Round 90 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 cower in the corner of the bathroom, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as I watch Hera approach the sybian with a determined expression on her face. The building groans and shudders around us, the sound like the dying breath of a massive beast. Wardstone energy pulses through the room, making my teeth ache and my skin crawl.
My gaze darts between Hera and the door, where I know the wardstone is waiting just outside. Jeane's reckless actions have put us all in danger, and now we're trapped with no way out. Fear clutches at my heart as I see Hera pick up the sybian, her movements surprisingly confident despite the chaos around her.
I take a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Silra is right, we need to find something heavy to brace the door if we have any hope of stopping the wardstone energy from spreading further. But looking around the small room, filled with adult toys and bondage gear, I can't think of what that could be.
"I-I don't know," I stammer out as Hera looks back at me, her eyes wide and pleading. "What if we make it worse? What if the sybian doesn't work?" My voice is so quiet it's almost lost in the groaning of the building.

The bathroom door groans ominously as I approach the sybian, the wardstone energy pulsing through its sleek metal surface. I know using it could make things worse, but we're running out of options. "Jeane," I call over the creaking of straining pipes and shifting walls, "I need your help with this thing." I gesture at the sybian, then scan the room for anything else that might be useful. A bottle of lube slips from a precariously balanced stack and shatters on the floor, sending a slick film of oil across the tiles. Water gushes from the broken shower, mixing with the spilled lubricant to create a treacherous sheen. I wince as my feet slide out from under me, barely catching myself on the edge of the sink. Abby cowers in the corner, her eyes wide with fear. I can't blame her - this whole situation feels like a nightmare we can't wake up from. But I refuse to give in to panic. There has to be a way out of this. I take a deep breath and steel myself for what I'm about to do. "Halie, Abby, start looking for anything heavy we can use to brace the door," I instruct, my voice steadier than I feel. "Silra, keep an eye on Jeane - we need her focused right now."

Then I turn back to the sybian, running my hands over its smooth surface as I try to figure out how it works. The wardstone energy hums against my fingertips, making my skin tingle and my insides tighten with a rush of unwanted arousal. But I push that sensation aside - I have to focus if we're going to survive this. I glance at the door, where the barrier strains against the wardstone's power. We don't have much time left. Steeling myself, I start fiddling with the sybian's controls, praying that whatever I'm about to do doesn't end up killing us all.