Round 52 Transcript

As Jeane confronts her dark reflection, the twisted creature lunges forward with unnatural speed, its wings beating erratically. The air around it shimmers as it draws closer, and Jeane's eyes flash with a fierce determination. Seraphine's warding spell holds, but she knows it won't last long. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet gives way, and the chamber begins to collapse inward, rubble tumbling down a narrow chute. The dark reflection pauses, its gaze flicking toward the churning debris, before turning back to Jeane. "It's coming for you," it hisses, its voice like a rusty gate. The air fills with dust and rocks, and Jeane stumbles forward, her mace raised to deflect the falling rubble. Seraphine grabs onto Jeane's arm, pulling her toward the nearby pile of rubble, shouting, "We need to move now!"

The ground shifts beneath our feet—rock grinding against rock as the chamber begins to collapse. Not again! I snarl, trying to keep my footing despite the pain in my thigh. Seraphine, get down—that pile of rubble over there! I point towards a precarious stack of stone blocks near where we entered. If we can't fight it directly, maybe we can seal it off or buy ourselves time! The dark reflection looms closer through the dust and falling debris, its eyes gleaming with malevolent intent.

I raise my mace, ready to strike if it gets close enough, but my priority is getting us both out of here alive. Move your ass, Seraphine—I'm not carrying you again! The words come out harsher than intended, fueled by pain and urgency. There's no time for gentle encouragement now—we need to act fast before this whole place comes down around our ears.

As we scramble towards the rubble pile, I can feel something else too—the dark presence inside me, feeding off my fear and desperation. It wants us to stay, to face the reflection head-on. No, I mutter under my breath, not like this. We don't have to win every fight—sometimes winning means surviving to fight another day.

I dive for the pile of rubble, my robes tangling around my legs as I scramble to push aside the heavy blocks. These must be from the collapsed chamber earlier— Varrika should have secured this better! My hands ache as I heave at the stones, trying to create an opening large enough for both of us.
The dark reflection is getting closer, its form flickering in and out of the settling dust. Its presence feels like a physical weight pressing down on me, making my breath catch in my throat. "Jeane, hurry!" I call over my shoulder, my voice strained with effort and rising panic.
As I work frantically to clear the path, I can feel the energy inside Jeane—the dark thing that possessed her—pulsing against my own magic. It’s a twisted echo of the power we wield for good, but warped into something malevolent and hungry. "What did you do to her?" I mutter, more to myself than to the creature.
The rubble finally gives way, exposing a narrow gap leading deeper into the labyrinth. "Through there!" I shout, gesturing wildly at the opening. "Get in and start moving—don't wait for me!"
I turn back to face the dark reflection, my staff raised in a shaky warding gesture. The air crackles with residual energy from my spell, but it feels weak, futile against the raw power of this thing. "You want her?" I spit, my voice filled with a mixture of fear and defiance. "Then you'll have to come through me first!"