Round 295

The water was already at their ankles when Varikka pulled back into the narrow stone passage, the sound of it rushing forward like something being released from below. The ground shook under them with a low groan that seemed to come from the earth itself. "Move!" Varikka hissed, shoving forward as she scrambled after her friend. The water was already waist-deep behind them when they reached the turn—relative safety in the winding passage that was still becoming more treacherous by the second.

Varikka's face was pale, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she pressed herself against the stone wall. "What do we do?" Her voice was barely audible over the roar of the water behind them. Varikka's eyes met hers in the dim light, fear and desperation clear between them. They had to act fast—before the water rose any higher or the passage above gave way completely. But what could they do? There were no obvious exits, no hidden passages visible through the gloom...