Round 80

The water was cold and relentless, climbing up Halie's legs with terrifying speed. Her shield magic sputtered, failing to hold back the rising tide as panic began to set in. The sound of rushing floodwaters grew louder, more insistent, filling the corridor with a roar that seemed to vibrate through her very bones.

Jeane's wings beat faster now, creating small whirlpools that churned the water around her lower body. She processed the situation rapidly—water lapping at her thighs, rising floodwaters cold against her bare skin, hidden camera activated with alarm systems engaged drawing security response teams down this corridor toward them. The sound of rushing water grew deafening while maintenance tunnel lights pulsed in strobing rhythm that felt almost mocking in its steady beat.

I hate being rushed into decisions like this—water up to my hips now, Silra's screens flickered with emergency alerts. Jeane's dark energy crackled around her, like she was more eager for a fight than concerned about their actual survival situation here in these rising corporate floodwaters. The corrupted figures at the end of the corridor hadn't moved since she extended that blind spot illusion for the security systems, but every second counted now as the water continued its relentless climb.

The ancient subway station's maintenance tunnel was rapidly becoming a death trap, and time was running out fast.