Chapter Forty-Five: Ember’s Depths

Yozora brushed through the thick jungle, parting the final layer of foliage. There it was—the portal gate to Ember’s Depths. A wave of awe washed over him as he gazed upon it, a grin of excitement creeping across his face.

The air around the gate felt heavier, denser, and the temperature had noticeably increased. The once purple and blue sky above had shifted to a deep blood-red, with massive dark and jagged obsidian cliffs towering on either side, looming like sentinels.

"Extraordinary," Yozora whispered to himself, marveling at the sight.

Directly beneath the gate, the ground was scorched and cracked, glowing faintly with embers and smoldering rocks that hinted at the searing heat lying on the other side of the portal. The colossal structure before him was made of charred stone and obsidian, pulsating with a deep crimson light that flickered through the intricate runes etched into its surface.

Reaching out, Yozora ran his fingers over the runes, feeling the heat radiating from the stone. As his touch brushed across each symbol, they glowed brighter, responding to his presence. The gate felt alive, aware, as if it had been waiting for him, urging him to step forward.

The heat was intense, like standing next to a roaring bonfire, but it wasn’t enough to deter him. There was a magnetic pull—an unseen force drawing him closer. His heart pounded in his chest, the reality of his mission settling into his bones.

"This is it," Yozora said, taking a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead. "No help, no backup. Just me. Ember’s Depths."

He stepped forward into the swirling vortex of fiery light.

The moment he crossed through the portal, an all-encompassing wave of heat slammed into him like a tidal force, threatening to suffocate him. The air was thick, heavy with ash and the smell of sulfur. Each breath felt like inhaling fire, searing his lungs with every inhale. Sweat beaded on his skin, and the oppressive heat was unlike anything he had experienced before.

"Eww, this place smells like bad eggs," Yozora muttered, wrinkling his nose at the stench of sulfur.

He glanced around, surveying the landscape. "So, this is the Molten Cradle. The dungeon within Ember’s Depths."

Sirius had warned him about this place, telling him that many had attempted the dungeon and failed. Yozora’s curiosity was piqued. "I wonder what the big deal is."

Leaping into the air, he took in the vastness of the cavern before him. It was like peering into the heart of a volcano. The walls of the cavern glowed a molten orange-red, as if they were alive with heat. Rivers of lava snaked through the landscape, bubbling and hissing as they wound their way through the jagged rock, illuminating the cavern with an eerie, hellish glow.

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Massive stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping molten rock into the lava pools below. The ground itself was cracked, with molten magma simmering just beneath the surface, threatening to engulf anything that ventured too close.

"This place is alive," Yozora murmured to himself, noticing the constant motion in the landscape. As he wiped the sweat from his forehead, he realized the heat wasn’t bothering him as much anymore. "Strange. Shouldn’t it be hotter here?"

Suddenly, a screeching noise pierced through the cavern, growing louder as it approached. Yozora tensed, his eyes scanning the environment. "What is that loud-ass noise?"

A hawk, its feathers smoldering with embers, burst out from a magma fall. It swooped down toward the rivers of lava below, diving straight into the molten depths before exploding back out, soaring toward Yozora with a fish in its talons, its flesh made of volcanic crust. Yozora’s eyes gleamed with amazement.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed, watching the hawk’s graceful movements.

The hawk’s fiery eyes met Yozora’s as it hovered midair, flapping its wings slowly. The two locked gazes, a moment of understanding passing between them. For a brief thirty seconds, the hawk stayed there, wings outstretched, its ember-like feathers casting a glow over the scene. Then, it turned and flew away, disappearing behind the magma fall once more.

"Trespasser..." a faint voice echoed in Yozora’s mind.

"Wait!" Yozora shouted after the hawk. "Did you just speak to me?"

But the hawk was already gone, vanishing back into the depths of the molten river. Yozora floated there, pondering what had just happened. "Maybe I’m tweaking," he muttered to himself.

As he continued his journey through the cavern, his senses heightened. Suddenly, a sharp sensation of danger prickled the back of his neck. He turned just in time to see a boulder the size of an elephant hurtling toward him. Without hesitation, Yozora reached out, catching the massive rock effortlessly and tossing it aside.

"Who the hell threw that?!" he growled.

His senses flared again, and this time, three more boulders flew toward him from different directions. Yozora reacted instantly, slicing through each one with his hand, turning them into smaller chunks the size of bowling balls. He spotted a group of monsters below, and with a thought, a baseball bat materialized in his hands.

"Let’s play ball," Yozora smirked, swinging the bat with incredible force. The smaller rocks shot toward the monsters, tearing through their limbs and bodies, leaving a few survivors who dove into the molten river, their voices screeching, "Trespasser! Leave us!"

"You started it, assholes!" Yozora shouted back, shaking his head. "What’s this trespassing thing all about, anyway?"

Continuing his journey deeper into the cavern, Yozora spotted something towering on a distant cliff—a much larger hawk, far more massive than the one he had seen earlier. Its enormous frame was draped in embers, glowing with a fiery intensity as it slept peacefully.

"What in the hell is that...?" Yozora muttered, his curiosity getting the best of him. "I have to touch it."

He looked around, as if checking for any witnesses, and slowly crept closer to the sleeping hawk. Its deep, fiery breathing sent waves of heat into the air, but Yozora was undeterred. As he reached out and brushed his hand against its ember-like feathers, he was surprised by how soft they felt. "Not hot at all... crazy."

Suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine. He looked up and realized that the hawk’s eyes were open, staring directly at him.

"Who dares touch me?" a voice boomed in Yozora’s mind, the words vibrating through the air.

Startled, Yozora pointed at himself. "Uhh... me? Mr. Fire Hawk... sir?" he said sarcastically.

The hawk’s eyes narrowed, its massive wings spreading wide. Its entire body ignited into a fiery blaze, its voice echoing in Yozora’s mind once more. "Then I shall cast judgment upon thee for trespassing on sacred ground... and for laying your filthy hands upon me."