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"We need to find a safe place to regroup," Elara muttered, her sharp eyes scanning the darkened hallway ahead. Her voice was low, cautious. "We\'re exhausted, and the monsters aren\'t going to get any weaker."

Amberine nodded, her breath visible in the cold air. "We can\'t stay out in the open like this. I can feel more of those things nearby. We need a plan."

Maris, who had been walking slightly ahead while still carrying the unconscious student, spoke up. "I can use my illusion magic to create some cover, but it\'ll only last for a short time. We need to find a more secure place before the creatures realize what we\'re doing."

Amberine\'s mind raced as she tried to come up with a plan. The last fight with the enhanced goblin had taken a lot out of her, and even though she had Ifrit\'s power backing her, the constant drain on her mana was starting to take its toll. She knew Elara had been calculating their next steps since the moment they had left the room.

Amberine hated to admit it, but in moments like these, Elara\'s strategic mind was their best chance for survival.

"Elara," Amberine said, her voice taut with tension, "what do you think?"

Elara glanced at her, an eyebrow raised in surprise at the request, but she quickly returned to her usual cool demeanor. "Finally asking for my help, stupidAmberine?" she quipped, though there was no malice in her tone. "We\'ll need to find one of the classrooms that hasn\'t been affected by the magic. Some of the rooms were built with wards to protect against demonic forces.

If we can get to one of those, we can rest and form a real strategy."

"And if we can\'t find one?" Amberine asked, though she already knew the answer.

"We\'ll improvise," Elara replied flatly. "As usual."

Amberine gritted her teeth at the insult but held back a retort. Now wasn\'t the time. "Fine. Let\'s move."

The three of them continued through the twisting corridors, Maris leading the way with her keen senses, while Amberine and Elara kept watch on either side, ready to strike at any threat. The tension between the two mages remained palpable, but they worked in tandem, their long history as rivals translating into an almost unspoken coordination in moments of danger.

"Watch out," Elara whispered, her eyes narrowing as she motioned for the group to stop. "I can feel something ahead."

Amberine focused, her mana tingling as the air around them thickened with a presence. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she could hear a distant growl—low and guttural, like the sound of something massive stirring in the dark.

"It\'s not another goblin," Maris whispered. "This feels… bigger."

A thud echoed through the hallway, then another. The ground trembled beneath their feet as the sound grew louder, more rhythmic, like the steps of a colossal beast.

Amberine\'s eyes widened. "A minotaur," she breathed, her voice barely audible.

The tower had minotaurs? It wasn\'t unheard of for dungeons to spawn them, but in the middle of a magic tower, where students practiced magic daily? It was insane.

"We can\'t fight that thing head-on," Elara said sharply, her mind already working through the options. "Even if we had full mana, we\'d be dead in minutes."

"Then what do we do?" Maris asked, her voice tinged with panic. She shifted the unconscious student in her arms, her grip tightening. "We can\'t outrun it."

"No, we can\'t," Elara agreed, her tone cold and calculating. "But we can outsmart it. The minotaur won\'t be fast in these cramped corridors, and it\'ll be too big to fit through most doors. We lure it into a narrow passage, then trap it."

Amberine frowned. "Trap it? With what?"

"Ifrit," Elara said simply, glancing at the fiery familiar that was hiding within Amberine\'s robe. She already saw her spirit helping Draven in the case at the royal banquet. "Ifrit\'s heat can weaken it, slow it down. And I\'ll use my magic to seal the corridor behind us. Once it\'s trapped, we\'ll escape through one of the side rooms."

"Ifrit?" Amberine muttered under her breath, already anticipating the familiar\'s reaction.

"You\'re volunteering me now, huh?" Ifrit growled from beneath her robe. "Why am I always the one cleaning up your messes?"

"Because you\'re good at it," Amberine shot back. "And because we\'ll all be dead if we don\'t stop that thing."

Ifrit grumbled something unintelligible, but the heat around Amberine grew stronger as he prepared himself for the task ahead. "Fine. But you owe me for this, human."

"I\'ll add it to the list," she muttered.

The thudding grew louder, shaking the walls as the minotaur approached. Amberine could feel the floor vibrating beneath her feet as the beast\'s hulking form lumbered through the tower, searching for prey. Its heavy breathing filled the air, accompanied by the sound of its hooves striking the stone floor with each step.

"We don\'t have much time," Elara said, her eyes scanning the hallway for a suitable trap. She spotted a narrow passage leading off to the right, the entrance barely wide enough for two people to walk through side by side. "There. It won\'t be able to turn around once it\'s in."

Amberine nodded, her heart racing as they moved toward the passage. Maris, still carrying the unconscious student, took point, leading the group toward the narrow corridor. As they reached the entrance, Elara turned to Amberine.

"Get ready. We\'ll only have one shot at this."

Amberine took a deep breath, summoning her mana as Ifrit stirred within her. She could feel the familiar\'s heat radiating through her body, the flames coiling around her fingertips like living creatures waiting to be unleashed.

The minotaur\'s footsteps grew louder, the ground shaking beneath the weight of its massive frame. The creature rounded the corner, and Amberine\'s breath caught in her throat. The beast towered over them, easily eight feet tall, with rippling muscles and a pair of jagged, twisted horns curving from its skull.

Its eyes glowed with a sickly yellow light, and the scent of blood and sweat clung to its fur.

Without a word, Amberine released her fire magic, sending a wave of heat toward the minotaur. Ifrit\'s flames surged forward, wrapping around the beast\'s legs and scorching its skin. The minotaur roared in fury, its hooves clattering against the stone floor as it charged toward them, its horns aimed directly at Amberine.

"Now!" Elara shouted, her hands already moving as she chanted a spell under her breath. A shimmering wall of light formed behind them, sealing the corridor and cutting off the minotaur\'s escape.

Amberine stood her ground, focusing all of her energy on maintaining the flames. Ifrit\'s power flowed through her, but she could feel the strain on her mana reserves. The heat from the flames was intense, and sweat dripped down her face as she fought to keep the minotaur at bay.

The creature slowed, its steps faltering as the flames licked at its legs and chest. It swung its massive head, trying to shake off the fire, but Amberine\'s magic held fast. The minotaur let out a bellow of rage, but its movements were becoming sluggish, its strength sapped by the relentless heat.

"Almost there," Elara muttered, her focus entirely on the barrier she was holding in place. Her hands trembled slightly from the exertion, but she didn\'t falter.

"Don\'t get cocky," Ifrit warned, his voice rasping in Amberine\'s ear. "This thing is still dangerous."

The minotaur roared again, its fury undiminished despite the flames weakening it. It lowered its head and charged once more, its hooves pounding the floor as it barreled toward them.

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Amberine\'s heart skipped a beat. The beast was still too fast.

"Elara, we need more time!" Amberine shouted, her voice strained from the effort of maintaining her spell.

"I\'m working on it!" Elara snapped back, her focus unbroken as she poured more magic into the barrier.

Amberine gritted her teeth, feeling the pressure building inside her. She couldn\'t hold the flames much longer. Ifrit\'s heat surged through her, but even his power had limits.

"Amberine!" Maris called out from behind, her voice tight with panic. "The student—she\'s waking up!"