One of the Blessed behind Adrian hesitantly spoke up.
"We were thinking of waiting it out, my lady. Maybe if we just hold position until the anti-mana in the snow dissipates on its own, we could—"
Adrian cut him off with a grim shake of his head.
"That won't be possible." He said, his voice heavy. "By the time the anti-mana fades, those trapped below will have suffocated. There's no air down there, no heat. They won't survive more than a few hours."
He let out a bitter, humorless chuckle.
"We've already run through every plan we can think of. We even called for backup from the other districts, but it'll take them hours to reach us. By then…"
He trailed off, his silence finishing the thought.
The crowd's despair deepened. Some began crying openly; others just stared into the snow, their faces hollow. Children sobbed into their grandparents' coats.
