Round 37 Transcript

As Jeane and Seraphine step forward, the pulsing light from the corridor envelops them, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The air seems to vibrate with an otherworldly energy, and the metallic scent grows stronger, making their eyes water. The growling sounds behind them intensify, and the ground shudders violently once more. Suddenly, the sealed door crashes down, sending dust and debris swirling around the party. In the chaos, Jeane's heavy mace goes flying out of her hand, clattering against the stone floor. A faint, pungent smell wafts from the new doorway, and Seraphine covers her nose with her arm. "What is that?" she whispers, her eyes fixed on the glowing handle. The sound of scuttling claws grows louder, and the wet tearing sound echoes through the corridor, drawing closer with every passing moment.

Jeane's wings flare wide instinctively when her mace goes flying—the weapon she trusts more than any spell right now. The sudden loss of that solid weight in her hand leaves her feeling exposed. Fuck! The pungent stink from the new doorway makes her eyes water and nose burn. It's the smell of rotting meat mixed with something else, something ancient and foul like a corpse left to decay in saltwater for weeks. This is bad—this is very fucking bad. She staggers back a step, pulling Seraphine with her as the scuttling sounds grow closer.

Jeane tries to focus through the panic, her bloodline magic reacting violently to whatever lies ahead. The pulsing walls around them seem to throb faster now, and she swears she can feel something alive moving beneath the stone. We need to move she hisses, already sprinting towards the glowing door handle before Seraphine can respond. Stay close and be ready—I don't know what's through there but it's got to be better than whatever's behind us.

I feel a chill run down my spine as the growling behind us grows louder, more insistent, and the wet tearing sound becomes a guttural ripping noise that makes my stomach turn. The air is thick with the scent of decaying flesh, and I can see Jeane's wings beat frantically as she sprints towards the glowing door handle.
Seraphine follows close behind, her heart pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. She doesn't have time to process the loss of her mace; all that matters now is getting away from whatever horrors are pursuing them. The sealed door crashing down sends a fresh wave of panic through her, and she stumbles over a piece of rubble, nearly falling but catching herself at the last moment.
The pungent smell wafting from the new doorway is overwhelming, like a thousand rotten eggs left to fester in a hot, stagnant swamp. It burns her nostrils and makes her eyes water. She coughs, trying to clear her throat as she reaches the threshold just behind Jeane. "What is that?" she gasps, her voice hoarse with fear and disgust.
Jeane doesn't answer, her entire focus on grasping the strange, glinting handle set into the organic wall. Her fingers close around it, and she pulls with all her might. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, with a sickening slurp, the door begins to slide open, revealing a chamber beyond that is even more terrifying than anything they've seen so far.