Round 48

The water rose fast enough to make Merrin’s stomach drop, now waist-deep and still climbing. She 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.

The water was cold, the air thick with the stench of decay and something older, deeper. And then, in the gloom ahead, she saw it—a narrow opening in the wall, barely visible behind a curtain of floating bones. A passage? Or just another trap waiting to spring?

She took another step forward, the water now up to her thighs. The skeletons seemed to shift again, their movements more purposeful this time. One floated closer, its jawbone hanging loose as it regarded her with those unnerving glowing sockets.

"Stay back," Merrin hissed, raising her crossbow despite knowing it would do no good against such things. But the skeleton didn’t heed her warning, drifting ever closer until it was mere feet away. Its hands—bones wrapped in rotting flesh—reached for her...

She had no choice. With a desperate prayer to whatever gods might still be listening, Merrin dove beneath the surface of the lake, swimming hard toward that narrow opening in the wall. The water closed over her head, cold and dark, filled with the twisted shapes of long-dead things. She kicked harder, fighting against the current as she swam deeper into the unknown.

The passage was a tight fit even for her small frame, the walls slick with algae and God-knew-what-else. She pulled herself forward hand over hand, gasping for air between strokes, until finally she broke through into what appeared to be a larger chamber beyond. The water here was still deep, but at least she could stand upright now, her head above the surface.

She paused to catch her breath, listening hard for any sound of pursuit or—please, Goddess—any sign of Varikka. But all she heard was the distant groaning of the collapsing tower and the faint, disturbing sounds echoing from somewhere deeper within this new chamber.

Merrin’s heart pounded in her chest as she slowly turned in place, crossbow at the ready. What now? She had found a way forward, but at what cost? And what awaited her in the darkness ahead?

The water lapped at her chin, a constant reminder of how precarious their situation truly was. Every second counted now—every choice mattered. She took a deep breath and stepped further into the chamber, her eyes scanning every shadow for hidden threats.

This was it. Their last chance. And she would face whatever lay ahead alone, with nothing but her wits and her crossbow to protect them all.

The water swirled around her legs as she moved deeper into the unknown, the weight of responsibility heavy on her shoulders. But there was no turning back now. Not until she found Varikka—or at least found out what had taken her. And if that meant facing whatever lurked in this cursed tower’s depths... well, then so be it.

She would not leave a friend behind. Not while breath remained in her lungs and strength in her limbs.

The darkness ahead seemed to pulse with anticipation, waiting for her arrival. Merrin tightened her grip on the crossbow and stepped forward once more, ready to face whatever horrors awaited her in the tower’s hidden heart.

Because that was what friends did. That was what heroes did. And despite the fear gnawing at her insides, Merrin knew deep down that she could be neither.

She would find Varikka. Or she would die trying.