Round 29

Varrika steadied herself with a grunt as the ground heaved beneath her feet, her eyes wide with shock and concern. "Jeane!" she shouted into the darkness that had swallowed her companion. The dwarf's grip tightened on her mace as she heard the muffled thud of collapsing stone echoing from below. "Halie! Seraphine!"

She moved to the edge of the pit, peering down into the inky blackness. "Can anyone hear me?" Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her fear despite her best efforts to maintain composure. The Writhing Roots around them began to writhe and click more aggressively, their movements becoming erratic as if sensing the disturbance.

Varrika's keen eyes caught movement in the shadows near the sealed door—the same area where she'd spotted something earlier. She squinted, trying to make out the shape. "What is that?" she muttered, taking a step back instinctively.

The air grew colder, and an ominous silence descended over the chamber after the initial crash, broken only by the unsettling sounds of the roots and distant scratching noises that seemed to be growing louder.