Per aspera ad astra

Gabe felt the ripple of power settle under his skin, like embers stirring to life, a heat that promised strength but with the slow, smoldering bite of old magic. He let out a low chuckle, his hand resting on his chest as he adjusted to the glyph's energy humming within him. The rawness from his wounds had faded entirely now, replaced by a taut feeling of new power, of readiness. It wasn’t every day a mage tossed magic around with such finesse. Hell, if he were honest, he almost felt a bit cocky standing there with the likes of Jareth at his side.

That’s more like it, Gabe drawled, his grin flashing in the dim light. Gotta say, you’ve got a way of making a bloke feel invincible. Can’t remember the last time I had anything like this backing me up. Usually, it’s just me, a few half-baked ideas, and a pinch of luck on a good day.

He glanced over his shoulder at the looming estate, its shadows deepened by the shrouding twilight, its windows dark like soulless eyes staring back at them. Demons weren’t exactly polite houseguests, and he didn’t relish the thought of letting them wander unchecked. This little haunting had gone on long enough.

Now, don’t go expecting me to play nice in there, he warned, turning to Jareth with a spark of mischief in his eyes. Demons and I? We’ve got history. And believe me, they’re just as keen to settle scores as I am. He took a step toward the estate, his hand resting on the worn handle of his blade. But don’t worry, I’ll leave you enough to work with. Consider it my way of saying thanks for the patch-up.

With that, Gabe led the way, his boots crunching softly on the gravel path as they approached the estate’s iron-clad doors. He shot Jareth a glance, his smirk back in place. Let’s raise a little hell, shall we?

@Jareth