Round 229 Transcript

As I speak, my body begins to twitch, muscles flexing beneath my skin as if trying to assert control. The skeletal dust figures circle closer, their bony fingers reaching out to grasp at the air around me. The glowing woman in the depths above remains still, her expression unreadable. I try to take another step back, but my legs won't obey me. Instead, they begin to move forward, carrying me inexorably towards the portal. My voice grows hoarse from the effort of speaking, "Jeane... I think I can hear you," but the words barely escape my lips. Suddenly, the floor beneath us shudders violently, and the sigils on the stone floor erupt into a blinding flash of light. When the light fades, I see that Abby's eyes have turned an unnatural shade of gold, and her skin is slick with dark energy. She takes another step forward, her movements slower but more deliberate now. The chanting beneath the floor grows louder, more insistent, until it's all I can hear: "Master calls... binding weakens..."

Abby's gaze locks onto mine, and she says, "Jeane, I'm not sure what's happening to me, but I feel... different." Her voice is low and husky, and I can see the desperation in her eyes. The skeletal dust figures close in, their bone-fingers reaching out to grasp at anything they can touch. The portal behind Abby pulses with an intense blue-white light, drawing us both towards it like moths to a flame. I realize that we have to make a decision fast - do we try to escape through the portal, or do we try to find another way out of this collapsing library?

Jeane watches Abby's eyes shift to gold, her stomach churning with cold dread. Shit. That's not good. The portal pulses behind her like a hungry mouth, and those skeletal things are getting closer by the second. My magical reserves are at 1%, which means I've got maybe one big spell left before I'm completely useless. And that glowing woman in the water... she hasn't moved, but something tells me we don't want to find out what she does when we're desperate. I step forward, trying to keep my voice steady despite the panic clawing at my throat. Abby, listen to me. Whatever's happening to you, whatever it is inside—it doesn't own you yet. You can still fight this. The symbols on her skin pulse in response to my words, and I force myself not to flinch back. We have two choices right now: we try to push through that portal and hope it leads somewhere safer, or we look for another way out of this collapsing shithole before the entire place comes down around our ears. I glance at the ceiling, noting how the stones are shifting precariously above us. But either way, we need to move. Now. Those skeletons aren't just going to stand there and watch us figure this out, and I don't think my last spell is going to hold them off for long if they all decide to swarm at once. I look back at Abby, meeting her gold-flecked gaze with as much calm as I can muster. Which direction do you feel? Does the energy inside you pull towards the portal or away from it? Because right now, that's our best guess for what to do next. My hand moves instinctively to my wand, though I know even a minor spell might be too much and drain my reserves completely. Talk to me, Abby. What does your gut say? The skeletal figures circle closer, their bone-fingers clicking against the stone floor like dried twigs in a fire. The portal pulses again—faster now—and the chanting below grows more insistent: "Master calls... binding weakens..." I can feel the magic in this place pressing against my skin, thick and wrong, and I know we don't have much time left.

I feel my body tremble under Jeane's intense gaze, a chill running down my spine despite the heat radiating from the portal behind me. My eyes are drawn to its swirling depths, the light seeming to call out to the dark energy coiling within me. It’s like it knows I’m here, like it wants me to come closer. The chanting under the floor grows louder, more insistent: "Master calls... binding weakens..."
"I think... I think we should go through," I say, my voice a strained whisper. Even as the words leave my lips, I can feel the truth of them settle into my bones. The pull towards the portal is undeniable now, an invisible rope tugging at my entire being.
My head snaps toward Jeane, my expression showing both fear and determination. "It feels right," I continue, the words tumbling out in a rush. "Like this is what we're supposed to do. The energy inside me... it wants to go there."
I take another shaky step forward, my feet moving almost of their own accord. The skeletal figures seem to pause in their circling, their attention now fixed on the portal as well. I know they won't let us pass without a fight, but something tells me that whatever is waiting for us on the other side might be worse. And yet, the fear is drowned out by an overwhelming sense of rightness. I look back at Jeane, my gold-flecked eyes wide with a mixture of terror and excitement. "Please," I beg, my voice dropping to a near-silent plea, "we have to try. I know we do."