Round 26 Transcript

As Jeane descends into the river, Seraphine keeps a watchful eye on the cavern above. She calls out, "Anything from above? Any movement you spot, call it down immediately!" The rope creaks under Jeane's weight as she searches for signs of Halie or Merrin. Suddenly, a large stone dislodges from the ceiling above, sending rocks and debris crashing down into the river below. The impact sends shockwaves through the water, threatening to sweep Jeane away. The current surges in response, its power intensified by the structural collapse. The air around the hidden passageway pulses with an almost frantic rhythm, as if the ancient magic is reacting to the instability of the tower. The runes above the passage seem to be calling out to Jeane, their light casting eerie shadows across the cavern walls.

I surface gasping after the stonefall nearly dragged me under. Debris. Rushing water. The current is stronger now—too strong for any meaningful search in this condition.

Seraphine! The stones from above—are you alright?! I can't stay down here much longer! My wings ache from battling the current, and my fingers are going numb from the cold. Nothing below but churning water and sheer walls—I saw no sign of them, no indication they survived this torrent. The runes above—they pulse faster now, almost like a heartbeat. Is the magic responding to the structural damage? Or calling out to us? I can feel it in my teeth, that wrongness—something ancient and hungry stirring in these depths.

We need solid ground before we consider that passage. Let me try to find another ledge or some handhold I can use to pull myself up! My hands find purchase on a rocky outcropping—I haul myself upward with desperate strength, water streaming from my clothes. The rope drags behind me, heavy and tangled. Almost—there!

I collapse onto the ledge beside Seraphine, panting. The search yielded nothing concrete—but I felt it in the water, that malevolent energy growing stronger. We can't stay here much longer. That passage... it feels like a mouth opening wide to swallow us whole. But we're running out of options.

Seraphine: I watch as Jeane hauls herself back onto the ledge, her body drenched and trembling from the cold. The sight of her struggle brings home the gravity of our situation—the water isn't just dangerous, it's a death sentence if we stay in it much longer. My own exhaustion is a leaden weight in my limbs, but seeing Jeane so drained snaps something into place inside me.
She collapses beside me, her breathing ragged as she tries to catch her breath. I move closer, my voice dropping to a low, urgent tone. "You found nothing? Nothing at all?" The question feels like a knife in my heart, but I need to know the truth—no matter how painful it might be.
Her silence is answer enough. My gaze drifts back to the pulsating rune above the hidden passage, its light seeming to mock us now. It's a grim reminder of how little control we have over our fate in this accursed place. The air around the passage is thick with an otherworldly energy, a scent of damp earth and something sharper—almost metallic.
"I felt it too," I murmur, my eyes fixed on the writhing organic formations on the wall. They seem to be moving with more purpose now, their tendrils reaching out like grasping fingers. "The magic... it's changing. Growing stronger."
The current continues to rage below us, its power undiminished by our escape onto this small ledge. It’s a precarious refuge at best—one good shock wave from the river could still wash us away. We need to find a way out of this immediate danger before we can even consider looking for Varrika and Merrin.
I turn back to Jeane, my expression grim but determined. "We have to move on that passage," I say, my voice firm with resolve. "It’s our only chance now. But be ready—this could be the worst mistake of our lives." I stand up, my joints popping from the cold and exertion, and begin gathering my scattered belongings—the few precious items we managed to salvage from the flood.
As I work, my mind races through the possibilities of what lies ahead. The tower is ancient and filled with unknown dangers, but at least there, on solid ground, we might stand a fighting chance. Here, in this watery abyss, death seems inevitable. "We have to find Varrika and Merrin," I say, my voice breaking slightly as I speak the names of our missing companions. "If they yet live, we owe it to them to try."
I look at Jeane, seeing the same exhaustion and determination in her eyes that must be in mine. Our quest for the Time-Splitting Sword seems like a distant memory now—all that matters is survival. And right now, our only path forward lies through that ominous portal.
"Are you ready?" I ask, my hand hovering over the hidden panel, ready to pull it open and face whatever waits beyond.