Round 496

Varikka's injured ankle throbs with every step, but she presses on, her crowbar clutched tightly in one hand. As they round the bend, a faint scent of ozone and burning wood wafts through the tunnel, mingling with the stench of noxious gas. The sound of rushing water grows louder, and the ledge ahead appears to be made of solid stone, not the unstable rock Varikka had feared. The Guardian's unnatural presence closes in behind them, its metal claws scraping against the stone as it claws its way toward their position. Merrin freezes, her heart hammering in her chest as the tunnel collapses behind them. The sound is deafening, dust and debris filling the air as the walls give way, leaving them exposed and vulnerable on their precarious ledge. "Varikka!" she cries out, her voice hoarse with fear. "Are you alright?"*