Follow Jared into the corridor.

You follow Jared into the corridor, and down the stairs to the next floor. With the number of winding passages leading further into the Arcane Academy, you're glad you have Jared to guide you. It doesn't hurt that he's pretty easy on the eyes, either.

At the bottom of the stairwell you both come to a stout wooden door. You push the door open and are greeted by a terrifying sight! In the centre of a large hall, a wide pentagram has been inscribed in what looks like charcoal. Five other young mages, one at each corner of the pentagram, appear to be lying on the ground ****, occasionally writhing and moaning as if in pain, or perhaps pleasure. A cloaked figure on the opposite side of the hall is chanting incantations. Your eye is drawn to a gold band on a chain around the figure's neck. The band appears to crackle with red bolts of light appearing now and then.

Startled, the cloaked figure looks towards you and Jared. He scowls and unleases a ball of magical flame at you. You both dive in opposite directions as the fireball smashes into the door behind you, splintering it into pieces. Jared gets up and begins to fire bolts of energy at the figure. There's a doorway behind the figure that looks like it might lead out of the hall and to safety. But maybe you should stay and stop whatever evil is afoot here?