Round 229

The Figure in Shimmering Light took another step forward, its movements unnaturally smooth across the shifting ground. Merrin felt her heart rate spike as the entity's presence seemed to intensify, the air crackling with unseen energy. She tightened her grip on the crossbow, the cold metal a familiar anchor in this increasingly unstable reality. Varrika stood beside her, the dwarf warrior's expression grim but determined. Her knuckles were white where she gripped her mace, the weapon held ready despite its recent tendency to slip free at inopportune moments. The narrow ledge beneath their feet groaned ominously, more stones tumbling into the abyss below with each passing second. Merrin glanced sideways at Varrika, noting the sheen of sweat on her friend's forehead despite the chill air. "We need to move," she hissed under her breath. "This floor isn't going to hold much longer." Varrika nodded tersely, her eyes never leaving the Figure in Shimmering Light. "Together," she growled. "Stay close and watch my back." The torches flickered again, their flames guttering as if the very air was trying to extinguish them. Merrin felt a cold dread settle in her stomach, knowing that their options were rapidly dwindling in this collapsing dimension.