Round 31

Halie's fingers tighten around the mysterious key as she stumbles after Jeane, her heart pounding in her chest. The sound of collapsing stone fills the air, each groan and crack sending fresh waves of terror through her. She can feel the ambient magic of the tower pressing against her skin, thick and suffocating like a physical presence. I can't just leave it! The thought screams through her mind even as she follows Jeane's frantic lead. The key—it was meant for us. I have to find out what it unlocks! But her words are lost in the cacophony of destruction as another section of wall collapses behind them, sending a shower of dust and debris into the air.*

Jeane hauls Halie around another crumbling corner just in time to avoid being buried under several tons of falling masonry. The air is thick with dust and the scent of ancient stone, sharp and bitter enough to make her eyes water. This entire tower is coming down! We have maybe thirty seconds before this whole section collapses! Halie's panicked whimper cuts through the groaning stone—a sound that sends ice through Jeane's veins. She can feel the other girl's terror like a physical presence, and it fuels her own rising panic. This whole tower is coming down!"*

Seraphine stumbles after them, her heart hammering against her ribs. The key clatters against the stone floor, sending up a faint echo that is quickly drowned out by the sound of crashing stone and debris. "Jeane, wait!" Her voice comes out in a choked gasp, but Jeane doesn't slow down. She hauls them both around another corner just as a section of the wall collapses behind them, sending up a wave of dust that clouds their vision.

The air is thick with dust and the scent of ancient stone, sharp and bitter enough to make her eyes water. The ward magic flickers ominously as ambient corruption tries to smother it like a blanket. Seraphine grits her teeth, pouring more magical energy into the spell just to keep it from collapsing entirely. This is madness! We need to get out of this collapsing death trap before we're buried alive!"*