Round 219

Fucking hell, the walls are alive and learning our moves like some kind of sick predator studying its prey. Halie's already halfway to being a goddamn zombie and she's still trying to document the damn thing's breathing patterns? That's dedication or insanity—probably both. And now Abby's arm tracing is going haywire, which means whatever's downstairs isn't just watching us anymore, it's actively interfering with our magic. Great. Just fucking great.

I back away slowly from the wall that touched me earlier. "Halie, you need to get away from those walls before your brain turns into corrupted Jello." My voice comes out higher than intended—fear makes me sound like a scared little girl instead of the badass I'm supposed to be.

The walls' synchronized breathing stops abruptly, replaced by a low pulsing hum that seems to vibrate through the stone itself. The symbol on the far wall pulses in time with the sound, casting an eerie rhythm across the floor. I take another step back, maintaining my twelve-meter distance from everyone else.

I press my back against the opposite wall, trying to put as much distance between myself and Halie's corruption without actually leaving the room. "H-Halie, what do you need?" My voice trembles despite my best efforts to remain calm.

The walls' synchronized breathing stops abruptly, replaced by a low pulsing hum that seems to vibrate through the stone itself. The symbol on the far wall pulses in time with the sound, casting an eere...