Round 88

The catwalk's groans intensified as water pressure below pushed upward, each plank complaining under increased load. Halie's shield flickered dangerously, her face showing alarm through the magical barrier's dim glow. "Ten seconds," she whispered, gripping the railing tighter while trying not to shift weight unnecessarily. Jeane clenched her jaw, fighting every instinct screaming at her to take flight or at least beat her wings for stability—either action would likely send them all plummeting into the rising floodwaters below. Instead, she focused on minute adjustments, muscles trembling with effort as she maintained precarious balance atop the swaying metal grid.

"Five seconds," Silra called out from behind, her teal eyes glued to interface screens rather than the treacherous footing. Fingers moved with practiced urgency across holographic controls, each command executed despite the cold water now lapping at her chin. The liquid rose another inch, its surface churning aggressively as floodwaters surged forward like a living entity tasting their fear and hunger.

Suddenly, an ominous humming filled the tunnel—loud enough to make the maintenance lights above them vibrate. Jeane's wings twitched instinctively before she forced them still, every muscle straining against the urge to beat them for lift. The water sloshed past her mouth, making each breath labored even through nostrils. Halie's shield failure meant their magical protection was gone now, but staying put meant drowning in controlled fashion while waiting for arrest with Silra's systems already compromised and barely functional behind her.

"Everyone freeze," Silra commanded, her voice tight with concentration despite the rising water level threatening to submerge her face. "Shift weight gradually toward tunnel wall side of passage." Her fingers never stopped moving across screens displaying critical system warnings in stark red text. "Jeane, Halie—maintain balance but distribute weight evenly across grating sections. The railing failure means structural integrity is compromised here specifically."

The water rose another inch, its surface churning with increasing ferocity as the floodwaters surged forward like a living thing tasting their fear.