Round 70 Transcript

As Silra completes her hacking, the main corridor sensors flicker out, plunging the tunnel into darkness. The countdown timer on the catwalk's control panel now reads 3:40 minutes. Halie's shield magic flares brighter, casting an eerie glow on the maintenance corridor walls. Jeane's eyes scan the pipes, her demonic senses on high alert for any signs of movement. The cart's pulley system creaks ominously as it slowly lowers them into the darkness. The air grows thick with the scent of decay and something metallic, making Jeane's skin crawl. Suddenly, a section of the wall slides open, revealing a narrow catwalk suspended high above the rising waters. However, as they gaze up at the catwalk, a faint hum emanates from within – a warning signal that something is waiting for them on the other side. The catwalk's control panel beeps, signaling that the countdown timer has reached 3:30 minutes. A voice crackles over the intercom, its tone cold and menacing: "Attention, maintenance personnel. This corridor is now off-limits due to high security protocols. Please return to the main corridor or await further instructions."

The intercom crackles again, voice colder this time: "This is your final warning—"

I don't wait for them to finish—I'm already moving toward the catwalk entrance, my wings half-spread in preparation. The sweet decay smell intensifies as we approach the opening, but I push it aside—right now we need to focus on surviving whatever's waiting beyond that door. "Silra," I say without looking back, my red eyes fixed on the darkness beyond, "how long can you keep us invisible to their sensors?" My demonic energy crackles around me as I draw on my powers, ready to act at a moment's notice. The pulley system creaks louder as we near the bottom—maybe thirty seconds until we're fully on this catwalk and out of immediate water danger. Halie's shield magic flares brighter beside me in response to the warning tone, creating a visible barrier between us and whatever lies beyond. I appreciate her readiness even if her methods are... less direct than mine would be in a fight. But right now we need her protection more than my aggression—at least until we know what we're facing. The intercom crackles again as we step onto the catwalk proper, voice taking on an ominous edge: "Intruders will be…" The words cut off abruptly as Silra's hacking kicks in, plunging us into blessed silence. My wings beat once slowly, creating just enough air current to push back the thick stench of decay that seems to cling to this walkway like a physical presence. I pause at the entrance, letting my demonic senses extend beyond normal sight as I scan what lies ahead. The catwalk stretches out into darkness—at least thirty meters before it intersects with another corridor visible in the distance thanks to emergency lighting. And something is waiting there. Multiple somethings, by the sound of it. My hand glows brighter as I draw more power, ready to strike at a moment's notice while keeping my voice low enough for our conversation to remain private from any potential listeners beyond earshot: "Silra—can you see anything through those cameras or sensors? What are we walking into?"

I don't move forward yet—I'm waiting for her technical assessment before committing us all to whatever trap this clearly is. My wings shift restlessly behind me as impatience wars with strategic caution—a battle I've been losing more often lately thanks to these two and their insistence on overthinking every move. The countdown timer on the wall reads 3:15 minutes now—we're running out of time to make a decision that doesn't involve drowning or facing whatever's waiting in those shadows. My eyes meet Halie's shield magic first, then Silra's teal gaze as I wait for their input. We've got maybe ten seconds before the silence gets suspicious—I need an answer now.

My fingers hover over the keys for a split second, then type with brutal precision: "Catwalk is rigged—pressure plates every meter. Motion sensors in ceiling. And whatever died back there? It's not human remains—I'm picking up magical signatures mixed with... something organic and corrupted." I meet Jeane's eyes directly despite my discomfort. "We go forward, we trigger at least three alarms before the blind spot runs out. We abort, we drown or wait for whatever's in the walls to come investigate the noise from the cart platform." My gaze shifts to Halie's shield magic flickering around us. "If you're asking if this is safe? No. But it's safer than staying here." I turn back to my screens, already running calculations as I speak. "I can keep us invisible for exactly 1:45 more minutes—enough to reach that intersection but not a second longer. After that, we're exposed and whatever security drones are waiting know our exact location." My fingers don't stop moving as I wait for their decision—every passing second is pressure, and my stomach churns with the familiar tension of gambling with other people's lives on technical skill alone.