Round 9

As Sister Hale stood transfixed by the dark liquid entity, its pulsating glow harmonized with her own racing heartbeat. The scuttling sounds intensified, and the ground beneath her feet convulsed, as if ancient foundations were being stirred by an unseen force. Faint whispers began to echo through the darkness, indistinguishable words that sent shivers down her spine. Silra's gaze snapped up from the disturbed earth near Jeane's boots, her eyes narrowing as she pressed her palm flat against the ground. "Whatever's under our feet is actively excavating now – that's not natural, and it's getting closer," she warned, her voice laced with a sense of foreboding.

The air clung to Sister Hale like a damp shroud as she felt the entity's attention bearing down upon her. The flickering glow emanated from the dark liquid entity seemed to pulse in time with her own heartbeat, as if it sensed her fear. Silra crouched low beside Jeane, tracing the ground where the scratching sound originated beneath ancient flagstones. "It's digging upward," she whispered urgently, her hand tightening on the hilt of her dagger.