Round 490

The walls' breathing stopped completely—everything except the low pulsing hum that grew stronger, like a heartbeat counting down seconds until the next adaptation phase. Tendrils of living stone snaked across the floor, coiling around their ankles and sliding Halie's pants down her hips to bare smooth skin against the cool concrete. The walls' rhythmic breathing synchronized perfectly with their combined heartbeats, creating an unsettling harmony that drew them closer together in the narrow space.