Round 143

The water rises faster now, surging up to Seraphine's chest in mere moments. She gasps, swallowing a mouthful of the icy liquid before she can stop herself. Her head breaks the surface again, her lungs burning for air as she sputters and coughs. The cold seeps into her bones, making her muscles cramp and her movements sluggish. Through the haze of water and panic, she sees Merrin wading deeper into the lake, her mace held high. "Merrin!" Seraphine calls out weakly, her voice barely carrying over the roar of rushing water. "Be careful—something's in there with you!"

Merrin feels the icy grip of the water as it laps at her thighs, chilling her to the core. "I know," she mutters through clenched teeth, scanning the dark surface for any sign of movement. "Stay back, Sera—I'll handle this." She takes another step forward, the water now waist-deep and rising fast. "Varikka!" Merrin shouts, her voice echoing off the cavern walls. "Hang in there— I'm coming!"

Seraphine's fingers dig into the crumbling edge of the rubble pile as she tries to pull herself up, her arms shaking with exertion. "I'm trying," she gasps, water streaming from her hair and down her face. "But I can't—" Her words are cut off as another wave crashes over her, filling her mouth with bitter lake water. She chokes and coughs, struggling to keep her head above the surface.

Merrin feels something brush against her leg again, this time more insistently. "Shit!" she hisses, whipping around with her mace ready. "What the hell are you?" But there's nothing visible in the churning water—just the distant glow of Seraphine's magic and the ominous shape of Varikka struggling against the creature's grip.

The ground beneath them groans again, louder this time, a shower of dust and debris raining down from above. "Varikka!" Merrin screams, her voice raw with desperation. "I'm coming—just hold on!"

Seraphine manages to claw her way onto a precarious ledge, gasping for air as she spits out lake water. "Merrin!" she calls out, her voice hoarse and weak. "The structure—it's collapsing! We need to get out of here!"

Merrin ignores the warning, her eyes fixed on Varikka's struggling form. "Not without her," she growls, wading deeper into the water. "I'm not leaving anyone behind."

The water around Merrin's legs begins to churn more violently, something large moving beneath the surface. "Fuck," she breathes, raising her mace higher. "Whatever you are—stay away from my friend!"