Round 381 Transcript

The Guardian's dark energy swirls around Varikka, threatening to immobilize her. Merrin lunges forward, dagger at the ready, but the energy pushes her back with a force that knocks her off balance. Varikka stumbles, her eyes wide with pain, as the Guardian raises its hand once more. The air crackles with electricity as it summons a bolt of dark energy, which hurtles towards Merrin.

Merrin's eyes go wide as the bolt of dark energy hurtles towards her. She throws herself to the side, feeling the searing heat as it whizzes past her ear and slams into the stone wall behind her, sending shards of rock flying. "Varikka!" Merrin shouts, scrambling to her feet and lunging towards the fighter. "We need to get out of here!"

But as she reaches for Varikka's hand, the Guardian raises its arm once more, a fresh wave of dark energy swirling around them. Merrin feels it like a physical force, pushing against her skin, making it hard to breathe. "Damn you," Merrin growls, her fingers scrabbling at the stone floor as she tries to pull herself towards Varikka. "You'll not have us so easily."

With a final surge of effort, Merrin drags herself to her feet and lunges for Varikka's hand. Her fingers brush against the fighter's, and for a moment it seems like they might make it. But then the Guardian's energy pulses once more, and Merrin feels a searing pain in her shoulder as a bolt of dark energy slams into her. She cries out, stumbling back, her vision swimming. "Merrin!" Varikka shouts, her voice distant through the ringing in Merrin's ears. "Stay with me!"

Merrin blinks, trying to clear her head, and sees Varikka struggling against the Guardian's energy, her mace raised high. "Go," Merrin gasps, even as she feels her legs give out beneath her. "Get out of here, Varikka. I'll hold them off."

But even as the words leave her mouth, Merrin knows it's a lie. She can feel the darkness closing in around them, and she knows that they're both doomed. "Varikka," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the sound of the Guardian's energy crackling through the air. "I'm sorry."

And then, with a final, agonized cry, Merrin feels the darkness take her, and everything goes black.