Round 244

Merrin's grip on Jeane's arm tightens as she steadies her friend. The chamber shakes again, more violently this time, and Merrin feels a surge of panic as the floor shifts beneath her feet. "Seraphine's not in her right mind," she hisses urgently, "that orb's magic is clouding her thoughts." She glances at the glowing path, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. Those symbols... they're too convenient. Too easy. It feels like a trap, but what choice do we have? The entire tower is coming down around their ears, and if they don't move fast, they'll be buried alive.

Jeane's face contorts with pain as she tries to speak, her voice barely audible over the groaning of the collapsing structure. "Merrin... I can't see straight. Everything is... wrong." She clutches at her head, her fingers digging into her scalp as if trying to hold something in. "The knowledge... it's too much. I can feel it eating away at my sanity." Her legs give out and she slumps against Merrin, her full weight resting on the smaller woman.

Merrin staggers under the sudden burden, but manages to keep them both upright. She looks down at Jeane with concern, then back at Seraphine, who seems lost in her own thoughts. "Seraphine!" she calls out sharply, "Snap out of it! We need to move, now!" The wizard blinks, her eyes focusing on Merrin for a moment.