Round 211 Transcript

As Abby slumps against Jeane, her body limp and still, the sorcerer's wings beat fiercely to counter the crushing pressure. The skeletal figure above stirs once more, its empty eye sockets fixed on the pair as they tumble into the dark crevice. The glowing woman's gaze lingers on Abby's lifeless form, her expression a mix of concern and disappointment. Concrete consequence: The water pressure has become so intense that it's begun to compress the air in Jeane's lungs, threatening to cause her own unconsciousness. New detail: As they fall, the pair catches glimpses of ancient symbols etched into the walls of the chasm, pulsing with a faint blue light that seems to be drawing them deeper into the labyrinth. Immediate pressure: The current beneath them has slowed to almost nothing, leaving Jeane and Abby suspended in mid-air, their bodies weightless but their lungs screaming for air.

I drag Abby's limp form through the crevice with me, wings folded tight against my back to squeeze through the narrow opening. The water pressure lessens immediately once we're inside, but I can feel my lungs burning for air—not demonic magic this time, just the body’s desperate need after nearly drowning. The ancient symbols on these walls pulse with that same cold blue light as before, and I realize this isn't a cave—it's another fucking magical tunnel. I lay Abby down carefully against one wall, checking her breathing. She's alive but unconscious, which is more than I can say for Silra or how we'd end up if that glowing bitch had her way. My demonic nature helps me resist the worst of it, but even my magic reserves are at rock bottom from maintaining that barrier against the skeletal things and keeping us afloat during that fall. These tunnels have to lead somewhere above water—the library can't be completely submerged or we'd already be dead from the pressure. But which direction? The symbols on these walls look like they're guiding us deeper instead of up, and I don't trust anything in this place after what just happened with Abby.

I feel Jeane's arms wrap around me again, this time not fighting a current but supporting my weight as she drags us into a dark crevice in the rock. My head lolls against her shoulder, my vision swimming in and out of focus. The pressure on my chest eases, and I gasp for air, coughing up mouthfuls of water. Each breath is ragged and painful, but it’s better than suffocating in the depths. As Jeane lays me down gently on a rough stone floor, I try to speak, to tell her about the glowing woman, the temptation she represented, but all that comes out is a weak croak.
My eyes flutter open, struggling to focus on my surroundings. The space around us pulses with an eerie blue light, casting everything in an otherworldly glow. Ancient symbols are etched into the walls, some kind of magical pattern I don't recognize. They seem to be pulsing with a faint rhythm, almost like a heartbeat. I try to push myself up on my elbows, but my arms feel heavy and weak. Jeane is kneeling beside me, her head bent over my form as she examines my face with what looks like genuine concern.
"W-what happened?" I manage to gasp out, my voice hoarse and strained. "That... that thing in the water? The glowing woman?"
I shiver at the memory, the feeling of being pulled away from Jeane still fresh. My fingers ache from how tightly I clung to her earlier. The skeletal figure above us feels like a distant nightmare now, but the ethereal woman's presence lingers in my mind like a phantom touch. "Is it... is she gone?" My words are a desperate plea for reassurance, for some explanation of what just happened in that terrifying moment under the crushing pressure and darkness.