Round 57 Transcript

The tension in Chamber beneath the tower's foundation, filled with ancient runes and glowing crystals tightens for a beat as the interruption refuses to go away. Everyone is forced to stay quiet and choose their next move carefully.

I snap my wings tight against my back at Seraphine's shout—the sound of stone grinding above is unmistakable—and lunge forward just as she dives away from the edge. The massive boulder crashes down where we stood moments before, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. Too close, I think grimly, my heart racing as I roll to my feet and shake stone fragments from my hair. Much too close.

I look up at the stairs—now blocked by the fallen rock—and then back down at the new tunnel gaping in the floor below us. The runes along its edges pulse with a faint, malevolent light. Two threats now: above and below, I calculate coldly despite my racing heart. The tower itself is trying to contain or redirect us.

Seraphine scrambles up beside me, her robes covered in dust. "We're trapped," she pants, stating the obvious with wide eyes fixed on the blocked stairs. I turn to face her fully, my expression stern despite the adrenaline still singing through my veins. "No," I correct sharply. "Not yet." I gesture towards the new tunnel with a sweep of one arm, my other hand already moving in complex patterns as I prepare a spell. "That demon didn't create an escape route—it created a choice: face whatever's below or wait here for whatever's above."

The runes on the walls pulse faster in response to my magic, their light casting harsh shadows across my face. I let a small flame dance between my fingers as I speak, more for effect than necessity: "We go down," I decide flatly. "Before whatever sent that boulder after us sends another."

Seraphine's eyes widen further—with fear or excitement, it's hard to tell with wizards—as she grips her staff tighter. "But Merrin and Varrika... what if they're not even down there? What if this is all a trap?"

I let the flame snuff out coldly. "Then we'll find that out soon enough," I reply without inflection. And adapt accordingly. "Stay close, watch for traps, and don't use any spells with flashy signatures—whatever's waiting below doesn't need light shows to find us."

With a final glance at the blocked stairs behind us as an unspoken reminder of our limited options, I step towards the edge of the new tunnel. The air grows colder as I approach, carrying that same fetid magic I smelled before. Time to see what's in the tower's belly, I think grimly as I prepare a spell for whatever waits below. And hope Halie's incompetence hasn't doomed us all.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what we're about to do. The air is thick with the scent of ancient magic and decay, and the runes along the edge of the new tunnel pulse with a faint, malevolent light. Every instinct screams at me that this is a terrible idea, but Jeane is right—we have no choice. The stairs are blocked, and who knows what else might come crashing down if we wait.
"I... I understand," I say, my voice so quiet it's almost lost in the air. I tighten my grip on my staff, feeling its familiar weight ground me. "Stay close, watch for traps, don't use any spells with flashy signatures." I repeat Jeane's instructions back to her, as much to calm myself as anything else. My heart hammers against my ribs like a frantic bird trapped in a cage.
I step forward, my foot hovering over the edge of the tunnel. The drop looks impossibly deep, and I can hear the faint sound of something moving far below—the same scuttling noise we heard before. A chill runs down my spine. This is it. There's no going back now.
I look up at Jeane one last time, searching her face for any sign of doubt or fear. But all I see is that same grim determination she always wears like a second skin. It’s not reassuring, but it is familiar, and right now, that familiarity is all the comfort I need.
"Alright," I say finally, my voice gaining a fraction more strength. "Let's find out what's in this tower's belly." And hope Halie’s incompetence hasn’t doomed us all.
With a deep breath, I step over the edge of the tunnel. The air around me shimmers, and suddenly I'm falling, plummeting down into the darkness below. The wind roars past my ears, whipping at my hair and robes. For a moment, everything is a blur of black and the distant glow of ancient runes.