Round 203

The building groaned like a living thing waking from long sleep, concrete shifting under immense pressure. The wardstone pulsed again, slower this time but unmistakably deliberate—like a heart beating before the kill. Halie pressed her full weight against the door frame, muscles burning as she fought to hold back the tide of corruption seeping through every crack. Her palms screamed with pain, skin already blistering where it touched the ancient stone.

"Silra!" she snapped, voice sharp with urgency that barely masked the terror beneath. "Timing! How many seconds until this gives way? My hands can't hold it much longer!" The darkness beyond the door seemed to pulse in rhythm with the wardstone—waiting, hungry, impatient. She could feel it trying to seep through, looking for purchase.

Jeane stood a few feet back, both hands gripping an oversized dildo plugged into the nearest wall socket while arcane energy crackled between her fingers and up her arms. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly as she channeled more power into the barrier spell holding the darkness at bay—at least for now. "I'm maintaining the barrier," she growled through gritted teeth, "but I need you two to shut up and let me concentrate! Every spike in panic energy makes this harder to control!"

The corridor filled with the sound of water dripping from burst pipes mixing with the slick wetness of spilled lubricant on the floor. Hera whimpered softly behind Halie, each breath a wet gasp that made Halie's stomach twist with protective instinct even as she fought to maintain focus. "Silra!" she hissed again. "Move! Get Hera out of here before her fear draws something worse!"

The wardstone pulsed once more, slower still but unmistakably deliberate—counting down the seconds until the entire building came crashing down around them all.