Round 51

The chamber groaned like a dying beast, stone grinding against stone in a symphony of impending collapse. Merrin lay sprawled on the cold floor, her head throbbing in time with each rumble. Her vision swam, focusing and blurring as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. The last thing she remembered was... what? Serrine's voice cut through the haze like a blade. "Hold still," the priestess commanded, her hands already moving to examine Merrin’s head. "I need to check your injuries." Merrin winced as Serrine’s fingers probed gently at her scalp, the cool touch a stark contrast to the heat radiating from the ward seal behind them. Something heavy—a stone block or perhaps a fallen statue—hits the ground nearby with a resounding thud. Seraphine pays the collapsing structure no mind, her full attention focused on Merrin. She moves closer, her expression concerned as she kneels beside the prone rogue. “Hold still,” she commands, her hands already moving to examine Merrin’s head. “I need to check your injuries.” Merrin winces as Seraphine’s fingers probe g...