"What?"
A chorus of confused voices rang out. Everyone stared at Azhriel as if he'd lost his mind.
In a moment like this, surrounded by monsters, talking about splitting up… it sounded insane. Almost like asking for death.
"Did fear make you stupid?" Samuel said sharply.
"Yeah, Azhriel. If we separate, we'll just get picked off one by one," Sydelle added, frowning.
Azhriel raised a hand, his voice calm and steady. "Listen to me. Just let me finish first."
The group went quiet. Despite their doubts, they knew Azhriel wasn't the type to speak without reason.
He pointed toward the distant sky, where the strange glowing pillars stood tall, pulsing with faint magical energy.
"Those pillars are the reason we can't contact the academy. They're what's blocking teleportation and outside interference. If we want any real chance of surviving this… we have to take them down."
The group listened carefully, still tense.
