Round 762

The ground rumbled beneath their feet, a low growl that seemed to emanate from the very bones of the tower. Merrin's grip tightened on the Time-Splitting Sword at her hip, its presence a heavy weight against her thigh. The weapon pulsed with an ancient energy, reacting to the magic that saturated these depths.

Varrika stumbled, her injured ankle screaming in protest with each step. She pressed herself against a crumbling wall, trying to find some stability in the shifting stone. "Merrin," she hissed, her voice barely audible over the creaking of stressed masonry. "Where are you?"

The rogue emerged from behind a pile of rubble, her face pale but determined. "I found something," she said, holding up what looked like an ornate key carved from bone. "It was buried under all this debris." Varrika's expression darkened. "What good is a key if we have nowhere left to unlock?"