You decide to stick to what works, and continue moving towards the stairway.

Waving away the rest of the bubbles in the hall is surprisingly straightforward. The closer to the archway you get, the fewer bubbles there are to worry about; by the time you are approaching the door, you don't even need to disperse the orbs anymore and can simply duck past the last few. Before you know it, you've sidled past the final bubbles and practically stumbled into the stairway.

There's a slight draft blowing past you into the hallway, which you figure should be enough to keep any bubbles from drifting into this room. You are safe enough for the moment to more thoroughly investigate the area. To think at the top of these stairs lies your foe - you steel yourself for the coming challenge, and the final climb!