Round 408 Transcript

Merrin's voice cuts through the narrow opening, urging Varikka forward as she stumbles out behind her. "Come on, Varikka!" The air is thick with dust, and the sound of rushing water echoes from deeper within the passage. As they move forward, the ground beneath their feet gives way, sending a section of the tunnel wall crashing down behind them. A shower of rocks and debris rains down on the ground, forcing Merrin and Varikka to quicken their pace. Varikka's injured ankle throbs in pain with each step, but she presses on, her jaw set in determination. The sound of falling rocks grows louder, and the ground shudders beneath their feet. Suddenly, a massive boulder hurtles down the chamber towards them, its trajectory clear.

My heart leaps into my throat as I see the massive boulder hurtling towards us down the chamber. There's no time to think, only to react.

"Varikka, look out!" I cry, lunging forward to push her out of the way just as the boulder crashes into the ground where she was standing a split second before. The impact sends a shockwave through the tunnel, raining debris down on top of us and filling the air with a thick cloud of dust.

I stagger back, coughing and sputtering as I try to get my bearings. My ankle throbs in pain, but I force myself to ignore it, knowing that we can't afford to slow down now. "We need to keep moving," I say, my voice tight with urgency as I stagger to my feet.

Varikka nods, her face pale with shock and fear as she clutches her crowbar tightly. Together, we start to make our way deeper into the tunnel, our hearts pounding in our chests as we pray that we've finally found a way out of this nightmare alive.