden knowledge?"
