Round 158

The water was colder than anything Merrin had ever felt in her life, biting into her flesh with every passing second. She clung to the rock face, her teeth chattering violently as she fought to maintain her grip. The heavy iron bar still weighed down her arm, useless against the elements consuming her. "Seraphine!" Her voice cracked on the name, echoing through the cavernous space before being swallowed by the rushing water and distant groans of collapsing stone.

In the gloom, Merrin caught glimpses of movement beneath the surface - something large shifting in the depths. The bioluminescent glow from the lake's edge cast eerie shadows across the walls, making it impossible to discern shapes with any certainty. She could feel her fingers slipping, the cold sapping what little strength she had left.

A few feet away, Seraphine surfaced briefly, gasping for air before disappearing again beneath the churning water. Merrin's heart lurched in her chest. "Seraphine!" she screamed again, louder this time, her voice raw with desperation. The wizard couldn't be lost too - not like Jeane, not like Halie. Not Seraphine.

The rising water lapped at Merrin's chin now, threatening to pull her under completely. She knew she had mere minutes before hypothermia set in fully, rendering her immobile and helpless. Her eyes darted around the chamber, searching for any means of escape or higher ground. But all she saw were more skeletons lining the shore and the ominous movement below the surface.

The sound of cracking stone echoed through the chamber once more, louder this time. A section of the ceiling above her crumbled away, sending a shower of rocks into the water mere feet from where she clung to the wall. Merrin's grip faltered, and for a horrifying moment, she felt herself slipping.