Round 47

The water rose with alarming speed, now waist-deep and still climbing. Merrin waded deeper into the chamber, her crossbow held ready even though she knew it would be useless if whatever controlled this place decided to drown them all. The skeletal remains floating on the surface seemed to shift their attention toward her as she moved, their glowing eyes tracking her progress with unsettling precision.

"Merrin!" She called out for the third time, her voice barely carrying over the sound of rushing water and groaning stone. "Answer me! Are you down here?" But only silence answered her, punctuated by the occasional creak of ancient wood or rumble of collapsing rock somewhere above.

The current grew stronger as she moved into deeper water, pulling at her legs and threatening to sweep her off balance. She gritted her teeth and pressed on, scanning the shadows for any sign of her friend—or worse, any sign of what might have taken her. The walls pulsed with that same eldritch light, feeding the growing sense of dread that gripped her.

"Please," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "Please let her be okay." Because if Merrin was gone, she didn't know if she could face whatever came next alone.