Round 115

Seraphine staggers as the chamber floor heaves violently, her sharp eyes darting around the rapidly shifting space. "By the Ancients!" She stumbles backward, her elegant robes snagging on a jagged stone outcropping. The sudden jolt sends her off-balance, and she windmills her arms comically before crashing to the ground in an undignified heap. The impact drives the air from her lungs in a whoosh, and for a moment, she lies stunned amidst the swirling dust. "Oof... damn it all..." She pushes herself up on shaky arms, her face flushed with embarrassment as she tries to regain her composure.

As Seraphine scrambles back to her feet, brushing dust from her robes with quick, irritated movements, the rumbling voice echoes through the chamber once more. "The Test of Worthiness... begins." She freezes mid-brush, her keen elven eyes scanning the pulsing runes on the walls. The air crackles with unnatural energy, and the Bound Spirit’s writhing form seems to intensify, its dark power seeping outward in visible waves. "Jeane's right—this is no simple binding circle." She draws her heavy mace instinctively, the familiar weight a comforting presence in her hand.

Seraphine takes a hesitant step toward the chamber’s center, her gaze fixed on the Bound Spirit. The ground shifts again beneath her feet, and she braces herself against another fall. "We need to understand this test before—" Her words cut off as a section of the stone floor directly ahead of her begins to crumble away, revealing a gaping chasm below. She leaps backward just in time, stumbling and falling against the far wall as the hole yawns wider, dust and debris pouring into the darkness beneath. "Fuck!" She slams her back against the cold stone, her heart pounding in her chest as she watches the floor give way completely where she stood moments before.

Seraphine slides down to sit heavily on the ground, her breathing ragged. She stares at the yawning chasm, then up at the shifting ceiling above. "This whole place is coming apart." Her voice is tight with frustration and fear. "Jeane was right—this is madness. We should never have come down here." She clenches her fist around the mace hilt, the metal digging into her palm as she fights the urge to scream in sheer exasperation. "Merrin... what have you gotten us into?"