Round 221 Transcript

Halie steps between them, her voice firm but without shouting. "Enough. Both of you." The building groans around them, walls flexing visibly now, plaster cracking. She faces Silra first, meeting those sharp eyes with unwavering certainty. "You can't just strap someone down and hope for the best when we don't know what that does to her mind. I won't let you turn this into an execution."

She turns to Jeane next, voice softening but no less direct. "And you—stop fighting yourself like this. We're here because we care about you, not just because of whatever the building wants." The pressure builds behind her words, faith and will intertwining as she tries one more time to raise that barrier, to buy them seconds while they figure this out. "I'm a healer," Halie says, looking between them. "Not a torturer or a jailer. We find another way to channel what's inside you, Jeane. Together."

I watch as Jeane restrains Silra, my heart pounding in my chest at the sight of their struggle.
The sound of cracking concrete fills the air, a chilling reminder that our time is running out. My eyes dart around the room, looking for some kind of escape route or hiding place, but there’s nowhere to go. The only way out is through the crumbling floor.
Hera tries to reason with Jeane and Silra, her voice rising above the groaning building, but it’s clear no one is listening anymore. I feel a sudden rush of fear, not just for myself, but for Hera too. She's been so brave, trying to keep us all together, but now she looks lost and terrified.
I take a step towards her, my hand outstretched, wanting to offer some kind of comfort, but before I can reach her, the ground beneath our feet gives way with a sickening crunch.*