Round 290 Transcript

As I descend the winding staircase, the air grows colder, the pressure building with each step. The walls' breathing becomes more rapid, their tissue movement more erratic. The creature follows, its elongated body squeezing through the gap with ease, its eyes never leaving mine. Consequence: With each step, the staircase's surface begins to slicken, making it increasingly difficult to maintain my grip on the stone handrail. New detail: Ancient carvings on the walls depict a twisted, nightmarish creature with multiple limbs, its body seemingly made of living, pulsing tissue. The creature's face is a mass of writhing, pulsing tendrils that appear to be watching me with an unblinking gaze. Immediate pressure: As I round a bend in the staircase, I hear the sound of shifting stone, and the walls begin to close in around me. The staircase narrows further, forcing me into an awkward position where I'm bent at the waist, my hands grasping for the wall to steady myself. The creature takes another step closer, its claws tracing a line along my cheek, leaving behind a trail of tingling heat.