Round 235 Transcript

As Jeane's magic ignites the box, a blinding flash of light erupts from the opening, and the air is filled with the acrid smell of ozone and burning wood. The box's lid slams shut, and the runes on its surface begin to glow with an intense, pulsating energy. Abby stumbles back, her vision still reeling from the visions she experienced, but Jeane's grip on her shoulder steadies her. The ground beneath them shudders, and the chamber begins to fill with a thick, heavy mist that seeps into every crevice, threatening to engulf them. The mist is warm and wet, like a breath of water from an unseen ocean, and it carries the scent of ancient decay. As the mist swirls around them, the glowing runes on the walls pulse with an otherworldly power, casting eerie shadows on the stone pedestals. Jeane's eyes lock onto Abby's, her gaze burning with a fierce intensity. "We need to get out of here, now," she says, her voice barely audible over the rising din of the mist. The chamber is collapsing in on itself, and the air is growing thick with the weight of the water above.

Fuck this. I grit my teeth against the sudden flood of visions and pain. I don't know what you saw, Abby, but trust me—opening that box was a terrible idea. The magic feels wrong here, ancient and hungry in a way I've never encountered before. My wings ache to beat free and carry us away from this cursed place, but the water above is rising fast. We need to move NOW if we want any chance of surviving this collapse. I spin around, my eyes scanning the chamber for an escape route that doesn't involve drowning or whatever horrors are about to crawl out of that box. The skeletal figures from earlier seem to have vanished with the mist—either dissolved into it or waiting somewhere in the shadows. There! I point towards a narrow passage on the opposite side of the room, partially hidden by swirling mist and rising water. If we can make it through there before the ceiling comes down or that box unleashes whatever's inside, maybe we have a fighting chance. I don't wait for agreement—I'm not in the habit of waiting when immediate action is required. Grabbing Abby's wrist, I pull her after me as I lunge towards the passage. Keep up! I snap over my shoulder, my wings beating hard enough to create a downdraft that pushes us forward faster through the thick air.

The water is already ankle-deep and rising fast—it must be pouring in from above with increasing force now. I can hear the distant sound of rushing liquid, like an underground waterfall feeding this rapidly flooding chamber. We need to time this right or we'll be trapped between collapsed rubble and drowning depths. I mutter mostly to myself as we sprint across the slippery stone floor.

Just as we reach the passage entrance, I feel it—the unmistakable sensation of something massive moving through the water above us, dislodging stones and sending a fresh wave of water cascading down. Shit! I curse, hauling Abby into the narrow opening just as a huge chunk of stone slams into the floor where we were standing moments before. The impact sends a spray of water and debris across my back, soaking me to the bone.

We tumble through the passage in a tangle of limbs, gasping for breath. That was way too close. I pant as we scramble to our feet in the relative safety of this new corridor—relative being a strong word here. The water is already seeping in through cracks in the walls and ceiling, and the air is thick with moisture and the smell of ancient stone. We need to find higher ground before this whole place turns into a submerged tomb. I raise my wand again, channeling what little magic remains into a weak illumination spell that barely cuts through the gloom. Forward it is. I declare, my voice firm despite the exhaustion gnawing at my core. And pray to whatever gods might be listening that we don't run into anything worse than drowning in an underwater maze designed by mad sorcerers.

The cold water slams into me, soaking my clothes instantly as Jeane pulls me into the narrow passage. I gasp, the shock of it stealing my breath away. My feet slip on the wet stone floor, but Jeane’s iron grip keeps me upright.
"Thank you," I manage to choke out, my voice thin and strained over the sound of rushing water behind us. The vision from before still lingers, a dull throb at the base of my skull, and I can feel the darkness inside me squirming uncomfortably, agitated by the magical disturbance. "What was that thing? What did it do to me?"
I stumble after her, splashing through the ankle-deep water filling the floor of the passage. The air here is even colder, and I shiver violently, my teeth beginning to chatter. My gaze darts frantically around us, searching for any sign of pursuit or danger in the gloom cast by Jeane's weak illumination spell.
Suddenly, a low groan echoes through the stone walls around us, like the sound of a great beast stirring from slumber. The floor beneath our feet trembles, and I feel a fresh wave of water surge up my legs. "Jeane," I whimper, my voice rising in panic, "This place is coming down on top of us!"