Round 97

Silra's challenge hangs in the air—bold but stupid. The tall woman's face doesn't change, but something shifts. The temperature drops another few degrees as the twin figures' symbols pulse brighter. "Separation is... necessary," they speak together, voices echoing unnaturally. "Your group represents a variable we cannot..." The other finishes, "...control. The risk of contamination is too great." One of them raises both hands now—shadows beginning to swirl around BOTH of them in a...

I press myself back against the wall until it feels like it might crack under my weight, every instinct screaming to run even though I know there’s nowhere to go. The soldiers are one thing—a known threat—but these robed figures... they exude an ancient, chilling power that makes my skin crawl. The shadows swirling around their feet look hungry, and the way they move in perfect sync is unnatural. My eyes dart to Silra—her defiance just seems suicidal now. I want to scream at her to shut up before she gets us all killed.

I watch Ms. Stone and the tall woman square off—corporate power clashing with something far more sinister. The soldiers look like they want to be anywhere else, and those twin freaks are literally summoning a fucking shadow portal between us. Halia's kneeling prayer isn't going to save shit, but at least she's not panicking completely. Jeane looks ready to start throwing spells and make everything worse. Hera and Abby? Just terrified meat shields at this point. What would the other two say if they could see us now—trapped between corporate enforcers and eldritch abominations-in-training?