Round 79

The platform bucked like a frightened horse, wood screaming against stone before snapping entirely. Merrin cried out, her grip on the edge barely saving her from being swept off into the rising waters below. She scrambled onto the precarious stone shelf above the flood, gasping for breath as she clung to the cold rock face. The water lapped at her waist now, insistent and freezing, threatening to pull her under with each passing second.

Below, Varikka's muffled screams echoed up from the depths, punctuated by gurgles and the monstrous roars of whatever held her captive. Merrin's heavy mace felt like dead weight in her hands, useless against an enemy she couldn't even see properly. The temptation to dive in after her friend warred with the cold logic of self-preservation—she'd only become another victim if she joined Varikka in the abyss.

The tower groaned around them like a living thing in its death throes, ancient timbers screaming under the strain of centuries-old decay and newfound violence. Dust rained down from above as more stone gave way somewhere overhead. Merrin knew they had minutes—maybe seconds—before this entire section came crashing down. She needed to act fast.

Seraphine stood frozen at the edge of the rising water, her sharp eyes scanning the inky depths where Merrin and Varikka had disappeared. The ground beneath her feet felt wrong somehow, shifting subtly with each step as if the very stone was alive and hostile. She could feel the ancient magic pulsing through the walls, thick and oppressive, like a heartbeat that beat too slowly.

The water continued to rise, now lapping at her ankles despite being dozens of feet away mere moments ago. This wasn't natural flooding—something was actively filling the chamber from below. She needed to find higher ground fast or risk being trapped in the rising tide with no way out.

But something else caught her attention: a faint glow emanating from deeper within the newly revealed passage. It pulsed rhythmically, almost like breathing, and she could hear distant chanting carried on the water's surface. Whatever had taken Varikka was down there, and it wasn't alone.

Seraphine took a deep breath, steadying herself against the shifting floor. She couldn't leave Merrin and Varikka to whatever fate awaited them in those depths. But charging blindly into an enemy stronghold filled with ancient magic she didn't understand would be suicide. She needed a plan—a way to help without getting herself killed.

The wizard raised her hands, channeling what little magical energy remained after maintaining the barrier spell for so long. A soft glow enveloped her fingers as she began weaving a spell, her lips moving silently in concentration. If she could create some kind of floating platform or levitation effect, maybe she could lower herself into the passage and assess the situation without immediately becoming prey.

The water rose another inch, lapping at her shins now as she worked. She could feel the tower groaning around her, the very air vibrating with the strain of holding itself together. Time was running out—fast.