The summoning circle pulsated with an ominous black glow, its energy thickening with every passing second.
Tendrils of dark magic licked at the air, and the circle began to grow in size, expanding far beyond its initial boundaries.
Slowly, it lifted from the ground, hovering upward until it hung vertically in the air like a gate to another world.
A sudden wave of power burst forth, and the entire battlefield froze.
The aura that leaked from the portal was unlike anything anyone had ever felt.
It was overwhelming... not wild or chaotic, but calm and controlled, yet suffocating in its sheer intensity.
It was the kind of power that pressed down on the soul, crushing any thoughts of resistance.
Even the dark magician, whose lips had been curled into a triumphant grin, found himself momentarily paralyzed.
His laughter faltered as his knees buckled slightly.
But then, a slow, maniacal smile returned to his face.
