Round 713

The iron door slams shut behind Merrin with a sound like thunder, sealing her away from Varikka's fate. She spins around, back pressed against cold metal, and finds herself in a narrow stone corridor that feels more like a death trap than a passage. The air here is thick with dust and the lingering stench of decay, but at least the noxious gas has cleared. A few feet ahead, the floor simply... stops. A gaping pit yawns wide, its edges crumbling with fresh collapse. Merrin's stomach drops faster than her eyes can follow the darkness down. "Varikka!" Her voice cracks on the name, echoing back to her twice before fading into silence.