Round 306

The walls’ synchronized breathing stops abruptly, leaving only the low pulsing hum filling the tunnel. Abby freezes mid-step, her hand still outstretched against the stone wall that now feels unnervingly warm and slightly... alive? The fluid around her feet swirls faster in response, tendrils reaching up to caress her ankles before pulling back.

This is bad, she thinks, eyes darting between the now-quiescent walls and the ominous crystal pulsing like a heart at the tunnel’s end. Really, really bad. The air grows thicker, harder to breathe, and she swears she can feel the entire structure holding its breath around them.

Focus, she tells herself firmly. What did Silra say about maintaining distance? Twelve meters, right? She takes a careful step back, then another, trying to put space between herself and whatever’s waiting at the crystal chamber. The fluid resists slightly, clinging to her shoes before reluctantly releasing its grip.

Why isn’t it breathing anymore? That feels like the wrong question—of course something this fucked-up wouldn’t breathe normally—but she can’t shake the feeling that the walls’ sudden stillness is somehow more threatening than their earlier synchronized movements. Is it preparing to attack? Or did we break something by coming down here?