Round 21

The air was thick with dust and the stench of decay as Seraphine struggled to keep Merrin's head from hitting the rough stone floor. Varrika followed close behind, her mace held at the ready as she scanned the dark passageway for any sign of movement from the skeletal monstrosities. Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the tunnel, and the ground shook violently.

I feel the ground shake again, harder this time—I'm certain now that whatever dark magic is keeping this tower standing is actively collapsing. We don't have minutes—we might have seconds before this whole cursed place comes down around our ears. I curse under my breath and redouble my pace through the narrow tunnel. I can hear Varrika's gasp of alarm behind me.

Seraphine looks up as I approach, her face streaked with sweat and dust. "Merrin's breathing is shallow," she says, her voice tight with panic as she kneels beside Merrin's unconscious form on the cold stone floor. "Her pulse is weak but steady. The healing spell I cast seems to be stabilizing her, but she hasn't woken up yet." She gestures frantically at the crumbling ceiling above us. "We need to move—now! This whole section could collapse any second!"