Round 888

The river’s grip on Merrin tightened, its current insistent and unyielding. Her lungs screamed for air, each passing second stretching into an eternity of panic. The water roared past her ears, drowning out every other sound in the cavern. She fought against the pull with every muscle in her wiry frame, her arms and legs flailing uselessly as the torrent threatened to sweep her away entirely.

She could feel the pressure building in her chest, her body screaming for oxygen as she struggled against the water's insistent tug. Her mind raced with thoughts of Varikka—had her friend survived? Was she even now drowning somewhere in this treacherous underground river? The fear of drowning again clawed at her, but Merrin refused to give in. She owed it to Varikka and Elric to survive.

Just when she thought her strength would fail her, a sudden updraft caught the torch flame, sending a flickering beam of light through the churning water. She spotted Elric clinging to a rocky outcropping nearby, his face pale with terror as he searched the water's surface. "VARIKA!" Her voice emerged in a choked gasp, barely audible over the roar of the rushing water.