Round 66 Transcript

At bathroom in a New York high rise penthouse suite, the pressure shifts from waiting to immediate risk. The ward answers the party's presence with a fresh pulse through the stone and no one can mistake it for safety. The nearest sign of danger is now structural collapse imminent. Someone has to answer that change now.

I drag Hera into the hallway bathroom by her elbow, my wings twitching with impatience. "Enough," I snap at Silra's back where she hunches over the wardstone like a scholar at some deadly desk. "The building is about to come down around our ears and you're—what even are you doing? What have you learned?" The walls groan overhead, and fresh water gushes from the ruined shower stall behind us, soaking into the floor tiles. I shove Hera toward Abby in the corner. "Stay here and don't touch anything." My eyes narrow on Silra's slim figure bent over the wardstone—my patience fraying like a rope under too much strain.

I'm already tracing it—it's a wardstone but it's not just stone anymore; it's breathing. Feel that? The pulse changes when we're close, and Hera's fear is making it stronger. Get her out of here. Jeane, I need you to focus. If you lose control, this whole building comes down on us all at once instead of piece by piece.

The bathroom door slams shut behind us, muffling but not eliminating the ominous groans from outside. I press my back against the cool tile wall, trying to still my racing heart. Abby is huddled in the corner opposite me, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "Hera," Jeane's voice cuts through the tense silence. "We need to get you and Abby out of here. Now."