Round 305

The water closed over them with terrifying speed, dragging Merrin and Varikka down into its icy depths. The impact drove every last breath from Merrin's lungs, leaving her gasping for air even as she fought against the crushing pressure of the water. "Merrin!" Varikka's voice cut through the darkness, barely audible over the roar of the flood. "Where are you? Answer me!" "I'm here!" Merrin called back, her teeth chattering from the cold as she struggled to stay afloat. She could feel the current pulling at her legs, threatening to drag her deeper into the abyss.

Then something massive brushed past her—tentacles, dozens of them, questing through the water with horrifying purpose. She kicked out blindly, desperate to put distance between herself and whatever monstrosity shared this subterranean lake. Her fingers found purchase on a stone ledge at last, and she hauled herself up with desperate strength. The surface broke above her head, and she gasped for air, water streaming from her hair.

Varikka was still out there somewhere in the darkness, trapped by the rising waters just as surely as Merrin had been. She had to find her friend before it was too late—or before whatever horrors lurked in this lake found them both. The key clutched in her hand felt like a cold weight now, a constant reminder of their desperate situation.