Round 210 Transcript

As the glowing woman's gaze holds Abby's attention, Jeane feels her own strength waning further. The skeletal figure above stirs again, its empty eye sockets fixed on Abby's limp form. The water pressure builds, squeezing from every side like an enormous fist closing around their bodies. The current beneath them pulls them upward, but it's a precarious lifeline – if they're not careful, they'll be torn apart by the conflicting forces. Suddenly, Abby's hand twitches in Jeane's grasp, her fingers wrapping around the sorcerer's wrist with a desperate grip. Jeane feels a jolt of pain as Abby's fingers dig into her skin, but it's quickly replaced by a surge of adrenaline. The glowing woman's eyes flash with a warning, and she speaks directly into Abby's mind: "Resist now."

I feel Abby's fingers digging into my wrist—her grip desperate even through unconsciousness—and something shifts in me. This isn't just about keeping her safe anymore; it's a challenge to whatever supernatural seductress is trying to lure us away. I won't lose another party member like this—not again after Silra, not while Halie's still trapped on the surface, and definitely not because some glowing bitch thinks she can tempt me with easy death. My wings beat hard against the current, fighting the upward pull that threatens to tear Abby from my arms. The skeletal thing above is still watching—good. Let it witness this. I angle us downward despite the crushing pressure, aiming for what looks like a dark crevice in the rock face below rather than following the mysterious lifeline current. We're going deeper into the unknown instead of taking a gamble we can't see clearly. The glowing woman's eyes flash with something like frustration as I defy her silent offer, and I feel an answering surge of demonic pride through my exhaustion. Fuck your promises of easy out. We survive our way or not at all.

I feel Jeane's arms tighten around me as she fights against the current pulling us upward. The skeletal figure above seems to cackle silently, its empty eye sockets following our every move. But then Abby's hand clenches on my arm, and I understand—we're not going to let this happen, whatever this is. My wings beat furiously, struggling to keep us steady as we plunge deeper into the darkness rather than following that mysterious lifeline of water. The pressure builds again, threatening to crush us, but this time it feels like a test we have to pass, not a death sentence waiting to claim us. I angle my body protectively over Abby's, trying to shield her from both the crushing weight and whatever supernatural force is at work here.
The glowing woman's eyes flash with anger as I defy her silent offer of escape. She reaches out again, her fingers seeming to lengthen impossibly as she tries to pluck Abby right out of my arms. A low growl rumbles in my chest—a sound of pure, demonic defiance. Fuck you and your easy way out, I think at her, pushing the words out into the water around us with all the force of my will. We survive our way or not at all.
The dark crevice in the rock face looms closer now, a potential shelter from both the crushing pressure and the ethereal being's manipulation. It's a risk—we have no idea what lies waiting inside—but it's a chance to get out of this watery hellhole on our own terms. I feel Abby shift slightly against me, her unconscious form still clinging desperately to my body even as she slips deeper into oblivion. The skeletal figure above stirs again, its bony feet scraping against the stone floor as it takes another step forward. We're running out of time and options.
With a final burst of strength born of sheer stubbornness, I push off the last bit of resistance from the water current and aim straight for the opening in the rock. The pressure is crushing now, squeezing us from every side like an enormous fist closing around our bodies. My lungs scream for air, but all I can do is focus on getting Abby to safety, wherever that might be in this underwater labyrinth. The ethereal woman's presence presses in around us, a constant threat and temptation, but I ignore her, putting my faith in the solidity of rock over whatever promises she might make. We'll find our own way out of here—by force if we must. No glowing bitch is going to decide Abby's fate for her while she can't even fight back.
Just before we reach the crevice, I feel a final, desperate surge from the water pressure, as if the entire ocean above is pushing down on us with all its might. It's an impossible force, one that should crush a human being instantly, yet here I am—still holding onto Abby, still fighting, even as my own strength begins to fail. The last thing I see before the darkness takes me entirely is the skeletal figure above, its empty eye sockets seeming to wilt slightly in defeat. Then everything goes black.*