Round 481

The chamber shuddered around them, ancient stone groaning under impossible pressure. Water lapped at their thighs now, cold and insistent. Varrika swung her crowbar with desperate strength, the metal striking the stone floor mere inches from Merrin’s face. The clang echoed through the small chamber, a sound of pure panic. "Move your ass!" Varrika snarled, her voice raw with urgency. "The water's climbing faster than my damn blood pressure!" Merrin scrambled backward, her boots slipping on the slick stone. The Time-Splitting Sword remained clutched in one hand, useless as a weapon against rising liquid. Her other hand pressed against the wall, fingers searching for any purchase, any way out of this watery prison. "Where's the exit?" Merrin gasped, her words barely audible over the rush of water filling the space. "There has to be something!" Varrika was already moving, her injured ankle screaming protests with each step. She swung the crowbar again, this time at the wall opposite Merrin. The iron bit deep into the stone, sending cracks spiderwebbing outward. "Maybe there's a hidden passage!" Varrika called out, her voice tight with exertion and fear. "Help me...