Round 134 Transcript

At dark corridor in 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.

Halie grips the doorframe harder despite her burning palms. "Wait! You can't leave me here alone with this thing!" She locks eyes with Jeane, desperation warring with something else entirely—because the longer she holds this position, the more Hera's presence behind her becomes impossible to ignore. The civilized part of Halie wants to push away any thought of that kind, but her body remembers their earlier proximity too well. "I'm not letting go," Halie says firmly to Jeane. "So you'd better find a way to make this spell hold while I keep the door closed." Her gaze flicks to Hera for just an instant—an involuntary betrayal—and then back to Jeane. "All of us survive, or none of us do. That's what we agreed when we started this mess." The wardstone pulses again, harder now, and Halie gasps as something slimy coils around her wrist on the doorframe. She doesn't scream, but she can feel herself trembling with the effort of not pulling away.

I grip the mirror tighter, my knuckles white as I stare at the pulsating wardstone through the crack in the door. Halie's words echo in my mind - keep the door closed, don't let whatever is on the other side out. But I can't shake the feeling that there has to be another way. Jeane's magic might hold for now, but who knows how long that will last against something like this? Silra's idea of trying to escape through the shaft opening seems risky, but at least it's a different approach. My eyes dart around the room, searching for anything that could help. The adult toys and bondage gear are scattered across the floor, slick with lube from the broken bottles. The sybian sits in the corner, a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. Whatever happens next, we need to be ready for it. I grab one of the spare batteries and tuck it into my pocket before picking up the mirror once more. "Halie," I call out, my voice strained with barely suppressed panic. "I'm going to try something. Keep watch on that door."