Round 921 Transcript

Merrin helps Varikka sit down, assessing her injured ankle as they catch their breath in the relative safety of the alcove. "We need to clean and dress that wound," Merrin says, pulling out a strip of cloth from the party's inventory. "I'll try to stabilize it for now." As she works on Varikka's ankle, the sound of falling rubble grows louder outside, and the air is thick with dust. The Time-Splitting Sword's blade pulses with energy, casting an eerie glow over the chamber. Suddenly, a loud creaking noise announces another section of the tunnel wall collapsing, sending rocks and debris crashing down towards them.

I grab Varikka's arm, pulling her towards me as a shower of rocks and dust rains down mere feet away. My heart pounds in my chest, the adrenaline surging through my veins. "Stay down!" I yell over the din, shielding Varikka's body with my own. As the debris settles, I risk a glance out of our makeshift shelter. The chamber is now a scene of utter devastation - piles of rubble where walls and ceilings once stood, the air thick with choking dust. But even through the haze, I can see a glimmer of light, pulsing in time with my racing heart. The Time-Splitting Sword. It rests on the ground mere feet away, its blade humming with otherworldly energy. Part of me wants to reach out, to grasp that weapon and end this nightmare once and for all. But another part, the part that remembers the cost of wielding such power, hesitates. I turn to Varikka, my eyes searching her face through the darkness. "Can you move?" I ask, my voice barely audible above the groaning of the settling rubble. "We need to get out of here before this whole place comes down on top of us."

Varikka nods, wincing as she puts weight on her injured ankle. "I can make it," she says through gritted teeth. "But we need to be careful. One wrong step and we could fall into the pit."

I nod, my mind racing as I try to plot a path through the debris. The Time-Splitting Sword pulses in my peripheral vision, its energy calling to me like a siren song. But I force myself to focus, to remember the friends we've lost, the lives already sacrificed on this quest. "We'll take it slow," I say, helping Varikka to her feet. "One step at a time. And if it gets too dangerous, we turn back. Deal?"

Varikka meets my gaze, her eyes filled with a mix of determination and fear. "Deal," she says, her voice soft but resolute. And with that, we step out into the rubble-strewn chamber, the Time-Splitting Sword clutched tightly in my hand, its power pulsing like a heartbeat against my palm. The Guardian's roars still echo through the tunnels, growing louder as we draw closer to our final confrontation. But for now, all that matters is staying alive. One step at a time.