"Lucien, what should we do now?"
Cassius clung to his son as if he were a lifeline, his grip tight and desperate. The quicksand felt like ice, sucking the warmth from their bodies.
"Why are you asking me? You're the reason we're stuck here!"
Lucien's frustration was evident. His problems had seemed manageable until his father added to them. Now, half their bodies were engulfed in quicksand.
They needed a rope or some form of leverage to escape, but Cassius was glued to him. Lucien had never seen his father like this; it was both alarming and embarrassing.
"You can use magic, right? Do something! Fly or levitate!" Cassius's voice carried a hint of desperation.
"Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that sooner!" Lucien smacked his temple and summoned his staff, but as he prepared to cast a spell, they sank deeper. He struggled to stabilize their position.