Round 85

The air crackled with an otherworldly energy, ancient magic seeping from every surface of the hidden chamber revealed through the sliding wall. Merrin watched in horror as Varrika disappeared into the room, the force field trapping her inside. The rogue's heart raced as she tried to process what was happening. "Varikka!" Merrin shouted, her voice echoing through the chamber. "Can you hear me? Are you okay?" Meanwhile, suspended mid-air by the magical bonds, Varrika struggled against her imprisonment. The mirrors surrounding her began to shift and change, each one reflecting different versions of themselves and the chamber beyond. A figure stepped out from one of the mirrors—a pale, distorted version of Halie, her eyes like pools of darkness. "Halie," Varrika growled, her hand tightening around her mace as she stared at the apparition. "Is that really you? Or are you just another trick of this damnable place?" She strained against the magical bonds holding her suspended in mid-air, but the force field rippled and distorted, refusing to yield. "Listen," Varrika said, her voice steady despite her growing panic. "I don't know what's happening here, but I need your help. Can you see me? Do you understand where I am?"