Round 115 Transcript

As Seraphine reaches out to touch the pulsing symbol, the ground beneath her feet gives a violent lurch, sending her stumbling forward. The torches on the walls sputter and die once more, plunging the chamber into darkness. The air is thick with an unnatural silence, broken only by the muffled groans of the collapsing tower above. Halie's voice cuts through the tension, her words laced with both awe and apprehension. "It's starting," she whispers. "The Test of Worthiness is beginning."

Suddenly, a faint light flickers to life at the edge of the chamber, illuminating the ancient runes on the walls. They pulse in time with the Bound Spirit's frantic energy, casting eerie patterns across the stone floor. The air crackles with electric tension as the test begins. Jeane's eyes narrow, her crimson gaze fixed on Seraphine. "This isn't what I expected," she whispers. "The test isn't just a simple puzzle. It's... alive."

A low, rumbling voice echoes through the chamber, its words indistinguishable but its malevolent intent clear. The Bound Spirit's form stirs more violently within its circle, its coal-black eyes fixed on Seraphine with an unsettling intensity.

Jeane's crimson eyes narrow as she takes in every detail of the shifting chamber around them—the pulsing runes on the walls, the writhing Bound Spirit at their center, and now the rumbling voice echoing through the darkness. This isn't what I expected from ancient binding rituals. It feels... alive. The air crackles with electric tension as the test begins in earnest. Jeane circles the edge of the chamber warily, her dark wings half-unfurled for balance on the shifting ground. The path behind us is clearly failing—we need to find alternative routes or structural supports before this entire section collapses. She gestures toward a section where ancient stonework seems particularly weak. There... see how that corner has already given way? We might have minutes, not hours. Jeane's gaze sweeps over the chamber again, taking in every detail of its layout and the pulsing symbols on the walls. But you're right about one thing—this test isn't going to be simple or kind. She meets Seraphine's unwavering dark stare with a mix of respect and frustration. Your determination is admirable, but barging into this darkness blindly is suicide. Jeane steps closer to Seraphine, her voice low enough that only she can hear. I understand the pressure—Merrin and Halie are trapped below. But think about what we know: dark sorcerers bound that spirit for a reason. Whatever it demands... Her crimson eyes flicker toward the writhing form in the circle. ...it's likely something we're not prepared to give. Another violent shudder runs through the tower, sending dust raining from above. We need a calculated approach, not rushed heroics. Let me scout ahead—maybe there are hidden passages or structural supports we've missed. Jeane's hand hovers near her crossbow, ready for any threats that might emerge from the darkness. If I find something actionable, we'll know which path to take. Her expression softens slightly with genuine concern despite her stern tone. We will save them—both Merrin and Halie. But not by throwing ourselves into a trap we don't understand. Jeane's gaze flicks back to the Bound Spirit, its coal-black eyes still fixed on Seraphine with unsettling intensity. First, we secure our own survival. Then, and only then, do we face whatever this test demands. She takes a step back, spreading her dark wings for balance as another tremor shakes the chamber. Agreed?

I hear the rumbling voice echo through the chamber, its malevolent intent sending a chill down my spine despite the heat radiating from the pulsing runes on the walls. The Bound Spirit’s frantic energy intensifies, its coal-black eyes still fixed on me with an unsettling intensity. Jeane is right—this test isn’t what we expected. It feels... alive.
The ground beneath us gives another violent lurch, sending dust raining from the ceiling. The path behind us, our only way back to Merrin and Halie, flickers ominously as its shimmering light grows even dimmer. "We don't have time for a calculated approach," I say, my voice strained with urgency as I turn to face Jeane directly. My dark eyes meet her crimson gaze, unwavering despite the chaos swirling around us. "Every second we waste here is another second Merrin and Halie spend trapped in that hidden chamber."
I take a step closer to the center of the room, where the shadows seem to deepen and writhe with their own malevolent life. The symbol I touched earlier pulses hot against my skin, as if responding to my proximity. "You're right about one thing—the sorcerers who bound this spirit knew its power. That's why they feared it so much." I gesture towards the writhing form in the circle. "But fear isn't always a reason to avoid something. Sometimes... sometimes it's a warning of what we need to face."
Another tremor shakes the tower, more violent than before. A massive crack runs through the stone floor, widening with every passing second. "Look at this chamber," I continue, my voice rising above the groaning stone. "It's not just a prison for that spirit—it's a reflection of its power. The runes on the wall, the pulsing symbols, even the way the air itself seems to thicken when I get close... it all responds to the Bound Spirit’s energy." I turn back to Jeane, my expression showing both determination and a deepening understanding. "And now that we've begun its test, everything here is changing. Faster than we can react."
The rumbling voice echoes again, louder this time. It sounds like a question, demanding an answer I don’t yet know how to give. "This test... it wants something from us. And if we fail to give it what it demands..." I let the sentence hang in the air, the implication clear: failure means death, for all of us.
Jeane’s concern is valid, but so is the immediate danger. I reach out a trembling hand towards one of the larger symbols on the wall, feeling its heat like a brand against my skin. "We need to understand this test before it's too late. Before this entire chamber collapses and buries us all." I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I know I must do. "So yes, let’s secure our survival first. But while you reinforce the path behind us, I’m going to try to communicate with this spirit. To find out exactly what it wants, what it demands of us."
I meet Jeane’s gaze one last time, my own eyes filled with a grim acceptance of the danger ahead. "Because if we don't pass its judgment... then none of us are leaving here alive anyway." With that, I turn back to the Bound Spirit’s circle, my heart hammering in my chest as I prepare to face whatever test this dark magic has in store for me.