It wasn't just a stray magical discharge. It was a wave of pressure so dense and focused that it made me frown, my skin prickling with an instinctive warning. I didn't pull back, though. I kept the chariot steady and moved closer, my fingertips inches away from the gate's surface.
And at that exact moment, the trap snapped shut.
The energy pulse returned, but this time it wasn't a ripple; it was a torrent. It surged from the direction of the nearby lake, a crushing weight of malice that felt like tens of thousands of cold, predatory eyes were suddenly focused solely on me.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
The environment shifted with violent speed. The calm, glass-like surface of the lake erupted. Giant, clashing waves tore through the water as if something massive was thrashing beneath the depths. I peered down, my eyes narrowing as dark spots began to rise from the lightless bottom of the lake.
