The ancient sanctuary was illuminated by the flickering light of lanterns and the soft glow of the protective wards Thalia had set up. The air was thick with anticipation as Elara, Morgana, Elias, and Thalia prepared for the Shroud of Binding ritual. The chamber, once a place of ancient knowledge and power, now held the weight of their hopes for containing the darkness.
Morgana stood at the center of the ritual circle, her hands moving deftly as she arranged the various ingredients and artifacts they had gathered. The runes on the walls seemed to hum with a low, resonant energy, reacting to the preparations underway. The scrolls and texts they had deciphered provided the framework for the ritual, and Morgana's knowledge was their guiding light.
