Round 742

The ground bucked again, sending a fresh cascade of rubble cascading down from above. Merrin yelped and threw herself sideways, her shoulder slamming into the wall hard enough to bruise as she barely avoided being crushed by the falling debris. The stone fragments bounced off Varrika's armored back with sharp impacts that made her grunt in pain but didn't stop her from maintaining her balance.

"Move!" Merrin shouted, already scrambling forward through the narrow gap between crumbling walls. "The whole damn thing's coming down!"

Varrika followed, her injured ankle screaming protests with each step but adrenaline keeping her moving. The passageway ahead seemed to be collapsing in on itself, stone blocks shifting and grinding together ominously. Dust filled the air, thick enough to taste, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead.

"Wait!" Varikka called out, grabbing Merrin's shoulder and pulling her back just as a massive section of ceiling gave way with a roar. The two women stood frozen for a second as tons of debris rained down mere yards in front of them, blocking the path forward completely.

Merrin turned to look at Varrika, her face pale but determined. "We need to find another way. Fast."