Last Alchemist
You fix your gaze on the woman and take a deliberate step closer to the edge of the passageway, your tone firm and pressing. "We don’t have time for second thoughts. If they’re hunting you, tell me why—now—or we’ll both be cornered." Her eyes flicker with uncertainty, but the approaching clamor of the Inquisitors’ boots leaves her no room to stall.You seize a jagged piece of rubble and lodge it firmly into the gears of the passageway, halting its closure. Quickly, you pile chunks of broken stone to form a crude blockade and nod to the woman. "It’s not perfect," you admit, "but it should slow them down while we plan our escape."You pick up a discarded tool from the tunnel floor and hurl it into a nearby side passage, ensuring it makes a racket as it bounces off the walls. Turning to the woman, you murmur, “Move quickly—this should mislead them,” before flattening yourself against the shadowed wall, ready to circle back and catch the Inquisitors off guard.You fix your gaze on the woman, speaking with calm authority. “Listen, I don’t care who you are or what brought you here, but if we’re going to make it out alive, we have to trust each other. Are you ready to do what it takes to survive?” She hesitates for a moment, then exhales sharply and nods, determination flickering in her eyes.