Round 49

Seraphine’s foot slipped on the unstable stone floor, sending her stumbling against the corridor wall. The ancient rock felt wrong under her hands—too warm, too... alive. She pressed back, trying to ignore the sensation of stone breathing beneath her palms. This entire place was a nightmare, the air thick with residual magic that made her skin crawl.

"Merrin!" she called out, her voice echoing off the shifting walls. "Answer me! Are you down there?" But only silence answered, broken by the ominous creak of ancient wood and the groan of collapsing stone somewhere above. The floor tilted again, and Seraphine had to spread her feet wide to maintain balance.

"Damn it," she muttered, trying to focus on something—anything—other than the sensation of the tower itself fighting against her presence. She needed to get down there, needed to find Merrin before... Before what? Before this place consumed them both?

She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders despite the dread coiling in her stomach. Time to be brave, Seraphine. With that thought, she began the careful descent into the heart of the tower’s darkness.