Round 75

The tower's ancient stones seem to exhale a breath of decay and dark magic as the group gathers at its base. Merrin limps back, her knee scraped but healing under Halie's ministrations. The air grows thick with an oppressive silence that makes the hair on the back of Varrika's neck stand up.

"Alright, here's the plan," Merrin says quickly, trying to sound more confident than she feels. "Halie and Varrika—you two are sharp-eyed. Scout the perimeter for any loose stones that might hide a secret passage." Her eyes dart to the crumbling stone steps leading up into shadows. "This place... it feels alive. And it wants us gone."

I approach Merrin, speaking quietly. "Your knee—let me see." I kneel beside her without waiting for permission. The scrape is ugly but shallow—the kind of injury that throbs with stubborn insistence rather than crippling damage.

"Demonic magic," I mutter, more to myself than to Merrin. "Strong and old. We need to find another way up before whatever stirred decides we're a threat."