Round 274

The stone block let out a groaning creak that seemed to echo through the entire chamber as Merrin forced it into place. The stairs shuddered beneath them, wood splintering with audible pops as the weight shifted dangerously. It wasn't stable—nobody thought it was stable—but it might buy them a few more seconds.

The water below responded immediately, surging up another foot with a hungry rush. Merrin felt the cold slap against her thighs, soaking through what little remained of her leathers. She pulled Varikka closer, shielding the younger woman's body with her own while trying to keep her balance on the slick stone ledge.

"Stay close," she hissed for the third time in as many minutes. "And try to keep your feet." Her injured leg screamed protests with each movement, but she ignored it—Varikka needed her now more than ever.

The bioluminescent markings pulsed beneath the surface, a sickly green glow that seemed to flash in rhythm with Merrin's pounding heart. She could feel the vibration of wood splintering somewhere close, each crack sending a fresh jolt of fear through her overtaxed nerves. The Tentacled Horror was still there, its presence a malevolent weight in the darkness.

"Easy there," she breathed, more for herself than Varikka. "We've been through worse." She knew it was a lie even as she said it. They had never faced anything like this—trapped between crushing death above and hungry monsters below, the water rising with terrifying speed.