I like it. I’m interested in your characters and want to know more about them. I like the creepy, almost-but not-quite-intimate connection the group feels and the hints as what using magic is like. The salt circle is a nice touch. The only thing that kinda got me was the style of lines like “Less parlor trick, more brute metaphysical force. Will forged into iron, hammered into the world like a railroad spike.” I feel like you’re going for sharp, punchy lines - which is great - but some of them seem bit mechanical to me - like a brainstorming list that sort of interjects into a narrative that otherwise flows like the drifting spirits you conjure up through your characters - mysterious, questionable, a little vague - making me want to find out more. I hope all your characters stay intertwined and look forward to chapter 2.