Round 293

The walls' breathing stopped, every surface going rigid and silent except for the low pulse thudding through the stone like a heart counting down seconds until what? Abby pressed herself flat against the opposite curve of living rock, trying to put distance between her skin and the shifting surface. The symbols etched deep burned brighter now, pulsing in perfect sync with the humming that vibrated up from the floor into her bones. She could feel it thinking—something ancient and hungry and intelligent using this flesh of stone as its hands and mouth. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but Silra needed her.

The air grew thick enough to chew, heavy and wrong against her exposed skin. Something oily coated her arms where they touched the wall, spreading slow heat that had nothing to do with temperature. She scrubbed frantically at her forearms with her palms, trying to wipe it away. The fluid clung, sinking into her pores before she could even see it properly. Fuck. What was this shit? Could you get corrupted just from touching the walls? She needed answers, needed to know what the hell this stuff did before it was too late.

The tunnel flexed around her again, stone groaning as the space seemed to contract millimeter by millimeter. Too tight already. Now tighter. Great. She forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to calm the adrenaline surge making her hands shake. Couldn't think clearly like this. Had to focus. Had to stay alive long enough for Jeane to find them all and get them out before whatever was down here finished digesting Silra and moved on to the rest of them.

The walls pulsed again, brighter now, and she felt something shift in her mind—a wrongness that tried to latch onto a thought and twist it. She slammed mental barriers up just in time, but the effort left her dizzy and nauseated. This place was fucking toxic. Every breath was like inhaling smoke, every touch like letting poison seep into an open wound. She needed protection—something between her skin and this living corruption. The bondage gear. Use it as padding, as a barrier. Not sexy now, just survival.

She fumbled with the restraints in shaking hands, wrapping them around her arms and torso until every inch of exposed skin was covered. Better. Safer. She hoped. Now she just had to figure out how to move through this space without touching anything else while keeping Silra alive long enough for rescue. Easy.