Round 45

As Sister Hale was yanked back toward Gravedigger Renn, her eyes darted wildly between the tunnel entrance and the approaching city guard. The massive chitinous limb emerged from darkness, scrabbling against stone near Jeane's face, sending her stumbling backward as she desperately tried to shield herself. The air was heavy with tension, and the only sound was the soft crunch of ash beneath the guards' feet.

Sister Hale stood firm beside Gravedigger Renn, her voice cutting through the chaos as she shouted over her shoulder, "We need to get Gravedigger Renn inside that church! He knows more than he's saying—I heard him mutter something about an awakening." The city guard leader growled, his hand tightening on his sword hilt as he took a step closer to the party. His lantern flickered, casting eerie shadows on the ground, and Sister Hale pulled back harder against the unseen force, her face set in determination.

The city guard's grip on Gravedigger Renn tightened, but the old man refused to budge, his eyes fixed on Sister Hale with a mixture of fear and pleading. The scuttling noise beneath the ash-covered street grew louder, and the raspy voice whispered "Turn back...while you still can..." from nearby rubble, sending shivers down Sister Hale's spine.