Round 99

Jeane steps back from the dust cloud, her crimson eyes narrowing as she studies the newly revealed passage and its ominous sigils. The magic here... it pulses with a demonic rhythm. Those aren't just carvings—they're active seals containing something ancient and foul. She gestures sharply at Merrin. Careful! Every time you shift that rubble, the whole structure groans like a dying beast. We need to assess before we act further.

Merrin pauses mid-lever, her brow furrowing as she listens to the tower's ominous creaking. Gods, I hate this place already. She eases off the crowbar, letting it clatter to the stone floor. Fine, fine. We'll do your assessment first. But Halie's still trapped under there, and every moment counts. She turns to Seraphine. Any luck finding another way up? Secret passages or hidden stairs?

Seraphine shakes her head, her sharp gaze fixed on the unstable ceiling above them. The magic here is... wrong. Corrupt beyond anything I've encountered before. Each time you move stone, it's like tearing at a wound in the very fabric of this place. She moves closer to Merrin, lowering her voice. We cannot afford to destabilize this further without knowing what lies beneath. The entire structure could come down on us all.

Jeane circles the threshold of the new passage, her wings half-spread for balance as she examines the sigils with growing unease. This isn't just ancient magic—this is demonic binding. Someone trapped something immense and powerful here, and those seals are failing. She traces a symbol in the air, muttering an arcane word. The energy... it's seeping through. We need to find another route before whatever's beyond those sigils breaks free.

Merrin sighs heavily, rubbing at her injured knee. Fine. New plan—we find a way up that doesn't involve playing Jenga with cursed rubble. Any bright ideas? Because from where I'm standing, our options are limited to 'die trying' or 'die waiting.' She glances between Jeane and Seraphine. And before anyone suggests we just fly up there... she jerks her thumb at Jeane's wings ...let's remember that those things aren't exactly built for carrying extra weight.