Round 1000

The current seized Merrin like a living thing, tearing her from the root she'd clung to with desperate fingers. Pain exploded up her arm as her grip was ripped away—not just the sting of scraped skin but the deep ache of muscle and tendon screaming protest. She cried out, a raw sound torn from her throat, even as water filled her mouth and nose. The world became a blur of churning darkness and flashes of wet stone rushing past too fast to find purchase.

She was hurtling toward a waterfall now, the roar growing deafening with each heartbeat. And behind her, through the spray and the chaos, she heard it—the heavy thud of something massive hitting stone, the scrape of claws on rock. The Guardian had broken free. Of course it had. Because this tower wasn't just falling apart; it was actively trying to kill them.

Merrin kicked out frantically, trying to push off the walls or find any leverage in the rushing water. Her good hand scrabbled at the air, seeking a handhold that didn't exist. The current was too strong, her body too small and unbalanced for this kind of struggle. She was going over.

The drop came, and Merrin screamed as she plummeted into the waiting pool below. The impact drove the air from her lungs in a single agonized whoosh. Underwater again, the world went silent except for the roaring in her own ears and the frantic pounding of her heart. She surfaced with a gasp, choking and sputtering, her vision swimming as she fought to stay afloat.

She was in a new chamber now, larger than the tunnels above—a wide cavern filled with rushing water and shadowed corners. The current had carried her away from the main corridor, at least, but she could still hear the distant sound of stone groaning overhead. Varikka was up there somewhere, injured and alone with that thing hunting her.

Merrin tread water clumsily, her head still ringing from the fall and the lingering effects of whatever gas they'd inhaled earlier. Every muscle screamed for rest, but she couldn't afford to stop moving. Not here. Not now. She needed to find a way back up, needed to help her friend before it was too late.

The water around her shifted suddenly, pulling her sideways with surprising force. Merrin gasped as she was swept toward a narrow channel branching off from the main cavern—a dark slit in the rock barely wide enough for her to fit through. If she missed this turn, the current would likely carry her further downstream into who knew what kind of danger.

She kicked hard, forcing her exhausted body to obey, and managed to angle herself into the side channel just as the main current tried to drag her past. The water here was shallower, slower—she could feel solid ground under her feet at last. Merrin staggered upright, water streaming from her clothes and hair, and looked back the way she'd come.

The main cavern was still visible, the rushing water a dark river cutting through the stone. And there, just barely making out the shape in the gloom—was that? Yes. A faint light source, pulsing with an unnatural blue glow. Another chamber, hidden behind that waterfall maybe. Or perhaps... a way forward?

Merrin's head was still pounding, her vision not quite steady, but one thought cut through the fog clear as day: Varikka needed help. And she wasn't going to find it standing here in ankle-deep water, shivering and disoriented. She had to move. Had to think.

She took a deep breath, swaying slightly on her feet, and started toward the source of that blue light. Every step was an effort, but she pushed on. First things first—find solid ground, get her bearings, and figure out if this new path offered any advantage. Then, and only then, could she start planning how to get back to her friend before The Guardian found them both.

The water lapped at her ankles as she walked, a constant reminder of how close she'd come to drowning already tonight. She wasn't out of the water's grasp yet—not by a long shot. But she was alive. And right now, that was enough.