Round 300

The water found every crack in the ancient stonework, seeping and pooling with terrifying speed. Merrin clung to the pipe above the torrent, her knuckles white against the slick metal surface. The cold lapped at her chin, each surge stealing more of the precarious handhold. "Varikka!" she screamed into the rushing chaos, desperation tearing at her throat. "Answer me! Are you hurt? What happened after I fell?" Silence answered, broken only by stone groaning and water's relentless song. Then Varikka's voice came, barely audible through the roar: "I'm okay—mostly." The words gurgled off into nothing as something splashed below. "Varikka!" Merrin shrieked again, imagining her friend trapped beneath the surface. She tried to lean over the edge, but the water surged upwards, forcing her back against the pipe. Every second counted down toward structural failure, but she couldn't move—not with Varikka still trapped and unseen horrors possibly lurking below. The water surged again, cold and relentless, as Merrin fought to maintain her grip on the slippery metal. The chill seeped into her bones, exhaustion weighing heavy on her limbs. She could feel herself slipping,...