Round 399 Transcript

As Merrin pushes forward with the crowbar, the ground beneath her feet gives a sickening crack. The tunnel's collapse accelerates, sending loose rock and debris crashing down the passage. The sound of Varikka's labored breathing grows fainter, but Merrin presses on, her voice strained as she calls out, "Varikka! I'm right behind you!" The tunnel narrows further, forcing her to crawl on her belly, and she can feel the water pressure intensifying, threatening to crush her beneath its weight. Suddenly, a massive boulder comes hurtling down the chamber towards them, mere feet from where Varikka disappeared into the tunnel.

My heart leaps into my throat as the ground beneath me gives way, the tunnel collapsing around me in a shower of loose stone and debris. I cry out in alarm, my voice barely audible over the roar of the rushing water.

"Varikka! Watch out!" I shout, even as I know she can't hear me from her position deeper in the passage. The boulder comes hurtling towards us, mere feet from where she disappeared, and I can only pray that she made it through to safety on the other side.

I redouble my efforts, crawling forward with renewed urgency as the tunnel narrows further, forcing me to wriggle on my belly through the tight confines. The weight of the water presses down on me from all sides, threatening to crush the life out of me at any moment, and I can feel the fear rising in my throat, choking off my breath.

But I can't stop now. Not when Varikka is depending on me. Not when the only way out lies ahead, beyond the crumbling walls and the roaring water. So I push forward, my muscles burning with the effort of hauling myself through the narrow passage, the crowbar scraping against the stone floor as I drag it behind me.

With a final burst of strength, I lunge forward, my hands grasping for purchase on the other side of the collapsed tunnel. The boulder looms closer, its jagged edges glinting in the faint light of the luminescent mushrooms, and I can feel the cold sweat beading on my brow as I struggle to pull myself free.

But I won't let it end like this. Not here, not now, not when we've come so far. So I grit my teeth and redouble my efforts, my fingers digging into the loose stone as I haul myself forward, inch by agonizing inch, until finally, mercifully, I feel the weight of the water release its grip on my back.

I tumble forward onto the other side of the collapsed tunnel, gasping for breath as I roll onto my back and stare up at the crumbling ceiling above. The boulder lies mere feet from where I landed, its massive bulk blocking the way back through the passage, and I can feel the adrenaline still coursing through my veins as I struggle to catch my breath.

But there's no time to rest now. Varikka is still out there somewhere, lost in the twisting depths of this watery hell, and I can't leave her behind. So I stagger to my feet, the crowbar clutched tightly in my hand as I turn my gaze towards the darkness ahead, where the tunnel stretches on into the unknown.

With a deep breath, I set off once more, my heart heavy with the knowledge that the worst may still be yet to come.