The magic at the cave's entrance was overwhelming, pulsing incessantly in Circe's ears like the steady beat of a war drum. It tugged at her and nudged her forward, guiding her step by step as though she were nothing more than a fish caught helplessly on a fisherman's hook.
Each step closer to the mouth of the cave seemed to tighten that invisible line around her, drawing her deeper into its grasp. But the moment she reached the opening, a violent wave of power struck her squarely in the chest. The force of it made her stagger. The magic here was far stronger than she remembered from her dreams, far more potent and concentrated than anything she had anticipated. For a brief moment her vision blurred, the world around her dissolving into a haze of shifting shapes and dim light. A dizzy spell washed over her, leaving her lightheaded.
