Round 341

The walls began to breathe around them, ancient stone groaning like living tissue. The air grew thick and heavy, vibrating with a low hum that set teeth on edge. The creature's grip tightened, fingers digging into flesh as it hissed instructions. "Seal the artifact before it's too late." Its eyes flashed warnings—yellow irises swirling with barely contained power. The crystal orb pulsed in her hands, golden light intensifying until it was nearly blinding. Too bright to look at directly, too powerful to ignore. The walls were moving now, shifting and sliding together in slow, deliberate patterns that spoke of intelligence rather than decay. Each breath of stone seemed to feed the corruption, make it stronger. They stood at the threshold of something ancient and terrible, and the creature's urgency was contagious. Act now or lose their chance forever. But which action would save them? And which would doom them both?