Alice and her companions walked out of the airport, and the heat hit them like a physical wall of fire. The air was thick and scorching, and the sun shone down mercilessly from above. The landscape around the airport was nothing but ash and rocks, interrupted only by the occasional volcano spewing lava into the air.

The girls were immediately overwhelmed by the heat. They squinted against the blinding sunlight and the ash, trying to get their bearings.

"Man," Rachel muttered. "They weren't kidding about this heat. Even breathing is uncomfortable with this hot-ass air…”

Alice was already sweating, her dress clinging to her skin. "This is...insane. I don't think I've ever felt heat like this before."

Zalgo chuckled, not wanting to show that she was also suffering from the heat. "C'mon, guys. It's not that bad. I mean, it could be worse, right?”

Rachel shot Zalgo a glare. "Worse? How could it be worse, exactly? I feel like I'm slowly roasting alive out here."

Alice fanned herself ineffectively with her hand. "Yeah, me too. I think I'm already getting dehydrated.”

Zalgo shrugged nonchalantly, though she was also starting to wilt under the heat. "I mean, hey, it could be hotter, right? We could be in an actual volcano, or something."

Rachel rolled her eyes at Zalgo's attempt at positivity. "Thanks, that makes me feel so much better.”

Alice groaned, "Oh, for the love of...can we just focus on finding that World Core and handling the dragon situation? The sooner we save it, the sooner we can get out of this furnace.”

Zalgo, despite the heat, smirked at Alice's comment. "Right, let's focus on the mission. We've got a dragon and a World Core to deal with. Let's just hope this heat isn't messing with the dragon's temper."

Noelle nodded, her expression determined. "All right, game faces on. Let's find that World Core and get this heat off our backs, literally and figuratively.”

As they trekked through the scorching heat, they couldn't help but notice the barren, desolate landscape around them. The air was filled with fine, ash particles, making it difficult to breathe and see. The volcanoes loomed in the distance, their fiery glow a constant, ominous reminder of the simmering danger beneath the land.

Alice stopped for a moment, panting heavily. "Guys, hold up. Can we take a quick break? I need to catch my breath.”

Rachel nodded, also feeling the strain of the heat. "Yeah, good idea. We need to rest for a bit. I can barely walk without wanting to pass out."

Zalgo leaned against a nearby rock, trying to act unfazed by the heat, but her face was drenched in sweat. "Yeah, we might as well have a quick breather. This heat is no joke.”

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Zalgo then quickly got off of the rock with a wince as it burned her back through her jacket.

Alice nodded, taking deep breaths to catch her breath. "You're absolutely right. This place feels haunted. Even the air feels heavy with negativity."

Rachel drank some water from her canteen, savoring every drop. "I can't wait to get this mission over with. I'm starting to miss the cold, and it hasn't even been ten minutes out here.”

Zalgo, trying to lighten the mood, offered a joke, "Uhh… Well, at least we're getting a free tan out here. Silver lining, right?"

Alice laughed sarcastically at Zalgo's joke. "Yeah, a 'free tan' that'll come with third-degree burns and heatstroke. Sounds like a party."

Noelle, though also exhausted, managed a small smile. "At least we're in this together. Imagine doing this alone.”

Rachel nodded, a tired but grateful look in her eyes. "You're right. We might be suffering in this heat, but at least we're suffering together. It makes it a bit more bearable."

They took a moment to catch their bearings, knowing they had a long trek ahead. With a shared look of determination, the group stood back up, ready to forge onward through the hellish landscape.

As they continued their trek, the heat grew more intense and stifling. The ground beneath their feet was boiling hot, almost melting the soles of their boots. The fine, ash particles in the air made it even harder to breathe, causing them to cough and sputter.

Alice, her face smeared with ash, spoke up between labored breaths. "This heat...it's like a living thing. It's oppressive, like it's trying to break us down.”

Rachel nodded, her face red from both the heat and the exertion. "Yeah, and it's working. Shit, I feel like I'm baking from the inside out."

The girls were too caught up in the heat to even notice a stand next to them, with a dark elf behind it serving ice cold water.

"Hey!" the dark elf called out, his voice stern. "You ladies don't have any water on you! Come over and get some before you dehydrate and keel over, quickly! It's free!”

The girls, surprised and relieved to hear the dark elf's voice, quickly turned towards the stand. Their fatigue and heat exhaustion had made them oblivious to their surroundings.

Noelle, her voice cracking from dehydration, spoke, "Oh, thank goodness. We could really use some water. Thanks for the heads up!"

They quickly made their way over to the stand, where the dark elf was already pouring ice water into cups for them.

The dark elf smiled at them kindly, seeing their exhaustion. "No problem, ladies. I saw you walking out here and could see you were in bad shape. Thought you could use a cool drink before carrying on."

Zalgo, who took the first cup, practically gulped it down, her throat parched. "You have no idea how grateful we are for this."

Rachel, after drinking a cup, wiped her sweaty face with a handkerchief. "You're a lifesaver, dude. Seriously.”

The dark elf chuckled at their reaction. "Just doing my part. Heatstroke is nothing to scoff at, especially with this kind of heat."

Alice, feeling some of her strength return after drinking a cup, spoke, "This water is a godsend. We were seriously starting to feel the heat getting to us."

The dark elf nodded, offering them more cups. "Take as much as you need. It's important to stay hydrated in this kind of heat.”

The girls accepted more cups of water, eagerly gulping them down. The cool fluid helped to soothe their parched throats and brought a bit of their energy back.

Rachel, after drinking another cup, smiled at the dark elf. "Thanks again. Seriously, we owe you one."

Zalgo, feeling somewhat revived, looked at the dark elf with a bit of curiosity. "Say, you don't happen to know where there's some shade around here, do you? We're burning up."

The dark elf took a moment before answering. "You see...this heat you feel is mostly from all the lava that the volcanoes are shooting out. Therefore, in the shade, or even at night, the heat doesn't get any less oppressive. It's better to just stay indoors unless you absolutely need to go out for something.”

The girls groaned at the news. "So even in the shade, the heat is still this brutal?" Alice asked, sweat dripping down her face.

The dark elf nodded, "Unfortunately, yes. This region is cursed with constant heat. Even at night, it's still quite warm. The only real respite is staying indoors with the AC on."

Zalgo, not looking happy at this news, muttered, "Great...just great. Know any hotels nearby?”

The dark elf chuckled, amused by Zalgo's reaction. "There's the Dark Ember Inn not far from here. It's the only hotel around here. It's nice and cool, and it has pretty good food too."

Zalgo, thankful for the information, replied, "That sounds perfect. Can you show us the way?"

The dark elf nodded, "Of course, it's just straight down this path. You can't miss it. It's a tall building, made from black rock and is easily seen even during the day from a distance.”

The girls thanked the dark elf again, expressing their gratitude. With the location of the inn in mind, they prepared themselves to endure the heat for a little longer.

Noelle took the lead, the others ready to march again. "All right, ladies. Just a bit longer and we'll be in the cool air conditioning for the night, going back a bit better prepared for these conditions. We can do this."

Zalgo, still not looking pleased, grumbled, "Yeah, sure. Just a bit longer...in the literal furnace of Fairylyl.”