Round 958 Transcript

Varikka's mace crashes down on the Guardian's skull, sending it stumbling back. The Time-Splitting Sword glows brighter, its energy coursing through Merrin's body. As she swings the sword in a wide arc, the creature recoils, giving her and Varikka precious seconds to react. The chamber lurches violently, and the air is filled with the sound of crashing stone. A massive boulder comes loose from the tunnel ceiling, hurtling towards them with deadly precision. "Into the passageway!" Merrin shouts, grabbing Varikka's arm and pulling her towards the narrow opening at the far end of the chamber.

I let out a startled yelp as the boulder comes hurtling towards us, its massive form filling my vision. Without thinking, I lunge forward, grabbing Varikka's arm and pulling her towards the passageway with all my might. The Time-Splitting Sword pulses in my hands, its energy coursing through my body as I fight to keep my balance. Varikka's injured ankle throbs against my back as she stumbles alongside me, her heavy mace clattering against the stone floor. As we reach the narrow opening, I glance over my shoulder, my heart pounding in my chest. The Guardian is still on our heels, its single eye blazing with fury as it fights to navigate the treacherous terrain of the collapsing tunnel. Dust rains down from the ceiling, obscuring our vision and filling our lungs with each labored breath. Varikka hobbles forward, her face contorted in pain as she struggles to keep up. "Keep moving!" I shout, my voice echoing off the walls of the passageway. "We can't stop now!"

The Time-Splitting Sword pulses in my hands once more, its energy both exhilarating and terrifying as we make our way deeper into the unknown depths of the tower. The tunnel twists and turns before us, leading us ever further from the safety of the surface world. And still, the mysterious voice echoes in my mind: "You should not have come here."

But there's no going back now. We've come too far, sacrificed too much to turn back. All we can do is keep moving forward, one step at a time, and pray that the Time-Splitting Sword will be enough to see us through to the end of this nightmare.