Round 270

The structure groaned around them, a sound like a great beast waking from a long slumber. Water lapped at Merrin's thighs now, cold and insistent, as she pulled herself along the ledge with fingers that were starting to go numb. Below, the surface of the lake churned with unseen movement—something large was still down there, something that had nearly taken Varikka just moments ago.

"Merrin!" The rogue's name came out sharp and frightened behind her. "The stairs—"

"I know," Merrin hissed back, not stopping her careful climb. She could feel the vibration of wood splintering beneath them, each crack "

She risked a glance down as she moved, one hand pressed flat against the damp stone wall for balance. The Tentacled Horror was still there in the churning water below, its bioluminescent markings pulsing with what looked almost like malevolent curiosity. And now... More movement. Something else was emerging from the depths—smaller creatures with glowing eyes that seemed to float just beneath the surface of the rising lake.

Great. Just great.

"Stay close," Merrin called back without looking, her focus on finding solid handholds and secure footholds. The ledge narrowed ahead, curving slightly inward toward the wall. If she could just get around that bend...

The water was up to their waists now, cold and relentless. Merrin's teeth were starting to chatter—exhaustion, adrenaline, and the sheer chill of it all combining to make her fingers clumsy on the stone. She needed to find higher ground, or at least a way out of this rising lake before hypothermia set in.

But first, they had to survive the collapsing staircase beneath them. The groans were getting louder now, more insistent. Merrin redoubled her efforts, pulling herself along with desperate energy.