Round 28 Transcript

The ward's pulse slows, then stops. A shadow passes across the window, and something heavy scrapes against stone upstairs—a deliberate sound. The ground beneath Merrin shifts again, louder this time: a stone slab settling, perhaps concealing a stairwell. He can't see it clearly from his position—something needs to change.

Merrin feels the hairs on her neck prickle as the ward's pulse goes still. Something's not right. She scans the stone facade, her gaze catching on a faint shadow flickering across a distant window. Whatever was asleep upstairs is awake now, and it knows they're here. Her breath catches as the ground shifts beneath her feet again, louder this time. A stone slab settles, perhaps concealing a hidden stairwell. Time's running out. They need to move, and fast, before whatever's in there decides to come down and meet them personally. She glances around for Halie and Jeane, her mind racing through options. They could try to make a run for it now, but that would mean leaving the sword behind. Or they could push forward, see if they can find a way in that doesn't set off the wards. It's a risk either way. The ward's pulse picks up again, faster this time, like a heartbeat speeding up. Merrin's hand tightens on her mace as she steps towards the shifting stone, ready to move at a moment's notice. Whatever happens next, they'll face it together. "Halie!" she calls out in a low voice. "We've got trouble."

The hair on my neck stands up as I feel the ward's pulse go still. Something's definitely not right in this place. I shift my weight, ready to move at a moment's notice. "Halie! We've got trouble."

I scan the stone facade, looking for any signs of movement or hidden entrances. The shadow flickering across that distant window catches my eye again. Whatever's in there knows we're here now. The ground beneath my feet shifts slightly—the sound of a stone slab settling, maybe concealing a stairwell. I take a step towards it, mace ready. "Merrin, keep your eyes peeled. We need to move fast or get out before that thing upstairs decides how to respond."

The ward's rhythm shifts—I can feel it in the air now. Whatever's upstairs isn't just waking up, it's listening. We've got maybe two minutes before it decides whether we're trespassers worth investigating or just more meat for its wards. Halie! Drop everything else—ward spell, now! Merrin, Varrika—I need you marking every stone that shifts on that facade. If the pattern changes again, call out immediately. Seraphine, get ready to light off a signal flare if we're detected. We accelerate or abort in sixty seconds. Those are our options.

I drop my heavy pack, grip the silver holy symbol tightly. "Everyone freeze. The wards are active—they're feeding something inside." My skin crawls with old magic. "We have maybe five minutes before whatever's upstairs decides we're dinner. Merrin, Varrika—mark every stone that shifts on that facade. Jeane, get above-ground and scout the roof access without drawing attention."

I begin tracing the ward-dispelling gesture, voice firm: "This spell needs quiet focus. Guard me in a circle, blades drawn." The tower's silence screams of teeth.

The ward's pulse goes still. It isn't just a slowing now; it's a sudden, terrifying absence of sound. A heavy silence settles over the tower like a shroud, thick and oppressive. I feel the change in the air before anyone speaks—the hairs on my arms stand up as if charged by static. My eyes dart to Merrin, then to Halie, but my mind is already racing ahead, trying to map the new threat.
"By all the gods," I breathe, the words so faint they are barely more than a thought. "It's awake."
My gaze sweeps the crumbling stone facade, searching for any sign of movement, any hint of what might be happening inside. The silence feels deliberate now, predatory. Whatever was sleeping within this accursed place has stirred.
"We need to move," I say, my voice a low, urgent murmur. "Now."
I take a step toward the nearest wall, my hand outstretched, fingers trembling slightly as I reach for the ancient runes etched into the stone. They feel hot to the touch, almost alive with a malevolent energy. I can sense the power thrumming beneath them, feeding something unseen above.
"Halie," I call out without turning, my focus entirely on the wards. "Tell me what you're seeing. Is there a pattern? A weakness we can exploit?"
My heart hammers in my chest, a frantic drumbeat against my ribs. Every instinct is screaming at me to run, to get as far away from this place as possible. But we came for something specific, and I know deep down that turning back now would be a waste of all our efforts. No—we have to push forward, to find out what lies waiting for us at the end of this path.