Round 108

Gravedigger Renn's words hung in the air, punctuated by the ominous creaking of wooden beams and the ground's continued rumble outside. Sister Hale's gaze remained fixed on him, her eyes a testament to her concern for his well-being. I knelt beside them, my teal eyes locked onto Gravedigger Renn's as he recounted his terrifying experience in the tunnel system. The runes on the wall pulsed faster, responding to his revelation with an otherworldly energy that seemed to reverberate through the room.

As the tension in the common room grew thicker, a loud creaking sound echoed from outside, followed by the sound of wooden beams groaning under pressure. Gravedigger Renn's fear-smell still lingered, a potent mix of terror and desperation that clung to him like a shroud. I reached out, my hand hovering near his shoulder as I spoke softly, "Tell me more about what it said." The air seemed to vibrate with anticipation, the runes on the wall pulsing faster in response to Gravedigger Renn's words.

Sister Hale's voice cut through the silence, her tone a gentle yet firm counterpoint to the growing unease. "Brother, you had courage going back down there alone—even if what you found terrified you." Her hand hovered near Renn's shoulder, hesitating before touching it, as if afraid of being drawn into the darkness that had driven him from the tunnel system. The ground continued to rumble ominously outside, a reminder of the danger that lurked beneath Gravehill.