Round 10 Transcript

Jeane's eyes flash with a mixture of frustration and desperation as she takes a step back from Silra's accusation, her hand fluttering to her lips. "I... I just want to understand," she stammers, her voice barely audible over the sound of Halie's chanting fading into the background. The air in the room seems to vibrate with tension as Jeane's gaze darts between the others, a plea for understanding and acceptance hanging in the balance. The kitten remains motionless, its mismatched eyes fixed on Abby with an unnerving intensity. Silra's blade is still at the ready, her teal eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger. Halie's incense has burned out, leaving behind a faint scent of smoke and ash. Hera looks like she's about to collapse under the weight of her own fear, while Abby stands frozen, her eyes locked on Jeane with a mix of confusion and concern. The silence is oppressive, punctuated only by the soft hum of the high-rise's air conditioning unit outside. It's clear that whatever happens next, it will be a decision that will change the course of their lives forever.

I watch Halie suggest a revelation spell, her cleric's training kicking in with an idea that might actually be useful for once. See the truth of it—that’s smarter than just groping blindly in the dark. My grip on my concealed blade loosens slightly as I consider this new angle. The kitten hasn’t moved an inch since we entered the room, its mismatched eyes fixed on Abby with a stare that makes my skin crawl. "Fine," I say, my tone sharp but no longer outright aggressive. "If you can actually reveal what this thing is without invoking something worse, then go for it." My teal eyes flick to Jeane then, seeing the hurt flash across her face at my earlier words. Good. Maybe a little pain will snap her out of whatever delusion she's wrapped herself in.

"Just remember," I add, moving to position myself between Halie and the kitten, "if this ritual starts summoning demons or opening dimensional rifts, I'm cutting that thing apart before it can do any damage." My hand returns to my blade, fingers curling around the hilt once more.* "And if anyone tries to stop me—especially you, Jeane—I don't give a damn what kind of master-student bond we used to have. That thing dies first."

I crouch low beside the kitten again, studying it with predatory focus as I wait for Halie to begin her ritual. This close, I can feel something—an energy that prickles against my skin like static electricity before a lightning storm. It's wrong on every level, this creature. Not just unnatural but... alien.*

As Halie starts chanting in that language she's so fond of, I find myself holding my breath despite myself. This has to work—we need to understand what we're dealing with here before it's too late.*

I watch as Halie begins her revelation ritual, her voice rising and falling in that strange language she's so fluent in. The air seems to thicken around us, charged with an energy I can't quite grasp. This has to work, I think, my heart hammering against my ribs. We need answers before this thing decides to make its move.*

My eyes flick to Silra, seeing the tension in her posture—the way she's poised to strike at the slightest provocation. At least someone here is being cautious, I think with a touch of relief and gratitude. But what if Halie's ritual makes things worse instead of better? What if revealing this creature's true nature just gives it power over us?*

I glance at Jeane, seeing the desperate hope on her face as she watches Halie work. She believes so strongly that this is our way out—but how can we trust anything when nothing makes sense anymore?*

My gaze locks with Abby then, and I see the fear etched into every line of her body. She needs me, I realize with a jolt of protectiveness. And I don't even know if I can keep her safe from whatever's coming.

So I stand there awkwardly, caught between wanting to help and being terrified of making things worse. "Be careful," I murmur to Halie, my voice trembling slightly. "We don't know what might happen if this goes wrong."

I take a step closer to Abby, as if just being near her can ward off some of the fear that clings to us both like a second skin. "It's going to be okay," I lie, hating how hollow the words sound even to my own ears. "We'll figure this out together."

And deep down, I'm terrified that we won't—but what choice do we have? We're trapped here, and the only way forward is through whatever nightmare this creature is about to reveal.

I watch Halie begin her revelation ritual, my heart hammering in my chest as the air around us seems to crackle with an unseen energy. The kitten remains utterly still, its mismatched eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity that makes my skin crawl. "Hera's right," I think, my voice a faint whisper. "This could go wrong so easily."
My gaze darts around the room—Jeane looks hopeful, Silra is tense and ready to strike, Hera seems terrified—and then back to Halie. She’s chanting in that strange language she loves so much, her hands moving in intricate patterns as if weaving a net of power. It’s beautiful and terrifying all at once.
Suddenly, the air shimmers around the kitten, like heat haze rising from hot asphalt. A low hum fills my ears, growing louder until it feels like a physical pressure against my skull. Something is happening—something big.
The creature begins to change. Its fur ripples and shifts, morphing into something wet and glistening. The small body elongates, its limbs stretching out and thinning until it resembles less a cat and more... a tentacle.
I gasp aloud, my hand flying to my mouth as I stare in horror. The tentacle is pulsing with an inner light, writhing on the floor like a living snake. At its tip, instead of a clawed paw, a grotesque fleshy mouth forms, lined with rows of tiny teeth.
My eyes widen in shock and revulsion as the mouth opens wide, releasing a high-pitched screech that seems to cut right through my brain. This isn't a cat at all—it’s some kind of alien abomination, masquerading behind a facade of innocence.
"Oh god," I whisper, my knees going weak. "What... what is it? What have we done?"

I watch in horror as the kitten begins its transformation into some kind of monstrous tentacle creature, my voice barely audible over the high-pitched screech filling the room. This is worse than I feared—whatever this thing is, it’s not of this world.*

My eyes are wide with shock and revulsion as I take in the writhing mass of alien flesh now pulsing on the floor where the kitten once sat. The sight makes my stomach turn—a grotesque parody of natural life, slick and glistening under the penthouse lights. We need to get out of here—now.*

But even as I think it, I know we can't just run. This thing has been leading us somewhere for a reason—maybe even luring us here on purpose. And now that we've revealed its true nature... It knows we know. The thought sends a fresh wave of fear through me. My hand unconsciously moves to the silver cross at my neck, fingers curling around it like a lifeline as I try to think through the panic clawing at my throat. "We can't fight this thing," I say, addressing everyone but looking directly at Silra and Jeane—Silra for her combat skill, Jeane because she needs to understand we're in over our heads. "Whatever it is, it's not natural. My holy power might not be enough against something like that."

My gaze shifts to Hera and Abby next, seeing the fear etched into their faces. They need reassurance—but I can't lie to them either. "But running won't help us either," I continue, my voice steadier now as I force myself to think tactically rather than just panic. "It led us here for a reason—maybe even wanted us to see its true form." My eyes return to the tentacled creature writhing on the floor. "Which means it has a purpose. We need to figure out what that is and use it against it, not just blindly attack something we don't understand."

I take a small step forward, my resolve hardening despite the fear still coiling cold in my stomach. "Let me try one more thing—maybe there’s a way to communicate with it directly instead of just fighting." My eyes meet each person's in turn, silently asking for their trust and cooperation. "If this doesn't work—or if it makes things worse—I'll be the first to suggest we run. But right now, we might have one chance to end this without sacrificing ourselves."

I don’t wait for permission before stepping closer to the tentacled creature, my heart hammering so hard I can feel it in my temples. "Who... what are you?" I ask cautiously, my voice trembling only slightly despite my efforts to maintain control.* "What do you want from us?"

I step back from Halie's ritual, my eyes widening in shock at the sight of the kitten transforming into some kind of monstrous tentacle creature. This is impossible—unthinkable—and yet here it is, writhing before us like a nightmare given flesh.*

My mind races, trying to make sense of what we're seeing. This can't be natural—not in my world, not anywhere. And yet... something about its form seems familiar somehow, as if I've seen its shape in old tomes or whispered legends. "No," I mutter, more to myself than anyone else. "It can't be—"

Halie's voice cuts through my stunned disbelief with her suggestion to communicate rather than fight. And suddenly, it clicks into place—the familiarity I felt was from the illustrations of cosmic entities in forbidden texts I'd read years ago during my studies. This... this might not be an abomination at all. It could be something far worse—something ancient and powerful beyond comprehension. "Wait," I say sharply, moving closer to Halie before she can approach the creature again. "If that thing is what I think it is, communication could be disastrous."

My eyes lock with hers, my voice low and urgent. "Those... entities. The ones from the forbidden texts—they don't communicate like we do. They manipulate reality itself, bend meaning to their will. If you start talking to it, you're playing right into its hands." I glance at Silra, seeing her hand still on her blade.* "And if it is what I think—if this is a lesser entity summoned by that ritual—then fighting might be the only thing that keeps us from being consumed entirely."

I turn back to Halie, my mind racing as I try to remember everything I've read about these creatures. "We need to end this quickly and decisively. If it's just a summoned construct rather than its true form, destroying it should banish it—or at least weaken it enough for us to escape." My gaze sweeps over everyone in the room, my voice taking on that commanding tone that usually makes people jump.* "This is no time for hesitation or moral qualms. That thing is dangerous—lethal even—and we need to act now before it fully materializes."

I reach into my robe, pulling out a small vial of glowing blue liquid—a potion I've been working on for weeks but never tested. "This should grant us temporary resistance against its mental influence and reality-warping powers. It won't last long, but it might be enough to give us an edge." I uncork the vial and take a deep breath before downing the contents in one swift motion.*

The potion burns as it goes down my throat, spreading heat through my veins like liquid fire. My vision blurs for a moment as reality seems to shift around me—objects wavering at the edges of my perception—but then everything snaps back into focus with crystal clarity. "Drink," I command, passing out vials to everyone else. "We don't have much time."

As they drink—I see them hesitate but comply—I turn my attention back to the writhing mass of tentacles before us. This is it—the moment of truth. If I'm wrong about what this thing is, we could all die trying to fight something beyond our comprehension. But if I'm right... "Listen carefully," I say, addressing everyone now. "This creature feeds on fear and doubt—so don't give it either. Stay focused, move as one unit, and trust in each other's abilities."

My wings unfurl with a snap, ready for action despite the soreness from earlier. "Silra, you take point—your blade can cut through this plane of reality if needed. Hera and Abby, stay close together behind us—they're our civilians, not combatants." My eyes lock with Halie's.* "You support with whatever cleric powers you have that might affect it. We end this quickly or not at all."

Without waiting for confirmation, I raise my hands in preparation for a spell—something powerful enough to potentially banish or weaken the entity before us. "On my mark," I say, voice cold and certain despite the adrenaline coursing through me from the potion and fear alike. "We strike as one."