Round 474

The walls had stopped their rhythmic breathing entirely now—everything except that low pulsing hum growing stronger, vibrating through the stone like a heartbeat counting down seconds until whatever comes next arrives. Silra’s warning about corruption spreading jolts her back into reality, but the sudden silence is somehow more terrifying than the previous rhythm could ever be. She pulls Abby closer instinctively—hands roaming over exposed skin with desperate urgency as the bioluminescent fluid in their veins pulses in time with their entwined hearts.

The air crackles with electricity between them, walls' synchronized breathing growing louder and more insistent. The hum vibrates through both their chests like a living thing counting down seconds until...

She knows she should maintain distance, but the narrow space and Silra’s panicked eyes make tactical positioning impossible. Her hands roam over Abby’s exposed skin anyway—desperate to ground herself even as the walls’ breathing intensifies.