Round 57

The water in the secret passage receded as quickly as it had come, leaving Merrin soaked but unharmed—at least physically. Her crossbow was still functional despite being submerged, which was something to be grateful for. The shrieking from beyond the now-closed stone door sent a chill down her spine that had nothing to do with her wet clothes. Whatever had made that sound was big, and it was angry.

She pressed herself against the wall of the narrow passage, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. This was bad. This was very, very bad. She needed to get back to Halie and Jeane, needed their help to figure out what to do next.

But first, she needed to assess the situation. The passage ahead seemed to slope downward, leading deeper into the tower. The water had come from somewhere below, which meant there had to be a source—a lake or a spring or something similar. And if there was water, there were probably fish. And if there were fish in an underground lake...

Merrin shook her head, trying to clear away the panicky thoughts. No time for speculation now. She needed to move. Slowly, carefully, she began to make her way back down the passage, her crossbow held at the ready. The walls were slick with moisture, and the air was thick with the smell of damp stone and something else—something foul and organic that made her want to gag.

As she moved deeper into the passage, the sounds from beyond the door grew louder—the roar of rushing water, the creaking of ancient timbers, the distant shrieks of something living and hungry. Merrin's stomach twisted with fear, but she forced herself to keep going. She had to get back to her friends, had to warn them about what was happening.

The passage opened up into a small chamber, and Merrin froze. The floor was covered in bone—human bones, by the look of it—and scattered among them were glittering objects that might have been coins or jewelry. But none of that mattered compared to the thing standing in the center of the room.

It was huge—a towering figure made of what looked like solidified shadow and bone, its eyes burning with a cold, malevolent light. As Merrin watched, paralyzed with horror, it raised one massive arm and let out a roar that shook the very foundations of the tower.

Merrin didn't wait to see more. She turned and fled back down the passage, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. She had to get back to Halie and Jeane, had to warn them about the monster—and about the rising water that was now lapping at her ankles as she ran.

The journey back through the flooded passage was a nightmare of cold and terror. The water seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, rising with alarming speed. Merrin struggled to keep her head above the surface, one hand clamped tightly around her crossbow while the other scrabbled at the slippery walls for purchase.

By the time she emerged back into the main chamber, she was gasping for breath and shivering uncontrollably. The sight that greeted her was even worse than what she had left behind. Halie was standing near the pit trap, her face pale with worry, while Jeane was... doing something near the wall that had just swallowed Merrin.

"What happened?" Halie demanded as soon as she saw Merrin. "Where's Merrin? Is she okay?"

Merrin shook her head, water streaming from her hair and clothes. "I don't know," she gasped. "The water pulled me through a passage, and then I heard... shrieking. Something big down there. And monsters. Lots of monsters." She glanced nervously at Jeane, who seemed to be pressing her hands against the stone wall as if trying to push it open.

"Monsters?" Halie's eyes widened with alarm. "What kind of monsters? Merrin—"

But whatever Jeane was doing suddenly produced results. With a grinding groan, a section of the wall began to slide aside, revealing a dark opening beyond. The sound of rushing water and something large moving through it echoed from within.

"Oh no," Merrin whispered, her eyes fixed on the newly revealed passage. "This can't be happening."

Halie grabbed her arm, her grip tight with fear. "We need to get out of here. Now."