Round 131

The wardstone answered them like a predator waking from long sleep, its energy pulsing through the very walls of the dark corridor. The nearest sign of danger was now structural collapse imminent—someone had clearly fucked up by bringing a demon-summoning sex toy into a high-rise building.

Hera pressed herself against the wall, trying to put as much distance between herself and the wardstone as possible. Her heart hammered in her chest like it wanted out entirely. She could feel the corruption seeping through the barrier, cold and wrong against her skin. The floor was slick with lubricant—some brilliant tactical decision by the others—and water from the broken shower stall was already pooling around their feet.

Jeane stood at the barricade's center, hands raised in complex gestures that kept the energy contained for now. Her wings were half-spread, leathery and tense, and her crimson eyes glowed with unnatural light. The demoness snarled something under her breath, muscles straining as she fought against whatever was pushing back from the other side.

Silra was already moving, crawling through the ventilation shaft with practiced ease despite the precarious angle. Her teal eyes darted between Jeane's struggle and the groaning structure around them. Every creak of stressed metal, every groan of settling concrete, added to the rising sense of urgency.

The wardstone pulsed again, harder this time. Dust rained from the ceiling in a fresh shower. They had minutes—maybe less—before the entire floor collapsed. And their brilliant plan involved a demoness controlling an ancient sex toy while trapped in a sinking corridor with no easy exits.