Round 898

Merrin scrambled over the rubble, her heart pounding in her chest as she heard the distant roar of rushing water growing louder with each passing second. The tunnel stretched out before her like a dark throat, winding and uncertain, but the promise of solid ground - any ground - was enough to drive her forward despite the lingering ache in her skull from the noxious gas exposure.

She reached the edge at last, peering down into the churning abyss below. The water was now mere feet from her toes, the icy current rippling up the tunnel walls with terrifying speed. She could feel the vibration through the stone she clung to, a constant, unsettling tremor that made her stomach twist.

With a surge of adrenaline, Merrin dropped down into the churning water, using the orb's light to guide her through the turbulent flow. She swam against the current, her muscles straining to keep pace with the rushing water. The current was stronger than she'd anticipated, the powerful rapids threatening to sweep her downstream again.

As she rounded a bend in the river, Merrin spotted a massive slab blocking her path forward. It looked unstable, precariously balanced and coated in slick moss, but it offered the only way around the treacherous drop-off that yawned beneath her.

"Varikka!" she called out, her voice barely carrying over the roar of the water. "I'm okay - I was swept downstream but managed to grab onto a ledge. I can see the light from your orb ahead, but there's a massive slab in the way. I need to climb over it, but it looks unstable. Can you help me?"

The stone beneath her hands shifted ominously, and Merrin felt a fresh jolt of fear. She needed solid ground fast - before both she and Varikka ended up dashed against the rocks below.

(Do not continue.)