Round 45

Seraphine's eyes widened as she heard Merrin's voice call out from below, a mix of relief and apprehension flooding through her. The creaking of the catwalk above grew more insistent, and she could feel the structure groaning under their combined weight. "Merrin! Are you both okay down there?" she shouted, her voice barely carrying over the ominous whispers that seemed to seep from the very stones around them. The crystal on the door pulsed with an eerie green light, its magic feeling wrong and ancient in a way that made her skin crawl. She knew they needed to act quickly, but every instinct screamed at her to turn back.

Below, Halie had managed to descend carefully into the chamber, her eyes fixed on the ominous books rising around her. The air grew colder and heavier as she lowered herself into the room, and the malevolent whispers seemed to claw at her mind. "Jeane," she called out softly, her voice barely above a murmur, "are you hurt? Stay still—whatever this is, we need to be cautious." Her hand tightened on the rope as she continued her descent, each movement measured and deliberate. The last thing they needed was for the unstable structure to collapse under them both.