Round 245

Seraphine felt the power of the orb surge through her like a tidal wave, her entire body trembling under its intensity. The symbols on the floor glowed with an eerie light, beckoning her forward, and she stumbled ahead without hesitation, her gaze fixed on the glowing path. Behind her, Merrin's scream was lost in the din of collapsing stone, her hand slipping from Seraphine's as the ground gave way beneath her feet. But Seraphine didn't stop, couldn't stop—not with the orb's energy crackling around her fingertips, guiding her, pushing her forward.

Jeane clutched her head, trying to clear it from the magic backlash that had left her vision blurred and her thoughts scattered. She grabbed Merrin's arm, steadying herself as she stumbled forward, the smaller woman's weight a comforting anchor in the chaos. "We can't trust anything she says now—not with that thing controlling her mind," Jeane hissed, her voice barely audible over the groaning of the collapsing structure. "She doesn't know what she's leading us into—probably some kind of death trap."

The chamber groaned ominously around them, stone grinding against stone as more of the ceiling gave way. Dust filled the air, thick and choking, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. Seraphine moved like someone in a trance, her steps sure and purposeful despite the danger. Jeane dragged Merrin after her, her heart pounding in her chest, wondering what fresh hell awaited them at the end of that glowing path.