Round 132

The chasm yawned below them, dark and endless, as they plummeted towards its depths. The book in Merrin's hands pulsed with an unnatural light, its pages seeming to glow brighter with every passing second.

"Merrin!" Varrika shouted over the rush of wind past their ears. "We have to let go of that thing!"

But even as she spoke, a strange energy was already coursing through Merrin's body—an otherworldly power emanating from the book that refused to let go. Merrin's dark eyes were wide with fear and determination as she clutched the tome tighter, her small fingers digging into its leather-bound cover.

"No," she gasped, barely audible over the wind. "We can't... I won't..."

Her voice trailed off as another wave of power surged through her, the book's pages flipping rapidly on their own accord. Varrika felt a chill run down her spine as she realized they were completely at the mercy of whatever dark forces had been unleashed by opening that cursed tome...