A Leash

Boom...

I was jolted awake by an explosion that resonated through the chamber I was resting within.

Surrounded by smoke and debris, I quickly assessed the situation and immediately deployed a thin layer of Mana on my skin, creating a weak protective barrier.

'Mana Perception...'

Mana flowed through my body and my veins, gathering around my eyes and making my irises glow with a bright, golden hue.

Instantly, the world around me morphed, becoming a vivid mosaic of colors and patterns, as my enhanced perception allowed me to see the intricate threads of mana that wove through everything.

I shifted my sight to the entrance of the room, where I engraved a single rune that was designed to explode upon being triggered.

It was now gone since it detonated, however, the being that stepped on it was still alive.

The intruder was a bipedal creature with dark, scaled skin and glowing red eyes.