Round 26

The ground floor hallway stretches before them, a sanctuary from the chaos above. Halie moves with purpose toward an unmarked door, Hera cradled in her arms like a wounded bird. Silra follows close behind, her rapier still drawn—a silver point aimed skyward as if to ward off any sudden descent from the floor above. Jeane brings up the rear, her crimson eyes fixed on the ceiling above rather than the steps below.

As they reach the ground floor hallway, Halie stops abruptly, turning to examine Hera's wrist with clinical precision.* "She's stable, but we need to get her into a room with some privacy to assess her properly," she says, her voice steady despite the obvious strain. The blue fluid still clings to Silra and Jeane in sticky patches—silent evidence of their recent ordeal.

Silra nods, her teal eyes never leaving the stairwell. "Good call on the downstairs assessment—if that splatter is starting to glow or itch, I'd rather know before it spreads everywhere," she mutters, more to herself than anyone. She glances at Jeane, noting the other woman's continued vigilance toward the ceiling. "You sure you're not expecting a rain of dildos from above or something?"

Jeane rolls her eyes, but her hand remains near her rapier hilt.* "Just keeping us all safe from any more surprises—like a certain someone deciding to drop in uninvited again." She follows Halie into the room, her gaze sweeping the space before settling on Aethera's shimmering form in the corner.

Halie lays Hera gently on a nearby bed and begins her examination in earnest.* "This is going to be a thorough check—any sign of corruption and we're dealing with it immediately." Her hands glow faintly as she works, divine energy flowing through her fingertips.