Round 23

The river's roar filled the cavern, drowning out everything but the desperate beat of their hearts. Jeane clung to the slimy outcropping, muscles burning, as the current tried to tear her away. The magical interference was total—her spells fizzled like rain on hot stone, leaving her helpless against the elements.

Seraphine fought to maintain her grip on a ledge nearby, the elf woman's face pale in the gloom. Her heavy equipment dragged her down, each movement a struggle against exhaustion and the crushing weight of waterlogged robes. The recent near-drowning had left her lungs burning, her breaths coming in short, panicked gasps.

"Seraphine!" Jeane shouted over the din. "Do you see any way up? Or is that map just for show?" Her fingers slipped a fraction on the rock. The ground beneath them groaned ominously. This whole section was about to give way—she could feel it.

Wait!" Seraphine called back, her voice barely audible over the rushing water. "I think I see a passage above us! But it looks unstable." She pointed upward, where a narrow opening vanished into darkness. Jeane craned her neck, trying to spot it. "Unstable how?" she demanded. "Like 'might fall on our heads' or 'probably collapses under weight'?"

Her fingers were going numb from the cold water. Seraphine hesitated. "Both? Maybe worse? The stonework looks ancient and... stressed." Great. Just great. Now what?