Round 204 Transcript

As Seraphine finishes her explanation, Jeane takes a deep breath and begins to rotate the clock face hands in a spiral motion, starting with the hour hand. The room falls silent, the only sound the soft ticking of the mechanism. The creature behind them stirs, its multiple eyes fixed on Seraphine with an unnerving intensity. Suddenly, the binding circle flickers ominously, its symbols shifting to match the clock face's new pattern. The ground shudders beneath their feet as another section of the tower collapses, sending dust and debris swirling around them. Jeane's hands move swiftly, her fingers dancing across the clock face as she continues to rotate the hands in a spiral motion. The mechanism hums to life, its numbers spinning wildly before settling into a new pattern. A low growl rumbles from the creature behind them, its legs unfolding like a spider's. The air is thick with anticipation as Jeane's movements become more frenzied, her breathing heavy with effort.

I spin the clock hands faster now, my fingers slipping slightly on the smooth metal—sweat from exhaustion and fear making everything slicker than it should be. Come on you cursed contraption, I mutter through gritted teeth as the mechanism resists my efforts despite being made of solid brass that looks like it hasn't moved in centuries. The runes across my arms pulse with effort but I'm already tapping reserves that are dangerously low—the kind of magical debt that comes due with interest later when you least expect it. Seraphine's right about the spiral pattern… of course she is, the woman sees connections even in her sleep probably—but timing matters more than theory right now and every second feels like hours stretching out while the tower shudders around us.*

The binding circle flickers ominously behind me—those symbols shifting make my skin crawl worse than any graveyard I've ever stumbled into on purpose. The creature's growl echoes through the chamber, low and hungry like nothing human should sound capable of. Its legs unfold further as if preparing to spring at us despite those runes supposedly keeping it contained… or maybe they're just slowing it down enough we can try this desperate plan before getting torn apart by arachnid teeth. My wings spasm involuntarily wanting to take flight but there's nowhere left to fly except into collapsing stone or through whatever's about to emerge if we mess this up.

I force my focus back onto the clock face—minutes passing too quickly, hour hand not quite keeping pace with the others despite every ounce of willpower I can throw at it. The mechanism resists like it's alive somehow… cursed maybe by whoever built this nightmare tower. Seraphine calls out a warning about stopping on the next full hour and I nod without looking back—she'll know if we're close, her mind works differently than mine ever could. But my hands are starting to cramp already from gripping too hard, exhaustion making everything shake more than just the collapsing building around us. If this doesn't work… well, at least Merrin wouldn't have lived long enough to see whatever comes next.

Another section of the tower collapses with a roar that drowns out even the creature's growl for a moment—debris raining down around us like deadly hail. I spin faster despite knowing my arms are about to give out completely, muscles screaming in protest as I force them beyond their limits. Almost there… just need Seraphine's timing to be right and whatever dark powers built this thing to play nice with desperate sorcerers trying not to die in a crumbling tomb full of nightmares—

I watch Jeane spin the clock face hands frantically, my heart hammering against my ribs as the mechanism groans and creaks under her desperate efforts. The runes across my arms flare with a sudden burst of heat, sending a jolt through my entire body. I gasp, stumbling back a step as the binding circle flickers ominously behind us. "Wait!" I shout over the sound of crumbling stone and the creature's growing snarls. "Stop on the next full hour! That's how these patterns work—they reset with the turning of time itself."
I point at the clock face, my finger trembling slightly as I try to will Jeane to look up from her task. The air around us crackles with an otherworldly energy, raising every hair on my arms. The tower shudders violently, sending more debris raining down around our heads. A large chunk of stonework crashes just inches away from Jeane's feet, forcing her to leap back with a startled yelp. "We're running out of time in more ways than one," I call out, my voice barely audible over the chaos. I can feel the creature's gaze boring into the back of my skull, a cold pressure that makes my skin crawl. Its legs are unfolding now, preparing to spring forward despite the binding circle's constraints. "Whatever happens when this mechanism completes its cycle, we need to be ready."
I reach for my staff instinctively before remembering it was left behind somewhere in this accursed labyrinth. My hand clenches into a fist at my side as I scan our surroundings for anything that could serve as a weapon. The dust is thick now, stinging my eyes and filling my lungs with every breath. The sound of collapsing stone fills the air, a constant reminder of our precarious situation.*

• "Jeane!" I call out again, my voice rising to a near scream as I see her arms shaking with effort, muscles straining against the clock face's resistance. She doesn't respond, too focused on her task. The mechanism gives a final, ominous click, and the last piece of the pattern falls into place.
• "It's done!" Jeane cries out, her voice hoarse from exertion. She staggers back, collapsing against the far wall of the chamber as the clock face hums with newfound power. The binding circle flares, its runes burning brighter than ever before, and for a single, terrifying moment, I think we've broken it instead of fixing it. Then, a blinding light erupts from the center of the room.