Round 366

The walls' synchronized breathing stopped entirely now—a sudden silence more unsettling than any rhythm could be—as the air grew thick with anticipation that seemed to coat their skin like oil. The creature's grip remained insistent, guiding them deeper into the chamber's depths where the floor undulated beneath their feet, living stone responding to their presence with unsettling animation. Silra felt the corruption spreading through her system with each beat of her heart, but she maintained her focus on the task at hand—finding those damned Starheart fragments before the entity consumed them both entirely. The walls' synchronized breathing had stopped now, replaced by a low pulsing hum that seemed to count down the seconds until whatever waited below made its move.

Abby pressed herself against Silra's back, trying to maintain contact only through their merged forms and not risk direct skin-to-skin contact that might accelerate the corruption's spread. The viscous fluid coating her legs made each step a treacherous gamble, but she followed Silra's lead, trusting in the warrior's experience even as terror clawed at her insides. The air grew heavier with each passing moment, the pulsing hum growing stronger until it seemed to vibrate through their very bones.