Round 107

The air in the chamber thinned with each passing moment, the magic failing fast and taking what little breath they had with it. Mist swirled around them, obscuring the walls and ceiling, though Merrin could still make out Varrika's form as the dwarf woman vanished into its depths. She called out her name again, voice echoing back to her from the mist, but there was no answer. The silence that followed felt heavy, wrong somehow.

Serrine's grip on the crystal tightened, the light intensifying until it cast flickering shadows across the chamber walls. Merrin hesitated, torn between the growing warmth in her chest and Varrika's warning. The crystal seemed to pulse faster in response, its energy washing over her skin like warm water. It felt... good. Too good.

"Stop!" Varrika barked from somewhere beyond the mist, even as a thrill of pleasure shot through her at the command. "Whatever that thing is doing to you, it's not natural! Break away from it!"

Merrin shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her mind. The crystal pulsed again, and she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Her legs trembled, and she had to lean against Serrine for support. "I... I can't," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her own heart.