Round 198

Jeane staggers forward into the ancient library chamber, her dark leathery wings dripping seawater onto the dusty stone floor. The glyphs overhead flare to aggressive life once more, their geometric patterns twisting and writhing with renewed fury. She clenches her fists, tendons standing out on her forearms as she fights to maintain control over the warding spells that shimmer and waver around them. "Something's wrong," she gasps, her crimson eyes wide with alarm. "The magic—it's not responding right. Feels like the whole place is fighting back." She moves towards the newly opened stone door, peering into the darkness beyond where dark water-stained walls glisten faintly in the dim light. "What the fuck is that?" Her voice echoes slightly in the vast chamber.

Abby presses herself against the wall—no, not a wall, she reminds herself with a jolt of fear. It's slick and smooth like skin, pulsing faintly with some internal rhythm that makes her skin crawl. The scent from the newly opened tunnel grows stronger, carrying with it a musky odor that seems to cling to her clothes and hair, making her feel unclean somehow. A sound echoes through the chamber—the heavy thud of something large moving through water beyond the open door. She freezes, listening intently. "Jeane—I think I heard something." Her voice trembles slightly.* "Like... like a heartbeat. But huge."