Round 77

Jeane descends into the chasm with Zha'thik, the air around them shimmering with arcane energy. The ancient stones groan as if in pain, their very timbers creaking under the strain of power unleashed. Seraphine's portal pulses with desperate energy, a shimmering gateway that seems to beg for passage even as it threatens to collapse. Jeane hovers at the precipice, her wings beating slowly to maintain altitude, crimson eyes fixed on the swirling darkness below where Zha'thik awaits.

"Descend into the chasm," she commands, voice sharp and cold enough to freeze the air itself. "Find Merrin and Varrika—bring them back alive or don't bother returning at all." The demon's energies respond, coiling and uncoiling like a serpent eager to obey its new master.

Merrin crouches in the shadows far below, her rogue's instincts screaming warnings even as she tracks the conversation above. The fall had left her bruised but mobile, no obvious injuries save for her pride after stumbling into this predicament. She checks her crossbow again—five bolts remaining—and curses under her breath. "Come on, Varrika," she whispers, more prayer than statement.

The chasm's depths remain shrouded in darkness, the air thick with the scent of ancient stone and something else... something wrong. The sound of running water echoes from below, mingling with the distant skittering of unseen creatures.