Round 145 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.

The wardstone pulses harder this time, a sickly sweet energy that makes my skin crawl. The building groans around us like some great beast waking from slumber—another tremor rattles the floorboards underfoot and I stumble against the wall, my spellwork faltering for one terrifying second before I snatch it back with teeth gritted. "Silra!" My voice cuts through the darkness of this cursed corridor. "Move! Now! Find us a way out or we're all dead!"

Halie's struggling with that barricade—I can hear her grunts of effort even over the creaking timber—and Hera sounds like she's about to scream, her voice high and thin with terror. I need to contain this situation before it spirals completely out of control. "Silra! Trust me—do as I say or we all die here tonight." My demonic nature strains against my control, feeding on the fear and panic around us like some insatiable beast within me demanding release. The spellwork holding back that wardstone energy throbs in time with my pulse, my breasts aching as they begin to leak milk—my body betraying even now its desperate need for relief amidst this chaos. I press myself flat against the opposite wall from Halie, trying to shield Hera and Abby behind me while maintaining this precarious hold on reality. The wardstone pulses again, stronger still—and something deep within me answers that call despite all my willpower screaming otherwise. "Halie—use everything you have to keep it shut." I shift my stance on the slippery floor, feet spreading wider for balance as another tremor shakes us. "Don't let whatever's in there through."

I catch Hera's eye over Halie's shoulder—the woman looks terrified but not completely lost yet—and force a reassuring smile that I don't really feel. "It'll be fine," I lie smoothly, voice steady despite the panic clawing at my throat. "Just stay close and do exactly as I say."

I shift my weight again, trying desperately to keep the mirror pressed against the door frame even as the building groans around us like a dying beast. The wardstone pulses harder this time, and I swear I can feel it through the soles of my feet—a hungry thing, feeding on our fear and desperation. My burned hands scream in protest, but I grit my teeth and push back against the door with everything I have. Behind me, I hear Hera's voice call out, asking if I'm okay, and something twists in my chest. I can't let her see how terrified I am right now—can't let her know that I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this thing shut. "Stay down," I manage to say over the creaking of the floorboards and the groaning of the walls. "Don't move from behind me."