Round 86 Transcript

Merrin's mace strikes something hard, but it's not Varikka - a nearby stone pillar has been dislodged, sending rubble crashing down the passageway. The sound of scraping stone and screams from deeper within the passage fill the air as the structural collapse intensifies.

I hear Varikka's muffled cries fade into the distance as I cling to the precarious ledge above the raging floodwaters, my heart pounding in my chest. The sound of Seraphine's staff light fades as she moves deeper into the passage, and I feel a pang of worry for her safety.

But I can't dwell on it now—not with the tower crumbling around me, not with Varikka missing and likely in danger. I have to focus, have to think of a way to find them before it's too late.

I scan the churning waters below, searching for any sign of movement, any hint of where Varikka might have been pulled under. But the darkness is impenetrable, the water too turbulent to see through. For a moment, I consider diving in after her, but the memory of Halie's fate stays my hand. I can't save her if I get pulled under too.

I turn my attention back to the narrow passage, the only other way out of this chamber. The sound of scraping stone and splashing water grows louder as I approach, and I can feel the ground trembling beneath my feet. Whatever is in there, it's not human, and it's not friendly.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I might find. Then, with a final glance at the churning waters below, I step into the passage, my mace gripped tight in my hand. The water swirls around my ankles, cold and unforgiving, but I push forward, driven by the desperate need to find Varikka and Seraphine before it's too late.