Round 78 Transcript

The construct takes another step closer, its burning eyes fixed on Seraphine as she works to secure the beam. Halie stands beside her, loading her crossbow and preparing for a potential escape. Jeane faces Merrin, her crimson eyes narrowed in suspicion. Suddenly, the beam creaks ominously, threatening to collapse under the weight of Halie's movements. Seraphine's hands tighten around the rope as she cries out, "We have to hold it together!" The beam sways precariously, but Halie manages to keep it upright. Jeane takes a step forward, her eyes locked on Merrin. The Bound Spirit's eyes flash with anger at Jeane's words, and the humming noise emanating from her body grows louder. "You dare to question me?" she hisses, her voice barely above a whisper. The air around them begins to distort, as if reality itself is being warped by the Keeper's demands.

The beam creaks ominously, threatening to collapse under the weight of Halie's movements. I cry out, my hands tightening around the rope as I frantically try to secure it. "We have to hold it together!"
I can feel the tension in the wood, the way it sways with every slight adjustment we make. The air in the chamber feels heavy, charged with a malevolent energy that seems to be coming from Merrin herself.
As the Bound Spirit's eyes flash with anger at Jeane's words, I watch her body begin to writhe and twist, the runes on her skin pulsing with an unnatural light. The humming noise emanating from her grows louder, a discordant sound that makes my teeth ache. "You dare to question me?" she hisses, her voice barely above a whisper.
I glance around frantically, trying to assess our situation. The catwalk groans beneath our feet, and I know we don't have much time left before it gives way completely. Seraphine's bridge is our only hope of escape, but it looks flimsy and unstable in the distorted air.
The construct looms closer, its burning eyes fixed on me now. I feel a sudden, chilling sense of being judged, of having my worthiness assessed by some ancient, unseen power. My heart hammers against my ribs as I try to think of what to do next.
I turn to Halie and Jeane, my voice urgent. "We have to get out of here now," I say, gesturing towards the beam. "That thing... it's not going to let us leave easily."
I look back at Merrin, my friend trapped in this twisted form, her soul seemingly held captive by this entity. I know I can't abandon her, but I also know that if we don’t get out soon, none of us will make it out alive. "Seraphine, Halie—help me finish this bridge. We'll come back for Merrin once we're safe."
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. The weight of the moment presses down on me, heavy and suffocating. This is what it means to be a wizard—to face the unknown, to confront the arcane, and to try to find a way through even when all seems lost. "The test begins now," the construct intones, its voice echoing in my mind. I shudder, my resolve hardening. We will not fall here, not while Merrin still needs us.
I turn back to the beam, my hands steady now as I work to secure it. Every knot is a prayer, every twist of the rope a promise. This is our only chance.* "Hold on, Merrin," I whisper under my breath, "We're coming for you."

Jeane’s crimson eyes narrow as she weighs the construct’s words against the precarious situation. The runes on Merrin's skin pulse faster now, almost frantically, as if sensing her companions’ internal debate. The weight of worthiness... not in words but in the heart. The catwalk groans beneath my feet—literal seconds before total structural failure. Halie wants to retreat, Seraphine is desperate to secure the bridge. I can’t blame them; Merrin’s current state is terrifying and we're trapped on a death-trap platform. But abandoning her feels... wrong. Dangerous. Like I'm making a deal with darker forces than I know how to handle. The entity claims it won't let us leave easily—probably means that literal.