Round 35

The tower's ground floor rumbled ominously as the runes pulsed with fresh dark energy—each beat a slow thud against the stone. Jeane called up from her hidden pit: 'Merrin! Stay calm and quiet—whatever's down here might be drawn by sound.' The walls around them seemed to close in, unstable in the flickering torchlight.

Halie descended carefully toward the pit's edge, mace ready. The wards are feeding something now. We need to move carefully or we could all be trapped down there. Merrin scrambled to light a torch, the flame casting eerie shadows across the pit walls. She peered over the edge, trying to catch a glimpse of Jeane below.

Jeane tested the floor carefully before shifting her weight—solid enough this time, but she wouldn't trust it twice. The runes pulsed again—lazy, hungry. She called up: 'Halie? Merrin? Answer me.' Her voice seemed to die before it left her mouth, swallowed by stone and something else she couldn't name. There was a scraping sound from further down—the sharp scrape of claw on stone.

The darkness below seemed to swallow sound, pressing in thick and cold. Jeane tested the floor carefully again—solid enough this time, but she wouldn't trust it twice. The runes pulsed again—lazy, hungry. She called up: 'Halie? Merrin? Answer me.' Her voice seemed to die before it left her mouth, swallowed by stone and something else she couldn't name.

There was a scraping sound from further down—the sharp scrape of claw on stone.