Round 190

Merrin's voice cuts through the oppressive silence of the flooded chamber. "Seraphine! Stay calm!" She wades deeper into the freezing water, her movements desperate and clumsy in the frigid depths. The torch flickers wildly in her trembling hands, casting dancing shadows that seem to mock their predicament. With a grunt of effort, she heaves the heavy iron bar up onto the crumbling ledge beside Seraphine's submerged head. "Here! Grab on!" The water swirls ominously around them both, and Merrin can feel something cold and slimy brush against her leg beneath the surface. She kicks away instinctively, heart pounding. "Fuck! What the hell is in this water?"